1

SENIOR EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

Impeachment: The Jewish Angle

Rev. Jesse Jackson. And as he promot-
here is only one collective
ed a progressive social agenda we
Jewish response to the gross
favor, but for which we feel too busy
spectacle that's wormed its
to personally craft, he sought a middle
way through Washington
ground. Of course, we also had a
during the past 12 months: Oy, when
direct line to his slew of trusted Jewish
will this narrishkeit (nonsense) end?
advisers.
This week, the bizarre
Then, there was the Israel
episode in our nation's histo-
thing. His attachment to
ry seemed to be painfully
the Jewish state exceeded
crawling toward resolution,
the political necessity of
although a few more turns
thanking generous Jewish
are likely. These, and the
campaign contributors, of
political and legal implica-
which there were many. He
tions of it all, were discussed
was awed by Yitzhak Rabin,
last Thursday by myself and
who seemed a modern bib-
others.
lical figure to him. Even in
When future chroniclers
today's tense relationship
NEIL
RUBIN
of American Jewish history
with Binyamin Netanyahu,
Senior Editor
analyze our reaction to Mon-
Mr. Clinton keeps the ago-
ica-gate, they'll find surpris-
nizingly frustrating Middle
ing Jewish themes. They'll
East peace process atop his agenda.
learn that most Jews, like most people
He would love nothing more than
according to the polls, believed that
to have a dramatic breakthrough,
Mr. Clinton had a sleazy side and that
which he thought he had crafted at
he probably broke the law by lying
the Wye talks. We know that Mr.
under oath.
Clinton seeks to secure his long-term
So why let him stay in power? It's
place in history and bump some nasty
not just the conventional wisdom of a
headlines off the front page. Who
robust economy. Rather, the Jewish
cares if in doing so he nudges along a
psychology behind "make it go away"
potentially meaningful peace?
is that we always have and still do root
At home this past August, Sen. Joe
hard for this president — even if we
Lieberman
(D-Conn.) added more
no longer want to say it out loud.
Jewish spice to the drama. In what
Six years ago, we sensed an exciting
was deemed groundbreaking remarks
leader who broke the old mold of the
by a Democrat, he took to the Senate
Bush-Reagan years. With boundless
floor, expressing "deep disappointment
energy, he believed in religion but did-
and personal anger" with the presi-
n't fawn over the fundamentalists. He
dent. He never said it, but the next
believed in inclusiveness, but dis-
day, every newspaper noted Mr.
tanced polarizing figures such as the

T

was so distasteful, it left me feeling
sick to my stomach.
You had the makings of a perfectly
beautiful success story (Eugene Apple-
baum's) and yet apparently found it
necessary to detract from it by the
unnecessary comparison to the Jack
Robinson/Perry Drug story.
Jack is always a perfect gentleman
and has always been a credit to not
merely the Jewish community, but
also the entire community. And he has
always conducted his business affairs
in a competent and efficient manner.
He has proven his retirement to be
extremely charitable. He did not
deserve such abusive references; his
many friends must be very disappoint-
ed.
Hiram A. Dorfman

Farmington Hills

Disparity
Of Punishment

In your Jan. 15 editorial, "Spinning
Pollard," the statement appears, "We
would like more information about
exactly why it is in the national inter-
est to keep Pollard in jail." Here one
may ask also, why is it in the national
interest to keep former Defense Secre-
tary Caspar Weinberger's prejudicial
pre-sentencing memo classified secret
after nearly 13 years of secrecy?
In addition to excessive secrecy,
there is another aspect of the Pollard
case that is troubling. That involves
the issue of disparate punishments for
the same crime, spying for a friendly
country.
When Jonathan Pollard pleaded
guilty to spying for Israel, he received

President Clinton

Some historians
will note some
surprisingly
Jewish flavor to
Monica-gate.

Lieberman's being an observant Jew
known for his integrity. A Jewish
"light to the nation," this paper and
others noted, was shining.
A few weeks later, the president
himself embraced Jewish morality. He

kicked off a public apology campaign
(he's always campaigning for some-
thing) in a Sept. 14 breakfast with
religious leaders. The president reflect-
ed on the upcoming Yom Kippur holy
day, discussing a book lent to him by
a Jewish friend — the Reform move-
ment's "Gates Of Prayer." "In the Jew-
ish tradition," the president said emo-
tionally, the slate is wiped clean and
you start anew. With real repentance,
I'm told, the sins are effectively
removed."
But all along, the historians will
note, lobbyists for Jewish causes
became increasingly frustrated at how
the real issues were ignored. For exam-
ple, in early 1999, the president pre-
tended to have a national debate on
desperately needed Social Security
reform. But everyone, including him,
was too distracted. It was of keen
importance to Jews, a group with a
rapidly growing aging population
whose private funds can't keep up with
the needs.
By the way, the records also will
reflect on a bright aspect of the saga:
No one cares that Ms. Lewinsky is
Jewish — accept a few people holed
up in Montana and some nuts in
Jerusalem, the latter of whom last
Purim said that she was a modern
Queen Esther sent to cultivate sup-
port for Israel from the free world's
leader.
That notion is as ridiculous as the
one that says that Mr. Clinton's only
congressional punishment can be
removal from office. 1-1

sents "a fundamental
the maximum penalty
miscarriage of justice."
under the law, life in
Demonizing Pollard, as
prison. In contrast,
his detractors have
when Navy Lt. Corn-
tended to do over the
mander Michael
years, does not make
Schwartz pleaded guilty
Judge Williams' assess-
to spying for Saudi Ara-
ment wrong. For those
bia several years ago, he
who
believe his assess-
received the minimum
ment is correct, Pol-
penalty, a less than hon-
lard's punishment rep-
orable discharge from
Jonathan Pollard
resents not justice but
the Navy.
vengeance.
Unlike Pollard,
For those who equate vengeance
Schwartz, a non-Jew, did not have to
and justice, nearly 13 years of impris-
spend a single day in prison.
onment is• not punishment enough for
Here, one may wonder why there is
Pollard. For the Clinton administra-
such a disparity in punishments. On
tion, as it once more ponders Pollard's
this, as so much else about the Pollard
fate, the question is, will it be able to
case, the government is silent.
differentiate between the two?
In 1991, in a failed appeal process,
Appellate Judge Stephen Williams
Irving Warshawsky
stated that Pollard's punishment repre-
West Bloomfield

1/29
1999

flotrnit

C

h

NILMIC

22