Washington Watch
Wiskirt9
ovtiA friends,
avvAity and
Sagging Support
covrantAirtiti es
Washington's mood shits away from Palestinians;
mixed reaction to campaign finance reform.
f
Palestinians renounce violence.
Given recent events, they said, it's
Washington Correspondent
time for a reassessment that should
include an examination of "whether
l ith violence raging
those Palestinians involved in the
across Gaza and the
attacks against Israelis should be
West Bank, pro-Israel
barred from coming to the United
activists in Washington
States, whether those Palestinian
are cranking up the political pressure
groups involved in violence should be
on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
designated as foreign terrorist organi-
For a change, they have a willing
zations
... and whether U.S. aid to the
partner in the White House — at least
Palestinians is in fact meeting its goals
for now.
and should continue."
Last week, President George W.
Last week, the Conference of
Bush bluntly told Arafat to "stop the
Presidents
urged the State Department
violence. And I can't make it any more
to
put
the
PA
back on the official U.S.
clear." Assistant Secretary of State
list of terrorist groups, an act that
Edward Walker, abandoning the usual
would effectively return the PA and its
diplomatic formulations, told
representatives to diplomatic pariah
Congress, "We've seen absolutely no
status.
response from Arafat to our urgings to
But the leader of a major member
him to help bring the violence to a
agency
— the Anti-Defamation
stop." He added that, instead, Arafat
League
— urged caution in delegit-
fy
had vowed to continue and intensi
imizing
Arafat.
(violent
uprising).
his new intifilda
"In my gut, I'm inclined to be for
"It's
a
very
significant
shift,"
said
•:.)
it," said ADL national director
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice-
Abraham
Foxman, "but it needs seri-
chair of the Conference of Presidents
ous
evaluation
and analysis as to what
of Major American Jewish
WOODS
it
will
achieve,
and when. We should-
Organizations. "The president's corn-
n't
shoot
from
the
hip."
ments couldn't have been clearer; there
Jewish
leaders
say
the burst of activi-
is a real recognition Arafat has played
ty in Washington is in part a warning
a duplicitous role."
to Arafat, in part a reflection of
This week, the PLO Commitments
Since
mounting anger in official circles over
STEVEN TARNOW, C.R.
Compliance Report for June-
1986
Arafat's
behavior since Camp David.
December, 2000, was sent to Congress.
That
rhetoric
could easily turn into
The official report blamed PA security
diplomatic
reality
if the violence contin-
forces and the Tanzim militia for the
ues,
pro-peace
process
activists said.
current violence, but refrained from
"Many
people
are
trying
to apply
blaming Arafat or his top leaders.
pressure
to
the
Palestinians
in a careful-
"It's a complete whitewash," said
ly
calibrated
way,"
said
Thomas
Morton Klein, president of the Zionist
Fax 248-932-0950
Smerling, Washington director for the
Organization of America. "It says that
pro-peace process Israel Policy Forum.
we don't know if Arafat is actually caus-
"But these things have a way of getting
ing the violence, but in fact we do."
out of hand, and there is a minority
Over on Capitol Hill, pressure is
Building Quality Into Every Project With Unmatched Personal Service.
that would like to use it to drive a stake
/4Zi„sen
building for a major reassessment of
through the heart of the peace process."
U.S. relations with the Palestinian
Featuring Andersen Windows
Authority in light of the new violence.
Licensed & Insured
NARI'
Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) and Tom
Election Financing
Lantos (D Calif.), who are the chair-
After six years of frustration, Sen. John
man and the ranking Democrat of the
0
McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Russ
Clinical Teaching
House International Relations
Feingold (D-Wis.) finally managed to
Committee, and Sen. Sam Brownback
Testing/Evaluation
get their campaign finance bill
(R-Kan.) and Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.)
'through the Senate on Monday.
are circulating strongly worded letters
ar First fully accredited
Jewish groups generally responded
to Bush. The authors bluntly referred
Education Clinic in the
I SA I.; I
with
thunderous silence.
to the fact that dialogue with the PLO
United States to receive
Because
of concerns that campaign
was opened on the condition that the
• North Central Accreditation.
■ •
JAMES D. BESSER
a
Happy
Passover.
-
The4eitouirti
Organization
Daventry
erleigh
Amfi
(248)
626-5603
PREFERRED
BUILDING CO.
Residential & Commercial Remodeling
I.
.RN!Ng..
L • 1 • •
•
a 0 .
0
6 • 0 0 10
0 go 0 4
0
11,
LITI E3
4/6
2001
20
LYNNE MASTER, AL ED
Owner, Director
le
INIC
Accedited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
(248) 545-6677 (248) 433-3323
Bloomfield Hills
Oak Park
www.Idclinic.com
Mi