as the Palestinians. Egypt "was a pioneer
for peace and continues to be a key
partner for the United States," he said.
Shaky Feelings
Jewish leaders around the country, still
dazed by the surprise selection of Sen.
Joe Lieberman as Al Gore's running
mate on the Democratic ticket, are
facing a groundswell of anxiety about
the possible community relations
implications of the choice.
At the top of the Jewish worry list:
the possibility of new black-Jewish
strains and fears that Jews could be
blamed if Gore loses.
Abraham Foxman, national director
of the Anti-Defamation League, said -
he was "flabbergasted" by the level of
insecurity the Lieberman nomination
revealed in the American Jewish com-
munity. "People worry: How much
antisemitism will it spark? Will we be
blamed if Gore loses?" That concern,
he said, has not been justified by
expressions of antisemitism in the
wake of the Lieberman nomination.
Antisemitic outbursts on Internet
chat rooms and discussion forums, wide-
ly reported in the press, were disturbing
but not .widespread, he said; African-
American leaders dealt quickly and
responsibly with the antisemitic corn-
ments of an NAACP official in Texas.
The nomination of a Jewish vice
presidential candidate shows that
"America has come of age," Foxman
said. The panicky reaction in some
communities suggests Jews have not
caught up with that change.
Reva Price, Washington director
for the Jewish Council for Public
Affairs (JCPA), said her agency has
spent a busy week helping communi-
ty relations officials around the coun-
try deal with the repercussions of the
Lieberman nomination — and with
the armies of reporters that have
descended on local Jewish groups.
"We're not seeing panic, but we are
seeing a real concern about how to
respond appropriately to this develop-
ment in American politics," she said. .
One top concern: expressing the
community's pride in Lieberman's
nomination without giving the appear-
ance of a political endorsement, some-
thing that could jeopardize the 501c3
nonprofit status of many Jewish groups.
Black-Jewish concerns emerged
after the Dallas incident and a speech
by Nation of Islam leader Louis
Farrakhan that raised the "dual loyal-
ty" issue, she said.
"But people aren't seeing problems
in their own communities," she said.
'And people were very reassured by
the quick response of the NAACP"
JCPA sent a letter to NAACP
President Kweisi Mfume offering
thanks for "your unequivocal and
expeditious response to the antisemitic
comments made by NAACP official
Lee Alcorn in Dallas."
Relationship Talk
U.S. and Israeli military leaders con-
tinue to work toward' a major upgrade
in strategic relations between the two
countries.
But stubborn disagreements over how
much control Washington should have
over Israel's foreign arms sales continue
to frustrate those efforts. So, too, do
budgetary decisions in Israel, where the
government is trying to cut the Israel
Defense Force budget even as it seeks
more military aid from Washington.
In three days of talks in
Washington last week, Israeli and U.S.
defense officials made progress in
drafting a new Memorandum of
Understanding intended to upgrade
the strategic relationship between the
countries. The MOU deals with
Israel's strategic needs for the next
decade, including defenses against bal-
listic missiles.
They also reached agreement on
increased cooperation in the area of
"nonconventional" terrorism involving
chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
Also on the table last week: how to
cover the defense costs of Israel's with-
drawal from Lebanon earlier in the year.
An Israeli official described the talks
on these issues as "serious and profes-
sional." But negotiations over Israel's
foreign arms trade were less successful.
Recently, Israel canceled a $250
million sale of advanced Phalcon radar
planes to China after ferocious opposi-
tion from the Pentagon. Efforts to
work out new procedures for
American input into Israel's arms sales
have foundered, in large part because
U.S. officials are demanding a virtual
veto power, Israeli sources say.
That impasse continued last week,
despite the cancellation of the
Phalcon sale.
Israeli newspapers also reported
strong U.S. criticism of Israel for plans
to cut some $90 million from the
Israeli defense budget while seeking as
much as $1 billion in extra military
aid from Washington.
"The impression they're creating is
that they want the U.S. to pay for their
budget cuts," said a longtime pro-Israel
activist. "It's understandable why
Washington is upset with this." El
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