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Will U.S. Jews Pick Up Pieces
After A Clinton-Bibi Crash?

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THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.

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that doesn't diminish the reality that
Washington
is widely seen as a weak
Washington Correspondent
and biased mediator in the Israeli-
Palestinian negotiations, and that this
e United States and
an Israel
e on a collision course, and
perception is complicating the anti-Iraq
effort.
this question is beginning to
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
worry pro-Israel activists here:
When the wreck takes place, will
was blunt when she told Mr.
Netanyahu during their meeting on
American Jews leap into action to pro-
_)
tect the Jewish state?
Friday that the gridlocked peace proces s ,,
It's too early to draw firm conclu-
is damaging vital U.S. interests.
sions, but more and more Jewish leaders
That point was punctuated by the
disastrous Doha conference.
fear that a variety of factors — includ-
ing disillusionment with the peace poli-
Washington put its prestige on the
cies of Prime Minister Binyamin
line when it pushed Arab leaders to
Netanyahu and a feeling of disenfran-
send high-level representatives to the
chisement among the Reform and
fourth annual Middle East and North
Conservative American Jewish majority
Africa economic summit. When Egypt,
— could make the
Saudi Arabia and
t
z others refused,
next diplomatic cri-
sis worse than any
g and when Israeli
previous one.
Foreign Minister
You don't have to
1David Levy decid-
look too far to find
ed to stay away
signs of the
himself, the
impending crunch.
administration
Last week,
looked foolish.
President Clinton
Administration
met with Jordan's
officials privately
King Hussein, while
criticized Arab
rebuffing desperate
countries for boy-
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
Israeli pleas for a
cotting a confer-
Clinton-Netanyahu and Israel Prime Minister Binyamin
ence that was
Netanyahu met in London.
summit.
clearly in their
U.S. and Israeli
self-interest, but
they also suggested Mr. Netanyahu had
officials reportedly are now talking
poisoned the atmosphere, making it all
about a meeting in December, but the
but impossible for this cornerstone of
diplomatic message already has been
American policy in the region to work.
conveyed like a punch to the solar
All of that translates into a lack of
plexus. American and Israeli sources
trust. Mr. Clinton and Ms. Albright
confirm that the snub was deliberate,
began the year with concerns about
and that it was meant to register intense
where Mr. Netanyahu was headed. By
American unhappiness with what offi-
year's end, concern has mushroomed
cials in the United States see as Mr.
into deep distrust and — according to
Netanyahu's refusal to budge on key
some observers — dislike.
issues like a timeout in settlement con-
That's the backdrop. The next ques-
struction and additional Israeli West
tion is this: will American Jews rally
Bank redeployments.
behind the Israeli government when a
Officials here now believe the
crisis erupts in U.S.-Israel relations, as
Palestinian Authority has responded,
they have done so many times in the
albeit slowly and reluctantly, to Israeli
past?
demands for a more vigorous effort
There are no clear answers, but the
against terrorism. But the Netanyahu
portents are ominous.
government, in their view, refuses to
Polls show a strong majority of
reward that progress by moving ahead
with implementation of the Oslo
American Jews want the peace process
Accords.
to continue, and favor a vigorous
American role, even if that means pres-
American frustration has been build-
ing for months, but it boiled over in the
suring both sides to bring them back tc
the table.
past two weeks as Washington tried —
fiitilely, it seemed — to maintain the
"Most American Jews are pretty
international alliance against Iraq.
detached from Israeli politics," said an
Analysts here say that some Arab
official with one major Jewish group
here. "But they do care about Israel, and
nations are using the lack of progress in
the Mideast talks as an excuse for not
they see Israel's future as hinging on a
risking a confrontation with Iraq. But
successful peace process. From what we

JAMES D. BESSER

