Washington Watch
Juvenile Justice Misses The Target
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
Washington
or weeks, Jewish groups wor-
ried about a "juvenile justice"
bill that many said combined
badly needed gun control
/ -- .measures with dangerous provisions
on youthful criminals.
If anything, their worries proved
understated.
Last week, the House nixed gun
control, retained the controversial
criminal justice provisions and, for
good measure, added three amend-
ments offered by religious right law-
\:; makers that groups such as the Anti-
' Defamation League say are serious
breaches of the church-state wall.
But the measure is far from a done
deal; congressional observers predict a
tough fight when conferees try to rec-
oncile the House bill with a signifi-
candy different measure passed by the
Senate, which included modest gun
control provisions.
Instead of gun control, the House
gave states the right to allow displays
of the Ten Commandments in public
places, including schools, and made it
harder to sue schools for improper
religious activities.
-
Hadassah-Hillary
'Lovefest Draws Arrows
The measure also included a con-
worse by ignoring crime prevention
troversial "charitable choice" provision
and focusing instead on Draconian
that would allow fuller participation
punishment for juvenile offenders,"
by "faith based" organiza-
said Mark Pelavin, associ-
tions in providing federally
ate director of the
Columbine students
funded social services.
Religious Action Center of
lay flowers outside
"As passed by the House,
Reform Judaism. "The gun
the high school after
the juvenile justice bill actu-
the April shootings
measures were extremely
ally stands to make things
in Littleton, Colo.
modest — but even that
White House; she has given credibility
and legitimacy to groups who are not
only hostile to Israel, but who have
praised Israel's enemies."
Hadassah, the huge international
He also pointed to Ms. Clinton's
women's Zionist organization, is feel-
statements last year expressing sup-
ing the heat for its decision to give
port for full Palestinian statehood,
First Lady Hillary
and said it is inappropriate
Rodham Clinton the
for a Zionist group to honor
group's highest award at
her.
its national convention
Marlene Post, Hadassah's
1 --in July.
national president, expressed
But Hadassah leaders-
outrage at what she said is an
are sticking with their
2 orchestrated campaign to
board's decision despite
give the humanitarian award
opposition by what they
a political charge.
say is a small minority.
"It's disgraceful that any-
Morton Klein, presi-
one in the Jewish community
dent of the Zionist
would attack an organization
Organization of America,
with our history, which
insisted that the award is
Hillary Clinton
invests so heavily in Israel
inappropriate.
and which has members from
In response to the Hadassah invita-
all parts of the Jewish world," she said.
tion, he said, "We have informed our
She said Hadassah officials have
members around the country that
received several hundred letters com-
IN/Is. Clinton] personally invited Arab
plaining about the award.
and Muslim groups who have publicly
She rejected the charge that Ms.
praised Hamas and Hezbollah to the
Clinton is hostile to Israel.
"I spent many hours with her dur-
ing her visit to Israel in December,
and I only heard positive comments,"
she said. "She has a definite love of
Israel. It is true that she has been a
supporter of certain solutions to the
Palestinian problem, but so have been
a majority of Israeli voters."
Lubavitch Opening
Attracts Crowd
The Lubavitch "embassy" in
Washington is finally open for business.
American Friends of Lubavitch
opened the new facility, a former
outpost of the Italian Embassy in
the swanky DuPont Circle neighbor-
hood, with a reception last week
that drew a handful of congressional
bigwigs, the new mayor of
Washington and hordes of Capitol
Hill staffers — the most important
targets of the group's Washington
outreach efforts.
Those who showed up included Sen.
Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), Agriculture
was too much for the NRA."
The Anti-Defamation League blast-
ed the church-state provisions and
their stealth passage.
"The idea that they allotted only
five minutes each for debate on 44
amendments — in the middle of the
night — is outrageous," said Michael
Lieberman, associate director of ADL's
Washington office, "especially for
issues of such constitutional import."
Nathan Diament, director of the
Orthodox Union's Institute for Public
Affairs, expressed disappointment with
the failure of the gun control effort
and ambivalence about the Ten
Commandments provision.
"From a serious religious perspec-
tive, it's unclear what the value is of
just having the Ten Commandments
displayed," he said. "It's hard to
believe that if Dylan Klebold had
walked into Columbine High School
and had seen 'Thou shalt not kill' on
the wall, he would have turned
),
around and left.
And the OU is disappointed that
lawmakers failed to act on proposals to
clamp down on violent video games
and movies marketed to children, he
said, even though the group acknowl-
edges potential First Amendment
problems with such measures. ❑
Secretary Dan Glickman, Rep. Ben
Cardin (D-Md.), Rep. Peter Deutsch
(D-Fla.) and Mayor Tony Williams.
Richard Heideman, president of
B'nai B'rith, spoke of his memories of
the late Rebbe Menachem Mendel
Schneerson.
"When I close my eyes I see his
eyes," he said. "And I have no doubt
tonight that his eyes are smiling."
Also in the crowd of 300-plus:
diplomatic representatives of 12 coun-
tries, including Brazil, Lithuania,
Argentina and Mauritania.
Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the
Lubavitch representative in
Washington, said the facility, which
includes meeting rooms, dining
facilities and an extensive library,
will serve as a "home base" for the
growing number of Lubavitch emis-
saries passing through town.
More importantly, the building
gives us a greater presence in
Washington; it's like someone who's
been renting their entire life, and sud-
denly buys a house." Li
— James D. Besser
"
6/25
1999
Detroit Jewish News
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