Questioner Says Moran Should Not Resign
Woman Says Lawmaker 'Misspoke' When Making Remark About Jews, War
By Timothy Dwyer
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 15, 2003; Page A11
Deena Z. Sortland does not remember the exact question she asked Rep. James P. Moran Jr. on the night of March 3 during a meeting at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Reston. But she does remember what she was thinking right before she spoke.
"I was wondering if I was the only Jewish person there," she said, "and I was concerned about it and wondering about it. But I don't recall the exact question."
She said that she listened to the Virginia Democrat's answer but that it took several hours for her to digest his words.
"I am one of these people, when I hear something controversial I don't always recognize it right away," she said. "It takes me a while to process it. I knew that something dreadful had been said, and I was hoping and praying that Moran had misspoke."
All this week she has closely followed the political firestorm that began with her question at the antiwar forum. "I am terribly distressed," she said.
But she does not think that Moran (D), who has apologized for what he termed insensitive remarks suggesting that the Jewish community was pushing the nation toward war with Iraq, should resign from Congress or be pressured not to seek an eighth term. Yesterday Moran relinquished his regional whip position in the House at the request of the Democratic leadership.
"I hope and believe that Jim misspoke, and I support him," said Sortland, 65. "Some people have called for his resignation, but I don't agree.
"This is a really painful issue for me. I think that it is very important that when non-Jews criticize Israel that they make it clear they are criticizing [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon's policies, which I am also critical of, but they are not criticizing the state of Israel and its people."
Speaking to a crowd of about 120 people at the church that night, Moran said, "If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this." He also said that Jewish leaders could, and should, "change the direction of where this is going."
Despite offering two public apologies for his comments, Moran, 57, has been called on by some colleagues in Congress, Jewish leaders and others not to seek reelection next year in the 8th District, which includes Moran's home base of Alexandria as well as Arlington County and part of Fairfax County.
While Sortland says she cannot recall exactly what she asked Moran, others who were at St. Anne's that night said that Sortland identified herself as Jewish and antiwar and then wondered why more Jews were not present.
According to Paul Murphy, who was in attendance, there was no audible reaction from the audience to Moran's response.
"I don't think any of us felt offended," Murphy said. "Nobody challenged his remarks as anti-Semitic.
"I don't have the sense he was attempting to offend people in that regard. I think, to a certain degree, his remarks have been blown out of proportion. He went on to reiterate his strong support for the state of Israel."
Murphy said his own reaction was that Moran "was guilty of overstatement and insensitivity to Jews and also people of many faiths who have different opinions than the [Bush] administration over Iraq."
Sortland was just a child, not yet 4, when her parents escaped from Nazi-occupied Belgium with her and her brother. The family first moved to New York City, where her maternal grandparents lived, but after about six weeks her parents decided to head west. Their first choice was Denver, but they were told there were already too many refugees there. So they decided on Salt Lake City, where they remained until she was in high school. Then they moved to the San Francisco area.
She attended the University of California-Berkeley, where she met her husband. They moved to the Washington area for work reasons.
Now they are about a year away from retirement, and they plan to move back to the Bay Area. She said Washington is too conservative politically for her, and too humid.
Sortland said she has not spoken to Moran since the meeting but has spoken to members of his staff.
During a phone interview this week, she said repeatedly that she "hoped" or "prayed" Moran had misspoken but wasn't convinced he had.
"I would like to hear him say that Jews, like every other community, are divided on this issue," she said. "And he'd have to make clear that he is supportive of Israel and, while he may dislike Sharon's policy toward the Palestinians, so do many of us. He has to make it clear that is what he is criticizing, and not the state of Israel."
Sortland said she is upset with how Moran's remarks have been used as political ammunition.
"I very much resent Republicans using this to court Jewish voters," she said. "These people have their own right-wing agenda, and I want no part of it."
As for whether she would vote for Moran if he is opposed in the Democratic primary next election, she was undecided.
"I don't know," she said. "It is too far in advance to know."
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