BACK FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT Israel Claims Dog Dean A n e-mail smear campaign dis- torting Howard Deans posi- tions on Israel, coupled with the candidate's genuine gaffes, has his staff working overtime to per- suade Jewish voters that he is committed to Israel. "Even-handed is not a way anyone fairly describes Howard Dean," said Stu Brody, chairman of the Democratic Rural Conference in New York and a former liaison between the Vermont gov- ernor and Jewish leaders. "His commitment to Israel is as strong as anyone's." The former Vermont governor's now famous comment that he would support an "even-handed" approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict led more than a few Jewish community leaders to fret that Dean would push Israel to make risky concessions for peace. The e-mail campaign this fall — denounced by the Anti-Defamation League as a distortion of Dean's record — accuses Dean of having "promised" to "no longer support Israel the way it has in the past under both Democratic and Republican presidents." "In his own words, he will insist that the United States be 'even handed," said the unsigned e-mail. "I urge you that if you have any love for America and Israel you should not and cannot vote for Howard Dean for the office of presi- dent." The e-mails have had an effect, and national Jewish organizations report fielding calls from constituents worried about Dean's record. Brody and other Jews close to Dean insist that the U.S. approach to Israel would not significantly change under Dean's watch, and that Dean is a strong supporter of Israel's security. They say Dean's "even-handed" com- ment referred to perceptions that the Bush administration had distanced itself from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while Dean meant that he wanted the United States to resume its role of honest broker between the sides. Morris Amitay, a pro-Israel activist, said Dean's off-the-cuff remarks mean more than his scripted clarifications after the fact. "He can say the right thing, but they aren't obviously what he feels when he's WEEKEND SHOWINGS ONLY speaking on his own," said Amitay, a for- mer executive director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. "He'll have to go to real great lengths to con- vince people that he can be trusted on this issue. Jewish leaders say their concerns run deeper than the off-handed use of "even- handed." They worry that Dean does not have a clear record on the Middle East — largely because he is a former governor and not a legislator — and that he has made other questionable com- ments and decisions. They include naming Clyde Prestowitz as a foreign policy adviser. Prestowitz has said U.S. aid to Israel should be conditional on Israeli conces- sions to the Palestinians. Campaign officials stress that Prestowitz will focus on globalization and international economics, not the Middle East. Dean has called Hamas terrorists "sol- diers," a term that some say legitimizes the group. Dean used the term on CNN in defending Israel's right to single out Hamas leaders for targeted killings, and his campaign says the word reinforces the argument that terrorists are legiti- mate military targets. Dean also has suggested former President Jimmy Carter as a potential Middle East envoy, while many Jews feel Carter is too sympathetic toward the Palestinians. Dean since has backed off those remarks. Dean has suggested that Karl Rove, the White House's senior political advis- er, was behind the e-mail campaign. The White House and the Bush re-election campaign have refused to comment. Dean's supporters say his comments on the Middle East appeal to liberal Jews who back a Palestinian state and want Israel to dismantle settlements and make other concessions for peace. Dean campaign staffers are distribut- ing a letter from Steve Grossman, the campaign co-chairman and former presi- dent of AIPAC, in which he cites 15 quotes from Dean supporting the Jewish state and outlining how Dean would handle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Grossman's letter also highlights the ADL's declaration that the e-mail cam- paign is "malicious, misleading and fac- tually inaccurate." — Matthew Berger, JTA JAN. 10 - APRIL 25, 2004 Narrated by T THE NEW c eteG C E N T E , Ma illivray Freeman Film I Presented by Polartec° xu , 5011 / Music of George Harrison SHOW TIMES AND INFORMATION: www.detroitsciencecenter.org 313.577.8400 5020 John R Street • Detroit A 798380 CAN YOUR CAR SURVIVE A HEAD-ON COMPARISON? 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