This Week Worries Overseas SEE FOR YOURSELF WHY EVERYONE Is SAYING Terrorizing Peace; ffnai Irrith Race; Acting On Hate; Dancing At Auschwitz B'nai ifrith Race Delegates to the B'nai B'rith interna- tional convention in Washington, which begins on Friday, will encounter ith efforts faltering to something they don't usually see: a vig- revive stalled Israeli- Palestinian talks, and the orous challenge to a sit- Sept. 13 target date for a ting president. peace deal only weeks away, officials in But B'nai B'rith odd- Washington and Jerusalem fear a new smakers say that incum- wave of terrorism aimed at wrecking bent Richard D. the peace process once and for all. Heideman, a former Last week, the two allies were feud- Detroiter, is likely to ing over a State Department warning survive the challenge by to tourists to be on guard for possible Dan Frank, a senior vice Richard D. Heideman violence; this week, with evidence president of the group mounting that the warning was justi- from Minneapolis, espe- cially since several former B'nai B'rith fied, officials in both capitals were presidents who once seemed to support reading from the same page. "The U.S. government believes that Frank's candidacy have dropped the idea. "It's a populist issue," said Frank, there is, at this time, an increased pos- sibility for terrorist attacks in Israel, the who said he believes he can win the West Bank and Gaza," said the official vote, which will take place on Monday, Aug. 28. "It's the old guard advisory, issued last Wednesday. It in Washington against those who work added that tourists should exercise cau- in the regions, who have a more pop- tion when taking public transportation and around crowds. ulist view." Recent restructuring intended to The advisory provoked an angry modernize the 157-year-old fraternal response from Israeli Prime Minister group have just increased the emphasis Ehud Barak and some ministers in his on Washington, Frank argued. "The fast-shrinking government, although regional rank and file are being asked Israeli sources say that the security services confirmed the growing threat. for more, but getting less," he said. The grassroots are withering, and Early this week, Israeli and nothing is being done to rejuvenate it. Palestinian authorities announced the I wonder if that's even a priority." arrest of 23 Arabs suspected of plan- But Heideman forces say the cur- ning attacks — some of whom, Israeli rent president has succeeded in getting newspapers said, have connections to Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden. the organization's hemorrhaging budg- et under control, and that he has On Monday, the Congressional made significant improvements at the Research Service, in its annual survey of terrorism in the Middle East region, group's headquarters. "When I came into office, I found reported that bin Laden may be get- that B'nai B'rith had been spending ting set to begin a terror campaign more money than it had been taking within Israel. in," Heideman, a former Detroiter, The report indicated that the said this week. "Fiscal integrity and Afghan-based terrorist might be pick- responsibility had to be our top pri- ing up support from backers of Hamas (the militant Islamic movement), ority." But with the financial emergency angered by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's participation in last month's easing, he said, his administration will now turn to changes in the group's Camp David talks. structure intended to make the regions The terror warnings and the new and the national office work together arrests came'as U.S. special envoy Dennis Ross shuttled across the region more effectively. This week, Heideman said, dele- in yet another attempt to restart seri- ous negotiations. They have been on gates will consider a proposal that hold since the collapse of last month's "will create B'nai B'rith community regions and community-service cen- summit in the Maryland mountains. ters, with the goal of taking the organ- JAMES D. BESSER Washington Correspondent IV 'saelr'Sra4;a4Fit • , • CVPV.Irik- OAP\ Bargain Books • 't • • Ti • • • • • We Have 000 it ALL NEW, ALL KINDS AND ALWAYS AT 50-912 4 %x Off the Publisher's List At &than! Lake, S. of l4 io the Mart Pkaa ..t c7N 8/25 2000 28 CPR can keep your love alive -714 American Heart Associations. Fighting Heart Disease and Stroke Washington Watch r.