Washington Watch

Simmering Peace Plans

U.S. signals worry pro-Israel activists.

paign needs to attract Southerners "with Confed-
erate flags in their pickup trucks." Earlier, he gener-
IVashington Correspondent
ated anxiety in pro-Israel circles with his call for a
more balanced U.S. policy in the region.
he Bush administration continues to insist
Gephardt's slow, steady rise is another blow to the
its Mideast road map offers the only route
troubled campaign of Lieberman, who continues to
to peace in the region, but in recent days
do every well in national polls but has failed to gain
it has sent out hints of a flirtation with
traction with Democratic primary voters.
other peace proposals, including the controversial
Gephardt's rise is "terrible news for Joe," said
"Geneva agreement" worked out
Allan Lichtman, a political historian and expert in
between leading Israeli doves and
presidential prognostication.
Palestinian activists.
It's also a definite downer for Gen. Wesley Clark,
The result: anxiety and uncer-
who just a few weeks ago was the brightest star in
tainty on the part of pro-Israel
the Democratic cosmos. "Everybody thought Clark
leaders.
would be the Dean alternative, but he hasn't gotten
"I would prefer to believe it's
any better than his resume," Lichtman said. "He
confusion on their part rather
hasn't shown he can be a truly effective, charismatic
than a thought-out readjustment
Powell
alternative. Ever so slowly, Gephardt is doing that."
in policy," said Abraham Foxman,
Gephardt's Jewish outreach has been minimal in
national director of the Anti-
the early stages of the race, other observers say,
Defamation League. "What we've seen in recent
because of the campaign's overwhelming focus on
days doesn't make sense to me."
the Iowa caucuses. "All his eggs are in the Iowa bas-
Iowa Choice?
But if the administration is signaling interest in
ket," said a leading Jewish Democrat. "It's a must-
Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., the veteran lawmaker
the unofficial peace negotiations, "it would under-
win race for him — and let's face it, Jewish
running
for
the
2004
Democratic
presidential
nom-
mine the authority of the prime minister to move
Democrats are not going to play a very big role in
ination, has jumped into the lead in polls of likely
forward when the time comes to do so," Foxman
Iowa."
participants in the all-important Jan. 19 Iowa cau-
said.
A leading Gephardt supporter predicted his candi-
cuses.
The puzzling administration actions included
date
will gain Jewish support as his campaign accel-
That could put the House veteran in a position to
Secretary of State Colin Powell's letter last week
erates.
"He meets regularly in St. Louis with a group
be the favored alternative if the cur-
praising the authors of the controversial Geneva
of
Jewish
friends, and has been doing so for 15
rent frontrunner, former Vermont
agreement, which is based on proposals on the table
years,"
said
Michael Newmark, a longtime St. Louis
Governor Howard Dean, implodes.
at the 2000 Camp David summit and the follow-up
communal
leader
and former chair of the Jewish
Des
Moines
According to a
meetings at Taba — proposals rejected by the cur-
Council
for
Public
Affairs. "He has very close con-
survey,
Gephardt
was
the
Register
rent Israeli government.
tact
with
the
Jewish
community here."
first choice of 27 percent of those
The letter was revealed in Israel by one of its
Newmark
cited
Gephardt's
long support for the
who indicated they would attend
recipients, former Justice Minister Yossi Beilin.
Soviet
Jewry
movement
and
a
"strong social justice
their precinct caucuses, with Dean
But State Department spokesman Richard
streak
that
will
definitely
appeal
to Jewish voters.
scoring 20 percent.
Gephardt
Boucher downplayed the exchange, saying that
He
has
the
kind
of
balance
the
Jewish
community
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., was in
Powell merely "expressed appreciation for their
looks
for."
third place with 15 percent. Sen.
efforts to sustain an atmosphere of hope," and that
Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., who is not actively cam-
the secretary stressed Washington's continuing com-
paigning in Iowa, dropped to 5 percent.
mitment to the stalled international road map.
Debate Conflict
But the poll also indicated that most voters are
Other observers suggested that Powell's letter —
Maybe
someone should send the deep thinkers who
not strongly committed to any single candidate.
and oblique comments by Deputy Defense
run
the
Commission on Presidential Debates a
Benjamin Ginsberg, a Johns Hopkins University
Secretary Paul Wolfowitz citing widespread popular
Jewish
calendar
and a list of just who the potential
political scientist, said that Gephardt may not elec-
support in the region for another unofficial peace
Democratic candidates are.
trify
the
Jewish
community,
but
he
could
be
a
com-
plan, the "Ayalon-Nusseibeh" initiative — were
Last week, the nonpartisan group announced the
fortable alternative — especially because of the
intended to be warnings to Sharon not to use the
schedule
for next year's debates between the major
Jewish community's preference for established,
hiatus in U.S. peacemaking to intensify - his war
candidates,
and it could be a problem for a lot of
mainstream politicians.
against Palestinian terror groups or push too far into
Jews
who
want
to watch — and one Jew who wants
"Gephardt has had cordial relations with the
the West Bank with Israel's controversial security
to
be
president.
Jewish community for many years, and has been a
barricade.
The problem: the first debate, which will take
staunch supporter of Israel," he said. "For Jewish
"The press has made more of these comments
place
at the University of Miami, is scheduled for
Democrats who are somewhat uneasy about Dean,
than the facts justify," said an official with a major
the first night of Succot, Sept. 30. And the second is
he
will
be
a
familiar
and
congenial
alternative."
pro-Israel group. "What they could be is a low-key
supposed to be on Simchat Torah, Oct. 8, at
Gephardt will make a good "turn-to" candidate if
U.S. effort to create a feeling of hope among Israelis
Washington University in St. Louis.
Dean — whose penchant for verbal gaffes continues
and Palestinians that peace efforts are still possible,
That could pose a big problem for Sen. Joe
to land him in hot water — stumbles in the early
and maybe to generate a little pressure on their gov-
Lieberman,
D-Conn., an observant Jew who is well
primaries, Ginsberg said.
ernments to try a little harder to find ways to make
known
for
his
refusal to work on Saturday and on
Last week, it was Dean's comment that his cam-
the road map work."

JAMES D. BESSER

T

11/14
2003

18

Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum
and a longtime peace process critic, downplayed the
significance of the diplomatic smoke signals. In a
period of relative U.S. inactivity on the Israeli-
Palestinian front, "the general assumption is that
any talks between Israel and the Palestinians are a
good thing," Pipes said. "It's in that spirit that the
secretary wrote the letter; I don't take it as a specific
commitment to the details."
The Zionist Organization of America blasted
Powell for "publicly praising Yossi Beilin's rogue
operation to promote a plan that pushes Israel back
to the indefensible pre-1967 borders and tears
Jerusalem in half."
The Israel Policy Forum, a pro-peace process
group, was also in a writing mood. In a letter to
Wolfowitz, the group thanked him for "supporting a
rejuvenated peace process and specifically the
Ayalon-Nusseibeh initiative."

