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Security for Synagogues Eyed on Hill Clinton, Nadler Introduce Legislation
April 02, 2004
Security for Synagogues Eyed on Hill Clinton, Nadler Introduce Legislation
By LUIZA Ch. SAVAGE Staff Reporter of the Sun
As published in The New York Sun, Apr 2, 2004; Section:Front page; Page:1

WASHINGTON -- Citing recent threats by Hamas and Al Qaeda, several New York City Democrats yesterday backed a $100 million proposal to protect synagogues and other soft targets from possible terrorist attacks.

Senator Clinton and Rep. Jerrold Nadler introduced legislation that would enable the Department of Homeland Security to pay for extra security for nonprofit groups it deems to be at high risk.

Supporters of the legislation said they are particularly concerned about threats to synagogues after recent deadly terrorist attacks in Istanbul and Casablanca.

But critics say the legislation is an inappropriate use of public funds for religious organizations.

From a church-state standpoint, there is a problem in terms of advancing religion. It is an issue of the government providing a benefit to a religious institution, said the Washington counsel to the Anti-Defamation League, Michael Lieberman.

Mr. Lieberman compared the legislation to vouchers that provide public funds toward private-school tuition, or the Bush administration s faith-based initiative, which gives federal funding to religious organizations that provide social services.

Mr. Nadler, who has been a staunch defender of the separation of church and state, said the bill is okay with him because it is structured to prevent government funding from flowing directly to religious institutions.

Instead, DHS would pay private contractors to provide security for nonprofit organizations.

The bill would also give local governments another $50 million for additional law enforcement related to nonprofit groups that are vulnerable to international terrorist attacks. The proposal would also create a new office in the department to work with at-risk nonprofit organizations.

New York City deploys police foot patrols and armed units to keep watch over high-risk nonprofits, said Mr. Nadler, and there is absolutely no reason why the nation as a whole should not follow suit.

Mr. Nadler described the sums as modest and the proposal as different from the faith-based initiative.

Most importantly, this legislation will not provide direct assistance, whether in the form of cash or vouchers, to any religious institution, Mr. Nadler said. If the duty of government to protect citizens from terrorism has any meaning, it must include the obligation to protect potential targets from terrorism, he said.

Nonprofit groups would also be eligible for federal loan guarantees to pay for security measures.

Mr. Lieberman said the ADL would have preferred that the government involvement had been limited to loan guarantees.

The director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, Nathan Diament, dismissed concerns about the proposal s separation of church and state as misguided.

He said the legislation more than meets legal requirements for state funding.

The UOJC represents more than 1,000 synagogues nationwide.

The American Civil Liberties Union referred inquiries regarding the bill to the ADL.

A spokesman for Americans for the Separation of Church and State said the group was still studying the proposal.

The homeland department would choose groups based on a number of criteria, including threats received by the group in the past, the vulnerability of their site to attack, the site s symbolic value, and the role the organization plays in responding to international terrorist attacks.

The money would be limited to organizations that bring together at least 100 people for meetings or provide services to at least 500 people.

The bill s co-sponsors include Senator Schumer, as well as Reps. Eliot Engel, Nita Lowey, and Anthony Weiner, all Democrats of New York.

Senator Mikulski, a Democrat of Maryland, and Senator Specter, a Republican of Pennsylvania, are co-sponsoring the bill in the Senate.

The bill was endorsed yesterday by a broad range of groups, including the American Jewish Congress, the United Jewish Communities, the American Red Cross, the American Hospital Association, the YMCA, the United Way, and other charities and cultural groups.

They estimated that securing vulnerable organizations is more than $1 billion.

The terrorists willingness to strike targets of all types is clear from attacks in the United States, Spain, Germany, Israel, Iraq, Tunisia, Kenya, Morocco, and Turkey, including synagogues, a Red Cross building, train stations, hotels, airports, restaurants, night clubs, and cultural centers, said the president of the United Jewish Communities, Stephen Hoffman.

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