Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 55, No. 51, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 20, 2001 Page: 4 of 24
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
4 Opinion TEXAS JEWISH post, Thursday, December 20, 2001 — in our ssth year!- chanukah^ssu^
Washington Watch
Is the Honeymoon Ending?
Jewish leaders are still basking
in the glow of the Bush adminis-
tration's new, more supportive
stance toward an embattled Israel.
But there are signs the glow
could fade fast - if Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat plays ball
with U.S. policymakers.
Only a week after cozy White
House meetings between Presi-
dent George W. Bush and Jewish
leaders that seemed to point to all-
out U.S. support for the Sharon
government's get-tough policies,
pressure seemed to be mounting
for a return to a more "balanced"
approach to the troubled region.
But how quickly that happens
depends mostly on Arafat, who
called for an end to anti-Israel ter-
ror in a speech on Sunday. Early
this week, there were few signs he
was acting on his promises - al-
though his words seemed to im-
press the French government,
which was busy pressing Secre-
tary of State Colin Powell to offer
new carrots to the Palestinian
leader, who has been getting
mostly sticks in recent days.
The recent policy shift in Wash-
ington “is all about Arafat doing
what he needs to do - period,"
said David Makovsky, a senior
fellow at the Washington Institute
for Near East Policy. “It doesn't
change the other things that have
caused friction in the past "
Those things include Israel's
settlements policies, U.S. objec-
tions to “targeted killings" of
Palestinians believed to be in-
volved in terrorism and the clo-
sures that have exacerbated a bad
economic situation.
‘There may have been a mis-
perception that the President gave
(Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon a
blank check,” said an official with
one Jewish organization “The
new understanding of Israel's
plight is real, but the primary goal
here is to get Arafat to act. And
it's very unlikely the U.S. and Is-
rael will agree on how much com-
pliance is enough. ”
So far, the signs have been
mixed.
The administration came to Is-
rael's aid at the United Nations,
where it vetoed a General As-
sembly resolution calling for in-
ternational monitors in the region
and an Israeli withdrawal to the
positions held before the new In-
ti fadah began in September, 2000.
A White House spokesman
termed Arafat’s speech “construc-
tive,” but insisted that words be
fallowed by tangible action.
But there -were also hints that
By James D. Besser
TJP Washington Correspondent
the administration will press Is-
rael to make concessions if Arafat
is seen as taking genuine steps to-
ward reining in the violence.
Secretary of State Colin Powell,
speaking to reporters on Monday,
talked about the need for Israel's
leaders to “do their part to create
an environment in which Pales-
tinians can sustain and expand
their efforts” and to “alleviate
pressures on the Palestinian peo-
ple, especially restrictions that im-
pose real hardships or make day-
to-day living difficult."
Powell expressed confidence
that “the Israeli side would re-
spond in a way that would be
positive” if Arafat “takes the ac-
tion outlined in his speech, im-
plied in his speech."
The first point of friction could
come over the definition of “posi-
tive,” Jewish leaders here say.
Embassy Still Stuck in Tel Aviv
W
The Bush administration's new
sympathy for Israel apparently
doesn't extend to questions in-
volving Jerusalem - Israel's capi-
tal. but in the eyes of the State
Department, a city still with dis-
puted ownership.
This week President Bush qui-
etly signed yet another waiver of
the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy
Relocation Act, which required
the Department to move its em-
bassy from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem by May 31, 1999 or
face financial penalties.
But the law included a broad
presidential waiver provision,
which both Bush and his prede-
cessor, former President Bill
Clinton, exercised, claiming
that moving the embassy would
just complicate U.S.-mediated
peace efforts.
Even with that peace process in
shambles and Yasser Arafat in the
administration’s doghouse, the pol-
icy has apparently not changed.
This week Bush, citing the
same unspecified national securi-
ty concerns, signed another six
month waiver, despite his insis-
tence that the administration re-
mains committed to making the
move eventually.
Jewish leaders who met with
Bush House last week say the is-
sue was not raised during the
White House session. And
pleased with the administration's
newfound tolerance of Israeli
military actions and its harsh crit-
icisms of Arafat, they were
loathe to complain.
“Given everything else that's
going on, I don't think this is an is-
sue of contention right now,” said
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive
vice-chair of the Conference of
Presidents of Major American
Jewish Organizations. "The ad-
ministration has been so support-
ive in so many areas. And nobody
anticipated that in this climate
there would be a waiver.”
But Hoenlein said that he hopes
“the President will take some
steps to at least initiate the
process. There are things he can
do, like clearing the land.”
Education Bill Passes
Jewish groups that disagree on
education policy generally agreed
that the sweeping education bill
hammered out by Congress and
sent to the White House this week
could have been worse.
And as usual, the explosive
question of government help for
parochial school parents was at
the epicenter of the controversy.
The Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) reautho-
rization includes S26.5 billion for
education, an $8 billion increase
over Fiscal Year 2001. It requires
annual testing in math and read-
see WATCH p. 21
... AH0 ftp.
CHANUKAH,
i'VE GOT A
specAl gift
R*SRA£L.r
•»
m I mistaken
OR iSMT -THAT
WE SAME THiNG
HE GAVE TO OS
LAST>EAR?
/ %
Texas Jewish Post
Editor and Publish*
Consultant
_JA Wisch
___Rene Wisch
Sharon Wlsch-Ray
---Steve Wisch
Food/Home
Linda Dsvkteohn
_Susan Wisch
| Qd7 A<Jv RePresentatives -__Judy Wisch, Wylma Hook*,
Amy Doty, Linda Davtdsohn, Sharon Wisch-Ray
Computor/Production/Layout--Angle Englert
----Usa Perkins
Photography_Sharon Wisch-Ray, Judy Wisch
FORT WORTH: 3120 S. Freeway, Fort Worth, TX 76110 FAX (817) 429-0840
DALLAS: Suite 213,11333 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75243-6793 FAX (214) 692-7285
(817) 927-2831 Metro: (817) 429-0840 or (972) 219-4755
Subscription Rates:
Texas, $35 per year, Other States in U.S., $45 per year, Foreign, $70 per year,
SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE PAYABLE IN ADVANCE
Unless notified otherwise It Is understood that all subscriptions are renewed automatically upon
expiration. Please allow 4 weeks from date received by Texas Jewish Post tor address change “ A
(214) 692-7283
Views and opinions of columnists and contributors are their own and not necessarily those of
this newspap* Afl right reserved Photocopying, reproduction or quotation strictly prohibited
without permission from the publish*
the TEXAS JEWISH POST. Advertisers art responsible lor authenticity of any claims or statements made in their advertisements and are not endorsements
by the TEXAS JEWISH POST
Pam* No S40S40 POSTMASTER Sand
im 76110 Panoftctf Parma Paaj at Fan Worti
ct>angai to *a TEXAS J&MSH POST 3120 Sou* Fraoway Fori Wort. Taw 76110
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Wisch, J. A. & Wisch, Rene. Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 55, No. 51, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 20, 2001, newspaper, December 20, 2001; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth755667/m1/4/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .