Losing Durban Congress vs. Arafat,. Helms retiring. JAMES D. BESSER Washington Correspondent Washington arring a last-minute about- face, an international forum on racism opening in Durban, South Africa, on Friday will be devoted largely to politi- cal attacks on Israel. An all-out diplomatic effort by Washington failed to turn aside a bid by Arab and Muslem countries to use the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance to undercut the legitimacy of the Jewish state. As a result, the State Department this week announced that Secretary of State Colin Powell will not attend. Late Tuesday, sources said the adminis- tration would send a mid-level official, E. Michael Southwick, the deputy assistant secretary of state for interna- tional organization affairs. The unchanged anti-Israel tone was evident on Monday, when the Arab Lawyers Union, an Egypt-based group, distributed two virulently anti-Semitic pamphlets to delegates to the non- governmental organization portion of the conference. One was a collection of more than 80 cartoons featuring images such as swastikas superimposed on Stars of David. "The distribution of blatant, despi- cable hate material at an international conference designed to combat racism and promote tolerance is an outrage that should not be tolerated for one moment," said David A. Harris, exec- utive director of the American Jewish Committee. Harris said his group will have no official representation at the conference. Some Jewish groups praised Powell's decision to stay home; African American leaders blasted it, although many also expressed understanding of Jewish concerns about the conference. "There is understandable disap- pointment and frustration in the African American community that Powell is not going," said Mark Pelavin, associate director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. "We share it; it was our view that on balance, it would have been 8/31 2001 22 better for the Secretary to go and con- tinue the fight in Durban." But Pelavin said that Jewish activism on the Durban issue and Powell's decision not to go "will not be an irritant in black-Jewish relations." Daniel Mariaschin, executive vice- president of B'nai B'rith, praised the administration's efforts. "From the beginning, they worked closely with the Jewish community," he said. "They made it clear throughout the entire process that this is a conference that should not be politicized." Mariaschin said that Bush's statement last week "that the conference should- n't 'pick on Israel' couldn't have been clearer." Still, the U.S. effort failed, he said. "As so often happens in the U.N. sys- tem, there was pressure on countries for silence and passivity in the face of Arab pressure," he said. Anti-American animus was also part of the problem, he said — as was U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, the overall head of the Durban conference, who equated the Holocaust to Israel's treat- ment of the Palestinians in a recent statement. "Her statement broadcast to all of the world that there wasn't really a desire to fix this problem," he said. Mariaschin and others downplayed the likely long-term impact of the Durban fiasco — largely because it may be seen as just "a transparent effort to delegitimize Israel; many countries will see it for what it was." But an Israeli official said that the effort to hijack the Durban conference was "mostly successful. It means that the Palestinians and their friends will be encouraged to use every single international forum to wage this new kind of war against us." On Monday, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Rabbi Michael Melchior, Israel's point man in the Durban fight, told Jewish leaders here that Israel will not send a delegation to a conference that has been turned into a "farce." Congress vs. Arafat When members of Congress return from their August recess next week, The five-term lawmaker, who in 1982 many will try to turn up the heat on suggested breaking diplomatic ties Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a few with Israel after the invasion of more degrees. Lebanon, became an ardent admirer of Last month, the House passed a for- hard-line pro-Israel causes in recent eign operations bill that included an amendment promising diplomatic years. Some pro-Israel activists say the sanctions unless the Palestinian importance of Helms' conversion to Authority reins in violence. In the next the pro-Israel cause was primarily that two weeks, a similar amendment will it removed a powerful be tacked on to the Senate opponent, not that it cre- version by Sen. Mitch ated a helpful friend. McConnell, R-Ky., and That impact was multi- Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D- plied in 1995 when Calif. Helms became chair of The Bush administration the Senate Foreign is lobbying against the Relations Committee. measure, which it claims His pro-Israel conver- would handcuff its Mideast sion did nothing to make policymaking, but it hasn't him popular with liberal been lobbying hard, thanks Jewish groups. to a congressional liaison "His tremendously office that is not fully powerful leadership role staffed. Sen. Jesse Helms with the pro-school Americans for Peace prayer and anti-abortion Now is calling for lawmak- movements are wildly in contrast to ers to reject the measure. the positions of a majority of Jews," "It's counterproductive to America's said David Harris, associate director of and Israel's interests," said assistant the National Jewish Democratic executive director Lewis Roth. "By Council, a partisan group. focusing only on one side, it will make "He's introduced constitutional U.S. standing in the region even amendments on school prayer at the shakier than it is now." But most beginning of every session; the school major Jewish groups are actively sup- prayer movement will be profoundly porting the measure, and it has strong disheartened by his departure." bipartisan backing in Congress. Helms also regularly introduced leg- Also expected to move front-and- islation that would cut off government center on the congressional schedule is education aid to school districts seen a measure by Rep. Eric Cantor, D-Va., as discriminating against religion. If that would penalize the Palestinian passed, liberal Jewish leaders say it Authority if it continues what Jewish would intimidate school officials into leaders say is the systematic destruc- allowing a wide range of questionable tion of Jewish artifacts on Jerusalem's religious activities. Temple Mount. Helms has also resisted the hate The Temple Mount Preservation crimes legislation favored by a number Act, which Cantor said would cut off of Jewish groups. aid to the Palestinians until "all unau- But some conservative Jewish thorized excavations of the Temple activists bemoaned his decision to Mount stop," has been picking up retire. bipartisan support. Rabbi Daniel Lapin, founder and president of Toward Tradition, called Helms Retiring Helms "fearless" and praised the law- maker for his successful amendment Liberal Jewish groups will lose the sen- cutting off federal funds to any school ator they love to hate in 2003 when district that "that tries to punish the Jesse Helms rides off into the North Scouts for standing fast on the gay Carolina sunset. issue by refusing them the use of pub- Pro-Israel groups may have a differ- lic facilities. That's courage, and it will ent take on Helms impending retire- be greatly missed." El ment, which he announced last week.