Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 24, 1998 Page: 4 of 24
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4 Opinion TEXAS JEWISH post, thursda y, September 24,199B - in our S2ND year!
Washington Watch
By James David Besser
TJP Washington Correspondent
Big Test for Anti-Terror Law
Ever since it passed two years
ago. Jewish leaders who pressed
hard lor a lough federal anti-ter-
rorism law have been nervously
waiting for its first major court
challenge.
Now it appears that the test will
come in Los Angeles, where the
United Slates Court of Appeals
w ill decide in a case directly chal-
lenging the most controversial pro-
visions of the Anti-Terrorism and
Effective Death Penalty Act.
Those provisions prohibit for-
eign groups designated as terrorist
organizations from receiving funds
and other material support from
allies in this country.
The provision was written into
the law to prevent American affil-
iates of Hamas and other Mideasl
%
terror groups from raising money
here, ostensibly for humanitarian
purposes
Leaders of groups such as the
Anti-Defamation League and the
Conference of Presidents ol Major
American Jewish Organizations
argued that the money was fungi-
ble—that despite the hemgn claims
ol the fundraisers, it was often used
lor terrorist purposes, or lor sup-
porting the families of terrorists.
But Arab-American and civil lib-
erties groups said the law repre-
sents a sweeping civil rights viola-
tion
The challenge was brought by
American supporters of the Tamil
Tigers and the Kurdistan Workers
Parly, both groups that received
the Stale Department terror desig-
nation.
The ADL has filed an amicus
brief urging the court to uphold a
lower court decision confirming
(he constitutionality of the law
“From the Jewish community s
perspective, this lawsuit challeng-
es the very core of the statute.’' said
Michael Liebcrman. ADL's Wash-
ington counsel.
“The tough question was always
w hether you could criminalize (he
giving of money to the so-called
humanitarian and religious affili-
ates of these groups. Our view is
that it’s a seamless web; it's not
possible to separate the humani-
tarian works of Hamas from its
terrorist component.”
Abortion Vote: Defeat at Start
of ‘Road to Victory
The Christian Coalition calls its
Washington gathering the "Road
to Victory" conference, hut it
opened last Friday with a stinging
defeat.
As delegates gathered to hear a
long list of Republican heavy hit-
lers. as well as political preachers
and a solitary rabbi—Daniel Lapin
of "Toward Tradition"—the Sen-
ate failed tooverride President Bill
Clinton's veto of a bill banning
"partial birth” abortions
The Coalition and other groups
had pulled out all the stops in press-
ing for an override; there was wide-
spread speculation on Capitol Hill
that the vote was scheduled on
Friday to coincide with the group’s
Capitol Hill lobbying blit/
A number of Jewish groups, led
by the National Council of Jewish
Women, were on the other side.
NCJW. along with the Union of
American Hebrew Congregations,
the Rabbinical Assembly and oth-
ers. collected the signatures of 729
rabbis on a letter arguing against
the ban and making the case that
many people ol faith do not agree
with the Christian Coalition's vc-
hement anti-abortion stand,
When the vote* were counted
late last week, the override effort
failed by three votes. Despite all
the lobbying on both sides, no votes
had changed since the original pas-
sage of the bill more than a year
ago.
That promoted calls by Chris-
tian Coalition leaders to punish
those legislators deemed responsi-
ble for the failure, led by Sen. Bar-
bara Boxer (D-Calif.)
On the night before the vote.
Boxer read from the rabbis* letter
on the Senate floor.
The nine Jewish Democratic sen-
ators all voted against the over-
ride; Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen
Specter, the only Republican, vot-
ed for.
Liberal Jewish activists were
pleased with the results.
"The vote held.” said Sammie
Moshenberg. NCJW’s Washing-
ton director. "We have no Illusions
that this issue won’ l resurface pret-
ty quickly in the new Congress,
but we’re gratified that a sufficient
number of senators understand that
this issue is about real women's
lives; there’s loo much at slake for
political posturing.”
Religious Liberty Law and
Monica-Gate
Another victim of the White
House sex scandal and the con-
gressional frenzy over President
Bill Clinton's sex life: the Reli-
gious Liberty Protection Act
(RLPA). the once-promising mea-
sure intended to make it harder for
government bodies to impose un-
due burdens on religious practice
The House Judiciary Commit-
tee was supposed to mark up the
measure two weeks ago.
But the day before, the report by
independent counsel Kenneth Starr
hit Capitol Hill; since then, the
committee has been preoccupied
with arguments over when and how
to release Starr material and prep-
arations for possible impeachment
hearings.
That was the latest twist in a
legislative odyssey that has frus-
trated and angry Jewish activists.
Last month the measure, a top
priority for a long list of Jewish
groups because of last year’s Su-
premo Court decision overturning
the Religious Freedom Restora-
tion Act (RFRA). was watered
down by a House committee—gul-
led. according to some—after op-
position by home-school advocate
Michael Farris.
Now. with the apparent post-
ponement in Judiciary. RLPA ad-
vocates seem to have lost their last
chance for action this year
"The committee isn’t transact-
ing any other business,” said Dav-
id Harris, Washington representa-
tive for the American Jewish Con-
gress. "So it’s been effectively
killed for this
session—and
we will have to
start from square one
in the next Congress.
The pro-RLPA coa-
lition remains strong,
he said—but the next Congress is
an unknown And the presidential
sex scandal, the top issue in the
waning days of the l()5lh Con-
gress. will still be around in the
106th.
Business as Usual at OS I
The Office of Special Investiga-
tions. the downsized, underfunded
Justice Department agency charged
with finding and deporting now-
elderly Nazi war criminals, is show-
ing no signs of fatigue.
Last week OSI officials an-
nounced two actions.
In Chicago, the agency initiated
deportation proceedings against
Vincas Valkavtckas, 78. a retired
factory worker
According to OSI. Valkavickas.
while serving with the Lithuanian
police, played a role in the "Poly-
gon” massacre in w hich some 37(H)
Jews were shot.
Officials charged Valkavickas
with concealing his wartime activ-
ities when he entered this country
and applied for citizenship.
And in Connecticut, a federal
judge revoked the citizenship of
Walter Berezowskyj. a retired steel
industry machine operator who
as a guard at the labor camp in
Pomatowa in Poland. On Novem-
ber 4, 1943. while Berezowskyj
was serving there, prisoners who
had survived inhuman conditions
were shot to death.
According to federal authorities,
he also served at the Mauthausen
concentration camp in Austria as a
member of the “SS Death’s Head
Battalion Mauthausen.”
Because of ill health, Bere-
zowskyj will not be deported, at
least not immediately.
“Nazi concentration camp
guards participated in some of the
most infamous crimes in history.”
sad Eli M. Rosenbaum, OSI’s di-
rector. "Fundamental principles of
justice require that such individu-
als not be permitted to retain the
precious privilege ol United Stales
citizenship. The denaturalization
of W alter Berezowskyj represents
a significant vindication of that
proposition. "
Tribute to Yates
Democrats around the country
may be depressed about their sag-
ging prospects in the November
congressional elections, thanks to
see WASH WATCH p. 24
Texas Jewish Post
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Wisch, J. A. & Wisch, Rene. Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 24, 1998, newspaper, September 24, 1998; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth755012/m1/4/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .