Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon, who
will press for the new aid in meet-
ings here next week.
Details of the American aid pack-
age haven't been finalized; officials
here are waiting for a chance to sound
out the new congressional leadership.
A final plan, sources say, may be forth-
coming by the end of the year.
"It's a process; it won't just happen
overnight," said Malcolm Hoenlein,
executive vice chair of the Conference
of Presidents of Major American
Jewish Organizations. "The political
climate in Washington will make it
more difficult, but in the end it
depends on progress in the peace
process — and on the commitments
Washington made to Israel."
Pro-Israel groups will be asked to
make a major push for the aid even
before the new Congress convenes.
"Everybody understands that this is
a reward to the Israelis, not a payment
to help with the real costs of deploy-
ment, which Israel could easily handle
on its own," said a top analyst.
Palestinian officials, including
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yassir
Arafat, were also due in Washington,
looking for their own, more modest
aid boost. But new Palestinian aid,
even linked to the Israeli package,
could be a harder sell in Congress.
Critics of Oslo and Wye say they
will lobby Congress to attach strict
conditions to any new Palestinian aid.
Even supporters say corruption in the
Palestinian Authority makes it unlikely
Arafat will get all he wants, a total that
the New York Times reported to be
5300 million.
Livingston's response will be criti-
cal, as will the position of Rep. Ben
Gilman (R-NY), chair of the House
International Relations Committee,
who has single-handedly blocked parts
of the Palestinian aid packages.
"The Palestinian economy is in
very bad shape, and the need for assis-
tance is dire," said Judith Kipper, co-
director of the Mideast program at the
Center for Strategic and International
Studies in Washington. "But there's a
lot of corruption, and that will be a
big issue for Congress."
The Palestinians also hope to get a
boost from Monday's international
donors' conference in Washington,
which is aimed at stimulating private
investment in Gaza and the West
Bank. About 12 nations agreed to par-
ticipate, including Egypt, Jordan,
far fewer than
Bahrain and Oman
the 50 invited by the State
Department. Li

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11/2
1995

Detroit Jewish News

41

