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Lauder rally speech assailed; outstanding
citizens; silence on cabinet.

JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent

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Washington Watc

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lla onday's huge rally in
Jerusalem protesting a
U.S. proposal to divide
the city and give the
Palestinians control over the Temple
Mount has widened divisions within
the American Jewish community over
the troubled peace process — and over
exactly who represents American Jews.
Ronald Lauder, chair of the
Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organizations, was a
featured speaker at the event, despite
strong protests by several leading
Conference members who charged that
the rally — which took place in the
shadow of an intensifying campaign
for prime minister in Israel — was a
political event, not simply an affirma-
tion of the importance of Jerusalem.
In response to the barrage of criti-
cism, which erupted at a Conference
meeting last week, Lauder prefaced his
speech to the rally — which drew up
to 300,000 protesters — by saying he
was appearing as a private individual.
But news coverage identified him as
chair of the Conference — an umbrel-
la organization of diverse groups that is
widely regarded as the consensus voice
of American Jewry.
"This is exactly as we feared," said
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, executive direc-
tor of the Association of Reform
Zionists of America, who led the oppo-
sition to an official Presidents
Conference presence at the Jerusalem
rally. "He said he stood there as an
individual — but it's not possible to
distinguish your role as the chair of the
umbrella body of American Jewry and
your capacity as an individual."
Hirsch said that the credibility of the
Conference is at stake.
At last week's meeting in New York,
Knesset member Natan Sharansky, a
vocal critic of the current peace negoti-
ations, appealed for support for the
rally called in response to Clinton's
last-ditch peace proposals.
Lauder sought support for his deci-
sion to attend the rally, but several
other prominent Conference leaders —
including top officials of the Reform
movement — argued that Lauder's

presence would be seen through a
political lens in Israel.
"The more Sharansky spoke, the
clearer it became this was a political
rally, not a rally for Jerusalem," said
Abraham Foxman, national director o
the Anti-Defamation League. "Most
us believe that Jews should support th
centrality of Jerusalem. But the timin
of this rally sent a political message."
A motion to allow Lauder to attend
passed by a vote of 15-9; conference
rules demand "consensus" positions o
critical issues, but do not define exactl
what that means.
"Several years ago, the Conference
tried to define consensus but it didn't
succeed," said Seymour Reich, a for-
mer Conference chair and a peace
process supporter. "The idea is still
that you know a consensus when you
see it. There was a clear feeling at this
meeting that there was no consensus."
Reich said that Lauder's appearance
at the rally— even with his disclaime
that he was speaking as an individual
— "is not good for American Jews,
and it's not good for the Conference,
which has,traditionally tried to stay o
of Israeli political matters. This is the
first major breach of that, in my view,
and I think it weakens the ability of
the Conference to speak for all
American Jews."
But Malcolm Hoenlein, the execu-
tive vice-chair of the Conference,
defended Lauder's actions.
"He was there as an individual, a
concerned Jew who cares about Israel,
he said. "The fact is he convened the
meeting last week to consult with the
Conference because this is such'an
important issue; he didn't have to do
that."
When there was no consensus for an
official visit, Hoenlein said, "he made
it very clear he was going as an individ
ual."
Hoenlein said critical decisions abou
the peace process can only be made by
Israel's citizens, but that the issue of
Jerusalem, with its deep connection to
Jews around the world, is a special case.
That's just the problem, said ARZA's
Hirsch, who said political and religiou
forces in Israel are increasingly definin
some issues as superseding democratic
procedures.