Palestinian people and all of these Palestinian organ-
izations that they are destroying the vision of a
Palestinian state by violent acts."
And he repeated the U.S. demand that Arafat pro-
vide an explanation for the massive shipment of smug-
gled arms intercepted by Israeli forces on the Red Sea.
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice
termed Arafat's journalistic foray as "not helpful."
Sources say Arafat's lobbyists in Washington
played a major role in drafting the op-ed; numerous
Palestinian Authority officials contributed revisions.
The draft was reportedly in circulation for months.

Mutual Assistance

Increasingly, Israel and the U.S. cooperate
in the war against terrorism.

MATTHEW E. BERGER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Washington

he United States increasingly is looking
to Israel for assistance and advice in its
ongoing war against terrorism.
President George W. Bush has a brand-new faith-based
In the immediate aftermath of the
czar. Last week, he appointed Jim Towey — once a
Sept. 11 attacks, the Bush administration seemed
lawyer for Mother Theresa and a longtime advocate for
hesitant to publicly utilize Israel's intelligence
the elderly — to head the year-old White House Office
capabilities. While Israel's expertise in the field is
of Community and Faith-Based Initiatives.
unquestioned, U.S. officials feared a partnership
"It's a remarkable choice, perfectly suited for the
with Israel could anger Arab states, which
current situation," said Nathan Diament,
America was courting for its coalition against
Washington director for the Orthodox Union,
Afghanistan.
which supported the administration's original faith-
But that attitude has changed in recent months
based plan. "It's shows the White House is working
as the administration has steered away from the
on the ground, to actually help people, not just on
Arab coalition. In addition, the Bush administra-
the politics of the issue."
tion has drawn closer to Israel as more evidence
Other Jewish activists say Towey has worked closely
has emerged of the Palestinian Authority's unwill-
with Jewish groups in Florida on social service questions.
ingness to crack down on terror groups.
But the new faith-based czar, according to
Uzi Landau, Israel's minister of public security,
Washington sources, will oversee an office that has a
met with senior U.S. administration officials and
lot more to do with the president's new push for
lawmakers this week to discuss how Israel and the
volunteerism, a lot less to do with faith.
United States can help each other fight terrorism.
"The big news here is that they're trying to secu-
"Like AIDS or cancer, you don't negotiate with
larize the whole program," said Marshall Wittmann,
them, you fight them," Landau told reporters
a senior fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute.
Tuesday.
"The fact is, the faith-based effort has been nothing
Specifically, Israel and the United States are
but tsuris (trouble) for the administration; now
planning a homeland security dialogue between
they're going to emphasize the community side of
the Knesset and Congress, to better synchronize
the plan, not the religion side."
activities. The idea mirrors a cooperative dialogue
In his state of the union message last week, Bush
on missile defense in 1998, which led to addition-
unveiled a new national service and volunteerism
al funding to Israel for its missile defense pro-
effort under the direction of John Bridgeland, a sen-
grams.
ior White House domestic policy official; what's left
Landau has been working with Sens. John Kyl,
of the faith-based initiative will be subsumed by that
R-Ariz., and Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., on the
effort, Washington insiders say.
planned joint commission. Hearings are expected
This week the administration and the Senate
to begin in the spring.
agreed on a compromise formula by Sen. Joseph
Increased coordination between terrorist groups
Lieberman, D-Conn., and Sen. Rick Santorum, R-
and organized crime, and the threat of weapons of
Pa., providing tax breaks to increase charitable giv-
mass destruction, have made increased coordina-
ing. But that faces tough going in the House,
tion necessary, Landau said.
which passed a more sweeping faith-based bill last
"If we shall not eradicate this non-conventional
year that includes "charitable choice" — which
infrastructure and the terrorist infrastructure, they
would scale back restrictions on giving govern-
will, God forbid, eradicate us," he said.
ment funding directly to religious service
providers.
Towey is expected to push for a plan that focuses Intelligence Data
heavily on tax breaks for religious institution that
Landau met with FBI Director Robert Mueller
provide health and social services; "charitable
and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge to
choice" plans, which would scale back restrictions
enhance intelligence and security cooperation
on giving government funding directly to religious
between the two countries.
service providers, has been all but abandoned.
Israel has been providing information, both
Bush has written $6 billion per year in tax incen-
clandestinely and in the open, since the Sept. 11
tives into his proposed Fiscal Year 2003 budget.
attacks. Israeli intelligence on terrorist organiza-
But that's the rub; passing new tax credits for
tions and their funding led the United States to
social services will be difficult in a year that will see
freeze assets of the Holy Land Foundation for
the return of big government deficits.
Relief and Development, a U.S. charity that

High Priest?

❑

allegedly has funneled money to Hamas.
A founder of the Holy Land Foundation, a resi-
dent of Dearborn, Mich., has been held by federal
authorities since December on suspicion of visa
violations.
Israel's experience in lessening combat casualties
has proved informative for the Americans, as well
as its know-how in dismantling roadside bombs.
Israel also provided intelligence information on
a Florida professor who had ties to a terrorist
organization. Sami al-Arian is facing dismissal
from the University of South Florida after the
school learned of his association with members of
Islamic Jihad, based in part on Israeli intelligence.

Publics Help

America can also learn a thing or two from Israel
in terms of public vigilance.
"You need to change the state of mind of your
society to understand this threat," Landau said.
That includes preparing citizens to be cognizant
of those around them, which will provide "many
more eyes" for spotting suspicious people and
packages. He noted that an 8-year-old boy in
Jerusalem recently alerted authorities to a suspi-
cious package that contained a bomb.
He also said Israel has been urging public places
and businesses to take responsibility for their secu-
rity and coordinate efforts with law enforcement.
Landau's meetings in Washington are considered
indicative of a new interest in increased coopera-
tion. "America understands the Israeli people have
a reservoir of information which they are willing
to make available to the United States," a former
senior Pentagon official said. "Israel's reputation
in the practical side is very high."
Israel's knowledge of Afghanistan and Al Qaida
was limited. Now that the United States is look-
ing at Iraq and Iran as possible targets in the war
on terrorism, however, Israel's insight could be
very useful.
"Right now we are seeing a good deal of cooper-
ation, because Israel has good things to bring to
the table," the official said. But, he added, "It
could be more open.
Landau's visit to Washington focused not only
on homeland defense issues, but also on the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Like more senior offi-
cials expected in Washington later this week —
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense
Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer — Landau urged
U.S. officials to add the Palestinian Authority to
President Bush's "axis of evil," which currently
includes North Korea, Iraq and Iran.
"The Palestinian entity is basically a rogue'enti-
ty, providing a safe haven for any terrorist organi-
zation that wants to contribute to the destruction Me
of the State of Israel," Landau said. El
2/S

"

2002

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