that has been less than helpful in pro-
moting U.S. goals in the region.
At worst, it represents one more small
shift in the strat eg ic balance that could
ultimately jeopardize Israel's security
"It's a serious problem," said
Thomas Neumann, executive director
of the Jewish Institute for National
Security Affairs.
"The continual upgrading of Arab
arsenals jeopardizes Israel's qualitative
edge — even when Israel gets similar
equipment."

Decision Hurts

Jewish groups involved in immigrant
advocacy and services are scrambling
in the wake of last week's Supreme
Court decision upholding a 1996 wel-
fare reform law that barred legal
immigrants from receiving many gov-
ernment services.
The justices refused to consider a
challenge to the most controversial
components of that law by the city of
Chicago, with support from a number
of other cities — including New York.
City officials, backed by immigrant
rights groups and service providers,
argued that the provisions cutting ser-
vices violated their rights to equal pro-
tection. But it wasn't just abstract. con-
stitutional principles that worried city
officials; the cut in federal services
meant that large numbers of immi-
grants turned to local government and
voluntary agencies to fill the service
vacuum.
In refusing to hear the case, the jus-
tices did not rule on its merits, said
Leonard Glickman, executive director
of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
"What they did is reaffirm the prin-
ciple the courts have set down in the
past — that Congress has the ultimate
authority to regulate immigration pol-
icy," he said.
The 1996 law affected a significant
number of Jews, Glickman said —
primarily elderly immigrants who
often find it difficult to attain citizen-
ship in the prescribed seven years.
For these people, Supplemental
Security Income and food stamps "can
be pretty critical," he said. "One way
or the other, they will continue to
need these kinds of services."
Some provisions of the 1996 law
have been rolled back, but not
enough, Glickman said; last week's
court decision means that HIAS and
other Jewish groups will have to
redouble their efforts to get Congress
to go further in restoring benefits.
But the shortened election-year
congressional sessions mean any relief
this year is unlikely, he added. ❑

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