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Washington Watch

Mideast Connection

Powell's trip; unity at JCPA; rights report scores Israel.

That changed in September with the renewed
Palestinian violence and the intensified effort to por-
tray Israel as the culprit.

Rights Report

Despite kind words from Secretary of State Powell
during his visit to Israel, his State Department issued
a punch to the solar plexus Monday in its annual
well enough to speak very candidly back. And we
human rights report. It accused Israel of a "wors-
JAMES D. BESSER
did that, and I think he understands the situa-
ened" human rights record in 2000 and "excessive
Washington Correspondent
tion. But did I see somebody that I have never
force" in putting down the Palestinian rioting that
seen before? No."
began in late September.
here were mixed messages strewn in the
At least in terms of atmospherics, several
"Members of the Israeli security forces committed
wake of U.S. Secretary of State Colin
Jewish leaders said, the trip was a success. But
numerous
serious human rights abuses, particularly
Powell's first Mideast swing since his
others were more critical.
following
the
outbreak of violence in late
appointment and confirmation.
"It was a real disappointment," said Daniel
September,"
according
to the report. It was compiled
Several pro-Israel leaders in Washington said it was a
Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum. "On
mostly
during
the
Clinton
administration, bUt
solid performance for Powell that allayed fears of a
the Arab-Israeli front, he just echoed bromides
endorsed
by
the
current
foreign
policy leadership.
new chill in U.S.-Israel relations. Powell, they said,
about evenhandedness. And on Iraq, he just
Israel
is
currently
investigating
whether excess
seemed determined to give incoming Prime Minster
echoed his own weak position of 10 years ago."
force was used in putting down rioting by Israeli
Ariel Sharon the benefit of the doubt as the tough old
Powell signaled a scaling back of sanctions
Arabs, but it insists the army's response to the ongo-
b
general hammered together a functioning government.
against the Iraqi regime; that, Pipes said, will
ing surge of violence has been "proportionate."
"Powell's trip seems to have had something for
increase the likelihood of aggression against Israel by
As expected, the State Department report also crit-
everybody," said David Makovsky, a senior fellow at
Saddam Hussein. "It's a capitulation to the senti-
icized
the targeted killings of Palestinians suspected
the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "At
ments Saddam has aroused and his popularity
of
planning
new terror attacks, and pointed to the
same time, no side can claim Powell sided with them
throughout the Middle East," he said.
different treatment accorded to the Jewish and Arab
completely, and the question is whether this split
sectors of the country." It put much of the blame for
approach is correct."
the new violence on Prime Minister-elect Ariel
Powell, he said, displeased Israeli leaders because "he
Unity At JCPA
Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount in September.
did not endorse the closure policy in handling the
On the surface, this week's annual national meeting
The report also criticized the Palestinian Authority
intifada [uprising], and used Palestinian terminology
of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA)
for
a widespread pattern of human rights abuses.
about lifting the 'siege.' Moreover, he did not blame the
lacked the drama of recent gatherings.
In
a written analysis of the report, Robert Satloff,
Palestinians for the ongoing violence, nor did he distin-
There were no knock-down fights over school
director
of the Washington Institute for Near East
guish between types of killing."
vouchers, religious pluralism in Israel or Jonathan
Policy,
pointed
to "almost identical" language in the
Israeli officials, he said, had quietly urged the State
Pollard; there was little of the back-room maneuver-
sections of the report dealing with Israel and the
Department to distinguish been acts of terror and
ing by competing factions that usually gives plenums
Palestinians. Satloff also criticized "selective and dis-
the response by Israeli troops.
a little extra zest.
torted reporting on key issues, with the effect of
But the Palestinians, he said, will be unhappy with
On Israel, most participants
minimizing egregious Palestinian behavior and
Powell's assessment that a "reduc-
were reading from the same
enhancing the image of Israeli culpability."
tion of violence is a precondition
page — worrying about how
Cohn Powell with Ariel Sharon,
Jewish leaders were quick to dismiss the report's
for the resumption of peace
to defend the Jewish state at a
below, and with Yasser Arafat, bottom.
harshest findings. "The report is bad because it does-
negotiations. This puts him at
time of rising violence and
n't put things in context or perspective," said Malcolm
odds with the Clinton adminis-
international condemnation of
Hoenlein, executive vice-chair of the Conference of
tration and the Barak govern-
Israeli policies.
Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
ment, which pressed the talks
One of the best-attended
"Israel's restraint after 3,000 incidents of
further despite the violence."
sessions — aside from the first
Palestinian-initiated
fire is not recognized; it doesn't
Overall, the Powell trip "could
appearance by the administra-
acknowledge what is in essence a low number of
show an embryonic form of
tion's new faith-based initia-
casualties." Hoenlein labeled Israel's targeting of sus-
Bush's Mideast policy — siding
tive czar, John J. Dilulio Jr.,
pected terrorists "a means of avoiding civilian casual
with the Palestinians on eco-
— was a panel on the new
ties; to attack that is wrong."
nomic and perhaps even sym-
challenge of hasbarah,
Anti-Defamation League director Abraham
bolic matters, siding with Israel
ty
Foxman called the report "unfair and distorted" and
on the proper context for diplo-
"People feel they are soldiers
said that it "ignores the context in which the vio-
on the front lines, " said Shula
macy," he said.
lence continues to occur, including ongoing incite-
Speaking to reporters en route to
Bahat, acting executive direc-
ment by the Palestinian Authority and the daily
Kuwait, Powell said that he found
tor of the American Jewish
attacks against Israeli civilians."
Sharon "very reflective, very
Committee, one of the pan-
Israeli officials were more circumspect.
thoughtful, very engaged," and said
elists. "The people at this
"Unfortunately, we have an armed conflict imposed
that the new leader realizes "the
meeting wanted to know in
on us," said Alon Liel, director-general of Israel's
enormity of the problem that he
very specific terms how to deal
Foreign Ministry., who emphasized that he had not
has on his hands."
with questions that come up
vet read the full text of the report. "We will do
Arafat, in contrast, "held to
in private conversations, in
everything we can to defend the lives of every Israel
positions that he has held all
social or community settings.
"When you are in a situation of war, unfortunate
along; the conversation was
In the past seven years our
you
have to take measures that are not necessarily
brisk on a number of occasions
hasbarah skills have become
popular. But our primary concern is to defend the
if I can use that word. I know
rusty because we haven't faced
lives of our people."
him well enough to speak can-
real challenges."
didly to him and he knows me

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