Washington Watch
"
KAATERSKILL FALLS
MEETS
Capitol Request
AMERICAN BEAUTY. *
Risks for Israel aid; aid for Egypt?; not the
last of Joe; push for Pollard; losing two squeakers.
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
T
he Clinton administration
has finally sent Congress its
request for a supplementary
Mideast aid package that
includes money to help Israel pay the
tab for this year's withdrawal from
southern Lebanon and beef up border
defenses.
That's the good news for Israeli lead-
ers, who were frustrated about the
lengthy negotiations over the new aid
and the delay in presenting it to law-
makers.
The bad news: the request covers
just the first year of what Israel hoped
would be a two-year, $800 million
appropriation. And the aid package
will hit Congress just as partisan bitter-
ness over the disputed presidential elec-
tion is at its peak in early December.
Republican leaders seem in no rush
to grant the administration request.
"I remain very skeptical, especially in
the waning days of the Clinton presi-
dency, that a true, lasting peace can be
secured simply by promising even
more money than has been promised
before." said Rep. Sonny Callahan (R-
Ala.), chair of the Foreign Operations
Appropriations subcommittee.
Callahan said that "because we know
any commitment is going to be sizable,
a good case could be made that this
matter should be best left up to the
new administration and the next
Congress."
Administration officials concede that
in the current hyper-partisan environ-
ment, passing the new aid package
during the lame-duck session — which
is taking place because partisan bicker-
ing kept Congress from passing critical
appropriations bills — will be an
uphill fight.
The administration is not asking for
extra aid for the Palestinians, an
acknowledgment that in today's atmos-
phere new aid for Yasser Arafat could
torpedo the entire package. The omis-
sion of Palestinian aid was also meant
as a signal of U.S. displeasure about
Arafat's role in the continuing surge of
violence, administration insiders say.
But Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright has indicated she might use
Agency for International Development
disaster relief funds to provide some
humanitarian aid for the Palestinians.
Aid For Egypt?
The supplemental aid package
includes $225 million for Egypt and
$75 million for Jordan. The money
for Jordan will not face significant
opposition — but extra Egypt aid
could be tough for many lawmakers
to swallow.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
has played an erratic game as
Washington has worked to salvage
the Israeli-Palestinian talks, and a
number of lawmakers have indicated
that rewarding Egypt is not high on
their list of legislative priorities.
And intensifying anti-Semitism in
the government-controlled media
and from some Egyptian officials has
ignited outright opposition from
some Jewish groups.
Giving new aid to Egypt "sends the
wrong message at this time," said
Abraham Foxman, national director
of the Anti-Defamation League.
Foxman said his group and others
have raised the issue of anti-Semitism
with many Egyptian officials, but
added that "if anything, the problem
is getting worse, it's escalating."
Especially odious was a recent article
in the government-controlled Al-
Ahram accusing Israel of using the
blood of Palestinian children.
"Myla Goldberg has
transcribed the noise
behind dining-room
silences. SHE HAS
WRITTEN A
DREAMLIFE OF
JEWISH FAMILIES."
—The Washington Post Book World
"so SMART...
CHARMING...
IDIOSYNCRATIC and
UNEXPECTED...
ARTFULLY
MISTED..."
Not The Last Of Joe
Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic
vice-presidential nominee, is trying to
keep above the fray even while sup-
porting his ticket mate in the fero-
cious, increasingly ugly fight for
Florida's 25 electoral votes.
With good reason; Lieberman, who
shot up to the top of the political
heap thanks to his breakthrough
nomination and his effectiveness on
the campaign trail, has a lot to lose.
If the Gore-Lieberman ticket comes
up short in Florida, Lieberman would
keep his Senate seat and could
emerge as the nominal frontrunner
for 2004 — but only if he is not
tainted by partisan wrangling that is
starting to turn off the voting public.
—DWIGHT GARNER,
The New York Times Book Review *
Doubleday
Available wherever books are sold • www.doubleday.com
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2000
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