The Jewish Community Center
75th Anniversary Committee
requests the honor of your presence

Washington Watch

at

Stacked Invitations

Egyptians try to orchestrate Washington meeting
between Mubarak and Jewish leaders.

be part of that," he said. "The
(American Jewish) Committee tried to
Washington Correspondent
play the role of broker. But at some
point, you have to ask yourself if
Washincrton
you're
being manipulated in ways that
gyptian President Hosni
will
not
advance the Jewish communi-
Mubarak came to
ty's
interest."
Washington this week to
Hordes linked the ADL blackball to
spruce up his country's
the
group's strong message on
image as a regional peacemaker, not
Egyptian anti-Semitism, which was
troublemaker. But that effort was
reinforced this week with a new ADL
undercut by a heavy-handed Egyptian
report indicating no decline in anti-
effort to control the agenda of a meet-
Semitic
cartoons and articles in the
ing with Jewish leaders on Tuesday.
government-controlled press.
The Egyptians, according
That report was sent to
to numerous sources; were
members
of Congress, some
determined to exclude
of
whom
met with Mubarak
Abraham Foxman, national
on
Wednesday.
director of the Anti-
. . The fact that Egypt con-
Defamation League, a group
s- tinues to tolerate or even
that has been particularly
encourage this kind of
outspoken in denouncing ris-
hatred, Hordes said, under-
ing Egyptian anti-Semitism.
cuts its attempts to serve as a
When Egyptian officials
refused to invite Foxman, a
Egyptian President Mideast peace broker.
But Jason Isaacson,
number of other major Jewish Hosni Mubarak
Washington
director for the
groups — including the
American
Jewish
American Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC) and B'nai B'rith — Committee, said that the one-hour
meeting served a useful purpose.
said they would boycott the session at
"If the Egyptians had wanted to
Blair House, the presidential guest house
manipulate
the Jewish community by
across the street from the White House.
excluding
certain
groups, they wouldn't
The Egyptians countered by first
have
invited
the
American
Jewish
agreeing to invite ADI2s Washington
Committee,"
he
said.
"They
heard a
representative, and then changing the
very stern message from our people,
guest list to include only lay leaders.
but a message that was not without
Under that plan, the ADL chairman
hope that Egypt will play a constructive
would be invited, but not its director.
role in the region at this crucial point."
ADL rejected that proposal, as well;
Participants, he said, pushed
so did AIPAC, the Conference of
Mubarak
on anti-Semitism and on
Presidents of Major American Jewish
Egypt's
role
in helping turn last sum-
Organizations and B'nai B'rith. All
mer's
U.N.
conference
on racism into
four groups were absent from Tuesday's
a
festival
of
Israel
bashing.
session. Among the groups that attend-
"He heard very clearly that people
ed: the American Jewish Committee,
are disturbed about this behavior," he
the Jewish Council for Public Affairs,
said. "He would not have heard it if
Americans for Peace Now and the
we
hadn't been in the room."
Israel Policy Forum (IPF).
According
to other participants,
A spokesman for IPF refused to
Mubarak
responded
with his usual
comment about the ADL controversy,
insistence
that
while
the editors of the
but said that IPF wanted to use the
Egyptian
newspapers
are appointed by
meeting to "provide encouragement
the
government,
he
has
no real control
for the Saudi initiative and for
over what they write.
Mubarak's involvement."
Mubarak came to Washington with
Jess Hordes, ADI2s Washington
a
proposal
to invite Israeli Prime
director, put a less positive spin on the
Minister
Ariel
Sharon and Palestinian
meeting. "The judgment of AIPAC
leader
Yasser
Arafat
to another summit
and B'nai B'rith, as well as ADL, was
in
Sharm
al-Sheikh,
and
a plea to the
that the Egyptians were manipulating
WASHINGTON
WATCH
on
page 26
our community, and we didn't want to

JAMES D. BESSER

arz

/ a d

00,

jc-YOI ! a.m.

D. Dan and Betty Kahn Building
Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus
6600 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield

Please join us for the festivities as we pay tribute to our
distinguished past presidents and recognize the JCC's
remarkable history of service to the Jewish community.

Plus

Photo exhibition of JCC through the decades
Dancing to the music of Nouveaute
Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres
Kosher dinner catered by Unique Restaurant Corp.

Couvert $125 per person • Black tie preferred

For invitation, call the Jewish Community Center
executive office, (248) 432-5418.

Linda Lee and Douglas Bloom
75th Anniversary Co-Chairs

Florine Mark Ross and Ronald B. Rich
Dinner Dance Co-Chairs

WE'RE PART OF THE TEAM

JC

for75

Car

Community

411.03.,

3/8
2002

25

