Washington Watch
Shoot From The Lip
Claims To Be Paid
House majority leader's conservative-vs. -liberal comments stereotype American Jews.
JAMES D. BESSER
Wishingto 72 Correspondent
R
ep. Dick Armey, R-Texas,
the retiring House majori-
, leader, has become a
ty
darling of hardline pro-
Israel groups because of his enthusias-
tic backing for the government of
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
But Armey is getting swatted by
some Jewish leaders because of
remarks last week about the Jewish
community's poor political judgment.
In remarks quoted in the Bradenton
(Fla.) Herald, Armey offered his assess-
ment of Jewish political behavior: "I
always see two Jewish communities in
America," Armey said, "one of deep
intellect and one of shallow, superficial
intellect." Armey said Jewish conserva-
tives are the intellectual ones, while the
Jews earning the "shallow and superfi-
cial" label are liberals.
Jewish conservatives
flock to "occupations of
the brain," he said, while
the mushy-headed liber-
als gravitate to "occupa-
tions of the heart" and
jobs in the arts.
Armey's comments
came only days after a
new Gallup poll con-
cluded that "Americans
who identify their reli-
gion as Jewish are more
likely to say they are lib-
eral than are either Protestants or
Catholics."
The outgoing House majority leader
was speaking at a Jewish campaign
forum for Katherine Harris, a GOP
candidate for Congress and former
Florida secretary of state who won
national fame after the 2000 presiden-
tial election fiasco in her state.
Ira Forman, executive director of the
National Jewish Democratic Council,
mocked Armey's belief that only con-
servative Jews are smart. "Disparaging
our intellect? He's the one campaigning
for Katherine Harris," Forman said.
Art Teitelbaum, Southern area direc-
tor for the Anti-Defamation League,
said, "I don't see the comments as
anti-Semitic. But it shows you the very
narrow line between off-the-cuff com-
ments and off-the wall ones. And I
9/27
2002
22
believe he crossed it."
Armey, he said, "has gotten caught
in the rhetorical swamp of stereotypes
and unsupported generalizations; the
notion of pigeonholing Jews into cate-
gories is simplistic and unsupportable."
Armey also caught a broadside from
two Jewish colleagues, Rep. Nita
Lowey, D-N.Y., and Rep. Martin Frost,
D-Texas. In a statement, the lawmakers
said Armey's statements were "absolute-
ly breathtaking in their ignorance. It's
very disappointing to us that a high-
ranking leader of the Republican Party
and the House of Representatives
would make such divisive remarks."
Insurance agreement is
big step forward for
Holocaust survivors.
mation.
SHARON SAMBER
But in recent weeks, the bill was
modified, largely because a coalition of Jewish Telegraphic Agency
other Jewish groups — including the
Washington
Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish
olocaust survivors and their
Council for Public Affairs, the
heirs
are one big step closer
American Jewish Committee and the
to receiving compensation
American Israel Public Affairs
for unpaid insurance claims.
Committee (AIPAC) — believed the
After years of stalled negotiations,
original bill would not pass.
the
commission focusing on
That group convinced Sen. Smith to
Holocaust-era
claims came to an
omit specific references to Palestinian
agreement
with
German insurance
terrorists and move the proposed
companies
last
week
on how to pro-
office to the still-under-construction
ceed.
Department of Homeland Security.
But it's unclear how fast payments
Smith then attached the measure to
can
be made because lists of policy-
the big homeland security bill that the
holders
must be drawn up and
administration wants to pass before
Terror 0 we
matched
against rosters of German
Congress adjourns.
Legislation named after an American
Jews
before
and during the Holocaust.
That led ZOA President Mort Klein
teenager murdered by Palestinian ter-
While
the
agreement does not take
to cry foul. "We already have legisla-
rorists has sparked intense controversy
effect until it is signed, which could
tion dealing with terrorism in gener-
among Jewish groups that support its
take a few more weeks, it shows some
al," he said. "The problem is that
basic goals.
effectiveness
on the part of the much-
every recent administration has
derided
International
Commission on
ignored the Palestinian Arabs
Holocaust
Era
Insurance
Claims.
who have murdered 36
ICHEIC
will
work
with
the
American citizens. There has
German
insurance
industry
to distrib-
been no serious effort to cap-
ute $100 million for claims and
ture, indict and prosecute
claims-related expenses. Another 850
them."
million
has been set aside if more
But the Jewish groups
money
is
needed. In addition, $175
responsible for the changes say
million
will
be used for humanitarian
— U. s Rep. Dick Armey they were necessary to make the purposes, though the details of that
legislation work. "Many of us
funding are still being ironed out.
wanted something that could
The deadline for filing claims has
pass quickly, and wouldn't get
been
extended to March 30, 2003.
stalled in committee," said Reva
The
German insurance companies
Price, JCPA's Washington repre-
agreed to investigate claims in accor-
The Koby Mandell Act, named after sentative. "It's broader, but the intent
dance with looser standards and
a 13-year-old American-born Israeli
of the bill is still the same." And the
guidelines
approved by ICHEIC. At
killed in May 2001, is an updated ver-
revised measure, Price said, is now
the last minute, the companies
sion of legislation first suggested by
"more consistent with the Jewish com-
the Zionist Organization of America
dropped a demand to be reimbursed
munity's post-9-11 message — that
several years earlier.
for
some expenses in processing
terrorism really is a worldwide issue." -
claims,
paving the way for the final
As originally introduced by Sen.
Abraham Foxman, national director
agreement.
Gordon Smith, R-Ore., the measure
of the Anti-Defamation League, said,
would have required the attorney gen-
The agreement calls for a list of
"We think it would be a real mistake
eral to establish an office in the
approximately
5 million major policy-
to set up separate offices to deal with
holders to be matched against lists of
Department of Justice to "monitor
different groups of victims. We
Jews who lived in Germany between
acts of international terrorism alleged
shouldn't be dividing victims."
1933 and 1938. The results will be
to have been committed by. Palestinian
Sen. Smith accepted the changes,
published
on the ICHEIC Web site at
individuals or individuals_ acting on
which he announced to startled ZOA
www.icheic.org
behalf of Palestinian organizations."
representatives during last week's
The lists could take months to
The legislation also mandated finan-
meetings with the Conference of
compile.
Once they are complete,
cial rewards for information leading to
Presidents of Major American Jewish
companies
would have to non
the arrest and prosecution of Pale-
Organizations. The ZOA's Klein said
claimants
of
the status of their claims
stinians who commit such terrorism
the lawmaker promised to reintroduce
within 90 days after the claims are
and established mechanisms to provide the original Koby Mandell act in the
filed. ❑
families of victims with updated infor-
next session of Congress.
ewish conservatives
flock to "occupations
of the brain."
.
❑