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International
B
R I E F S |
July 2003
Road Map
On June 24, 2002, President Bush clearly stated that U.S. support for a
Palestinian state would be conditioned on Palestinian actions and that
there would be no U.S. support for a Palestinian state that was not
democratic and non-violent. The Institute for Public Affairs of the
Orthodox Union praised President Bush’s firm principles and helped garner
signatures for Congressional letters circulated by Senators Barbara Boxer
(D-CA), Mitch McConnell R-KY) and Representatives Roy Blunt (R-MO), Steny
Hoyer (D-MD), Henry Hyde (R-IL), and Tom Lantos (D-CA), spelling out
support for those principles — “above all, Palestinian terror and violence
must cease; a new Palestinian leadership — with real authority — needs to
be established, free from the taint of terrorism, and willing and able to
dismantle the terrorist network; there needs to be true accountability and
transparency in Palestinian governance; and the Palestinian security
apparatus must be overhauled so that it truly fights terrorism, rather
than engages in it.” The resolutions were passed with overwhelming
majorities.
The IPA welcomed the President’s call for Palestinian renunciation of
terror, stating that the onus is upon the Palestinian leadership to end
the violence and set the region on a different course. The “road map,”
meant to guide Israel and the Palestinians to reaching a final and
comprehensive settlement by 2005, was revealed soon after the speech. The
IPA/OU expressed deep concern regarding its development and
implementation, communicating these concerns to President Bush and
National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice in letters. Chief among our
concerns was the make-up of the Quartet, most of whom have in the past
overlooked violations of written agreements in order to avoid confronting
the Palestinians and the seeking of concessions from Israel before
adequate steps have been taken to assure Israel’s security. The letters
also discussed the inclusion of a timeline for the formation of a
provisional Palestinian state without adequate assurances that indeed the
terrorist infrastructure has been dismantled. The IPA will continue to
express our firm view that emphasis must be placed on the obligations of
the Palestinian Authority to do everything to meet its obligations,
including dismantling those terrorist organizations which are openly
committed to Israel’s destruction, which it has yet to do.
Foreign Aid to Israel
On February 13, 2003, Congress passed the Fiscal Year 2003 Omnibus
Appropriations Bill, H.J. Res. 2, which provides for Fiscal Year 2003
Foreign Operations funding. The House passed the measure by a vote of 338
– 83; the Senate passed it by a vote of 76 – 20. On February 20th, the
President signed the bill into law. Pursuant to the President’s request
for aid to Israel, the bill provides $2.1 billion in military aid to
Israel, $600 million in economic assistance, and $60 million for refugee
resettlement in Israel.
The Institute for Public Affairs strongly advocated the passage of this
bill, which included landmark language codifying as U.S. policy the
conditions President Bush laid out in his June 24th speech for Palestinian
statehood. The bill specifies that the Palestinians must elect a new
leadership committed to peaceful co-existence with Israel, dismantle the
terrorist infrastructure, and join in the creation of a new and
cooperative security entity before the U.S. endorses a Palestinian state.
The bill also contains a provisional requirement put on the UN Relief and
Works Agency (UNRWA) activities. The Appropriations bill also includes a
provision expressing Congress’ sense that the Arab League boycott of
Israel is “an impediment to peace in the region and… should be immediately
and publicly terminated.”
The IPA also advocated for emergency supplemental aid to Israel and the
Senate and the House each passed a budget for FY2004 which included $2.64
billion for Israel, composed of $2.6 billion in foreign military
assistance and $480 million in economic support funds. In addition, the
IPA supported Israel’s request of $1 billion in military aid and $9
billion in U.S. loan guarantees to help Israel fight the war on terrorism.
The bill was passed in the House and Senate near unanimously on April 3rd
and signed into law by President Bush on April 19th.
Anti-Semitism in Europe
As anti-Semitic attacks proliferated in Europe during the past two and a
half years, including violent attacks on synagogues, Jewish schools and
institutions, and individuals, the IPA/OU has carefully monitored and
repeatedly expressed concern to diplomats and elected officials at this
growing anti-Semitism and anti-Israel incitement. The IPA/OU expressed
strong support for a resolution introduced in the House and Senate by
Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell
(R-CO) which expressed the sense of the Congress that the sharp escalation
of anti-Semitic violence is of profound concern and warrants efforts to
prevent future occurrences. The resolution, calling on the Administration
and Members of Congress to raise the issue of anti-Semitism in their
contacts with other countries, was passed unanimously.
