Article in mainstream Israel newpaper discusses Zionist domination of US Congress re: Mideast issues. So low has the US Congress sunk, that the only hope for peace may be the fact that some Zionists are dissenting from the Likudnik line.
Road map lobbyists get into high
gear
By Nathan Guttman, Haaretz Correspondent
WASHINGTON - An hour after the road map was
officially delivered in the Middle East, lobbying groups
- both for and against the peace plan - sprang into
action. Letters that had long been waiting for
President George W. Bush and his top advisers were
sent and the lobbying went into high gear.
Among those trying to influence the administration
are representatives from Israel, including Tourism
Minister Benny Elon, the pro-transfer ideologue in the
National Union bloc, who is due in the U.S. on Friday
to campaign against the road map. Elon's arrival was
delayed by the nationwide strike in Israel that kept
Ben-Gurion Airport closed, but he is slated to meet
with congressmen and senators to deliver a very
different message from that being officially issued by
Jerusalem.
As far as Elon is concerned, the road map is a
"disaster for Israel," an existential threat to the
country's citizenry. He also has lined up a series of
meetings with well-known evangelist preachers who
are known for their support for Israel and their hawkish
lines. Given that the right-wing Christian support for
Bush is considered a crucial element for his
re-election, Elon's campaign could prove to be
significant in the long run.
No administration officials will meet Elon, but they will
certainly hear his message via the legislators he
meets. An even clearer, though more moderate,
message reached the administration on Thursday,
when a letter from Congress to the president warned
Bush not to harm Israel during implementation of the
road map.
The letter, initiated by congressmen Tom Lantos, Roy
Blunt, Stenny Hoyner and Henry Hyde, drew 313
signatures from other members of the House, an
impressive number by all accounts. The language of
the letter is cautious but clear. The congressmen say
they support the road map and want American
intervention in the peace process on the basis of a
two-state solution, but warn the administration not to
make too many demands on Israel before the
Palestinians do their part.
"Many are urging you to short circuit this process and
to focus on timelines in achieving the road map
benchmarks," they wrote. "We believe you will not be
dissuaded and will focus instead on real
performance." The letter demands that the
Palestinians dismantle the terrorist infrastructure,
restructure its security apparatus, and provide more
transparency and responsibility on the part of the PA.
At the same time, a similar letter signed by 88 of 100
senators was sent to Bush.
Although the letters have no formal status or
legislative meaning, the fact that so many
congressmen, from both parties, signed them should
make it clear to the administration that Capitol Hill
firmly supports Israel and demands that the
Palestinians fight terror.
That enormous support can be attributed in part to
intensive activity by AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby,
which published a cautious welcome to the road map
Thursday. AIPAC says it does not support throwing
out the road map or advancing it regardless of
Palestinian performance.
On the other side of the political map, there is no less
activity, including Israeli involvement. At least 100
rabbis have signed a Jewish Peace Coalition letter
sent to Bush prodding him to implement the road map
and to fill it with more details about the nature of the
final settlement to give Palestinians the incentive to
fulfill its demands. The rabbis base their appeal on a
September letter written to Bush by former Israeli
ministers Shlomo Ben-Ami, Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
and Yuli Tamir, urging the president to develop a
detailed American peace plan and press for
implementation on both sides.
"The administration isn't hearing the voices calling for
something that is more than the road map has to
offer," said Jerome Segal, head of the coalition. "They
hear only those who oppose it or who are willing to
accept it as it is."
Others in the organized Jewish community also
believe their voices are not being heard. A group of
major Jewish donors, headed by Edgar Bronfman,
sent a letter to the leadership of both houses of
congress expressing unreserved support for the road
map.
"We are writing to express our concern over recent
efforts to sidetrack implementation of the road map,"
they wrote, without mentioning by name those who
are trying to divert the road map while adding that
they oppose any pressure on Israel.
The decision makers have the entire spectrum of
views before them, including the official Israeli
government's view. So far, the administration has
responded only to Jerusalem's official position, but
when the plan reaches the stage of negotiations and
pressure, the lobbyists' weight will surely affect the
administration's views.
Tourism Minister Benny Elon
(National Union) is due in
Washington on Friday to
campaign against the road
map. (Knesset Photo)
Related Links
* The road map
* U.S. Jews tread softly
on `road map' during Iraq
war
* Op-Ed / The battle for
Washington
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