The IPA/OU recently participated in a Conference of
Presidents meeting with Roger Cukierman,
President of the CRIF, the representative body of the French Jewish
institutions. Mr. Cukierman described the relationship between the French
Jewish community and the French government as “full of respect”. He
expressed concern about the rising tide of anti-Semitism in France,
calling the current French foreign policy “pro-Arab and one-sided.”
Although the French Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned terrorism, the
Foreign Minister has not changed the basic stance, as illustrated by his
meeting with Arafat instead of Sharon on a recent visit to Israel.
President Chirac maintains that it is important for the French government
to maintain the contact with Arafat, given Abu Mazen’s newness and
weaknesses.
According to Cukierman, the President has strongly condemned anti-Semitism
and the relationship between the Jewish community with law enforcement is
satisfactory, a problem remains in the French Ministry of Justice. Judges
tend to minimize anti-Semitic attacks and pass out light punishments to
perpetrators. The CRIF has had many discussions with the Minister of
Justice who does not seem to be able to influence the courts.
Another problem also exists in the French school system where the Moslem
community represents 20% of the population. In these schools, Jewish
children and Jewish teachers are the targets of insults. There is much
jealousy of Jews who have been French citizens for the past 200 years and
who are perfectly integrated into French society, whereas many of the
Moslems who have come in the past 20 or 30 years from North Africa do not
have jobs and are concentrated in poor areas. Jews therefore become a
scapegoat. They are also blamed for being responsible for whatever happens
in the Middle East, a message that is constantly broadcast in the media.
While Mr. Cukierman said that the French people are not anti-Semitic,
these worrisome trends are escalating and are deeply disturbing to the
French Jewish community.
In an effort to help counter anti-Semitic attitudes in Europe, the IPA/OU
is supporting a move to right the wrongs in what historians have termed
the “Portuguese Dreyfus Affair”. Sixty years ago, Captain Arthur de Barros
Basto was unjustly stripped of his rank in Portugal’s military authority.
Captain Barros Basto, a “Marrano”, a descendant of Jews whose ancestors
had been forced to convert to Catholicism five centuries ago, returned to
the faith of his ancestors and underwent a formal return to Judaism. He
actively tried to persuade thousands of other “Marranos” to do the same
and opened a synagogue, a Jewish school, and published a variety of Jewish
books. The Portuguese authorities, not welcoming his efforts, brought
false accusations against him and revoked his commission. Unjustly
persecuted for his beliefs, Barros Basto died a broken man.
The IPA/OU has written a letter to the Ambassador of Portugal to the
United States requesting that the Portuguese Ministry of Defense agree to
restore honor to Captain Barros Basto’s name by restoring his rank and
commission. We also requested that the Portuguese Parliament consider
passing a resolution recognizing the injustice that was done to him.
Righting the wrongs done to Captain Barros Basto and his family would be
an important recognition of the contributions made by Jews to European
society and to the Jewish people.
Argentina
The 22 month old trial of the
Argentines implicated in the 1994 bombing of the central Jewish community
building in Buenos Aires has yet to resolve the mystery surrounding the
worst terrorist attack on a Jewish community outside Israel since World
War II. The IPA/OU recently marked the anniversary of this horrific act as
the trial continues and the perpetrators of this heinous crime have still
to be brought to justice.
In 1994, the Argentine Israelight Mutual Aid Association (AMIA) building
was destroyed in a terrorist attack, which killed 85 people and wounded
hundreds. Since then, the investigation has dragged on despite evidence
linking Iran and Syria to that attack that has recently emerged. It is
long past due that justice and closure be brought to this case.
In all these years, the Argentine government has utterly failed to fulfill
its responsibilities to uncover important details of this terrorist
attack, which may signify that not only incompetence but also intentional
neglect of this investigation are instrumental in this failure. Many
questions remain about the role that high-level officials played in
obscuring the truth about the attack on the AMIA as well as the terrorist
bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires two years earlier. Some
believe that Argentine intelligence could have prevented the attacks while
others contend that former Argentine President Carlos Menem hindered the
investigation after the bombing.
Newly inaugurated President Nestor Kirchner of Argentina has ordered the
release of documents held by the Argentine intelligence agency SIDE, which
may reveal that SIDE had been warned of the attacks several days before
the bombing. President Kirchner has promised to punish those responsible
if foreknowledge of this attack is uncovered. The IPA/OU supported a
Congressional letter praising President Kirchner for this move and urging
him to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Act of 2003
On April 12th, 2003, Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Eliot
Engel (D-NY) reintroduced H.R. 1828, the Syria Accountability Act.
Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rick Santorum (R-PA) introduced
companion legislation, S. 982, in the Senate. This bill would consider
sanctions on Syria until the President certifies that Syria has ceased its
support of terrorism, including harboring numerous international terrorist
organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the PFLP, and Islamic Jihad. It
also would punish Syria for its other rogue activities, including
trafficking in illegal Iraqi oil, development of weapons of mass
destruction, and its occupation of Lebanon.
The IPA/OU has been on the forefront of advocating Congressional support
for the passage of this important legislation, a necessary step in the
fight against global terrorism. The Syria Accountability Act would ban the
export of military or dual-use material to Syria; prevent any form of U.S.
aid to Syria, and downgrade U.S. diplomatic relations with Syria. Syria, a
country on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, cannot continue its
terrorist activities with impunity. While a majority of the Senators and
Representatives are co-sponsors of this bill, it is stalled for the time
being. The IPA/OU is continuing our advocacy of this important legislation
and urges all our members to also contact elected officials to help pass
this legislation.
Koby Mandell Act
Several American victims of terrorists operating from areas administered
by the Palestinian Authority have received less support from the U.S.
government than other American victims of overseas terrorism. The Koby
Mandell Act – sponsored by Representative Robert Andrews (D-NJ) in the
House (H.R. 401) and Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) in the Senate (S. 684) is
named after a young American victim of Palestinian terrorists. This
legislation cites the State Department’s inadequate efforts to apprehend
terrorists operating from areas under PA control, including the case of
Koby Mandell, as compared to terrorists from other parts of the world who
have harmed Americans. This bill would create an office within the
Department of Justice to assure that the terrorist perpetrators of
violence against Americans are pursued, prosecuted, and punished with
equal vigor, regardless of their country of origin or place of residence.
This new office would administer and advertise the Department’s Rewards
for Justice Program, which rewards those who come forward with information
in any area where terrorists reside. The Department’s office would also
request that all U.S. assistance to agencies legitimizing these terrorists
be halted until the agencies stopped doing so. This bill also provides for
the extradition of paroled terrorists to the U.S. for further prosecution.
The IPA strongly supports this legislation and urges all our members to
contact their Representatives and Senators to help pass this measure.
UNRWA
The United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) was founded in 1950 as a
temporary solution to deal with displaced Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon,
Syria, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. At that time, the West Bank was
under the control of the Jordanians and the Gaza Strip was under the
control of the Egyptians. In 1967, the Palestinian refugee camps in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip fell under Israeli control.
In 50 years, UNRWA’s assistance has not improved the quality of life for
the Palestinian people. Instead of assisting the refugees out of the
camps, UNRWA supports their living in the camps, leading to generation
after generation of refugees remaining there with no chance of ever
improving their lives. Under UNRWA’s control and supervision, the
Palestinians have created an active and deadly terrorist regime. According
to recent Israeli intelligence reports, UNRWA funds and administers the
West Bank refugee camps that are under Yassir Arafat’s control, including
Jenin, the central command for suicide bombers. Allegations of abuse by
UNRWA include incitement to hatred against Israel in Palestinian schools
and use of UNRWA buildings as storage areas for Palestinian ammunition
factories.
The IPA strongly supported and will continue to support calls for Congress
to begin a thorough review of UNRWA’s practices, including initiatives by
Representatives Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Eric
Cantor (R-VA) to secure further inquiry into taxpayer funding of UNRWA.
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