March 18, 2002 Vol. 4, No. 10

We Stand with Israel - Solidarity Day, March 24, 2002: On Sunday, March 24, 2002, from 12 noon to 2:00 pm ET, Jewish communities across North America are urged to give passionate voice to their solidarity with the people of Israel.  Israeli Prime Minister Sharon and others from Jerusalem will make remarks via a live satellite feed which will be broadcast in communities across the continent. We anticipate that he will be joined on the satellite portion of the program by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and/or Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, as well as Israelis who will share their personal stories about the recent terror attacks.  In New York City, the broadcast will be an integral part of an event for approximately 2,000 people, featuring local government officials and Nobel Prize laureate Elie Wiesel, who will bring his own unique perspective.  Local communities are urged to invite their civic and rabbinic leaders, other clergy and elected officials to participate.  A statement of solidarity will be the focus of ads in newspapers across North America. The statement will be available to you later this week.  For information regarding satellite uplink, contact Matthew Levine at (212) 284-6625, or Matt.Levine@ujc.org.  Please remember to share your Israel solidarity programs with the JCPA so that we can compile community activities for everyone in the field to see.

Cheney and Zinni in Israel: Vice President Dick Cheney and American envoy Gen. Anthony Zinni are in Israel this week as part of larger U.S. efforts to bring peace to the region.  Vice President Cheney met with Prime Minister Sharon today, and more talks are scheduled for tomorrow morning. 

10^th Anniversary of Israeli Embassy Bombing in Argentina:  Sunday, March 17^th marked the 10^th anniversary of the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina, which resulted in the loss of 29 lives.  The JCPA will join the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and UJA-Federation of New York to hold a memorial service to honor this anniversary on Tuesday, March 19 at 5:00 PM in the Warburg Room (7th floor) at UJA-Federation, 130 East 59th Street.  Please contact Gaby Berger at gberger@thejcpa.org if you plan to send a representative to the memorial service.

U.N. Human Rights Commission Convenes in Geneva:  Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights disclosed during her keynote address to the opening session of the Human Rights Commission today that she will step down this fall. In her opening remarks, Mrs. Robinson noted that: “We have valuable new agendas from the World Conference on Racism and last year's United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations. The Plans of Action from both of these initiatives are even more relevant after 11 September. At a time when there is a sharp rise in Islamophobia, anti-Arab and anti-Semitic expression, these plans of action need to be implemented fully by all States. I am pleased that the General Assembly has supported the Anti-Discrimination Unit, which will give OHCHR a solid foundation to play our part in combating racism and discrimination.” Later in the speech she noted that: “Regrettably, as we know all too well, efforts of the international community, including those of the Commission on Human Rights, have not brought an end to the hostilities and Palestinians continue to be subjected to a wide range of human rights violations related to the ongoing occupation. Israel also continues to suffer from deliberate killings of civilians. I reiterate my call for international observers to be present on the ground as a deterrent to the violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and also to promote human security against suicide and other attacks on Israeli civilians. Let me just underline the negative impact of the ongoing conflict in the whole region in that it risks undermining respect for the principles and common values that we have struggled to build over the past 50 years.” A full text can be found at www.unhchr.ch.

The session has relegated the United States to observer status for the first time in its history after failing to win re-election to the 53-member panel a year ago. However, the U.S. delegation will most likely have its seat back by next year. The meetings this week will include the annual debate on Israel's treatment of Palestinians.  For more information, see the JCPA action alert of March 11, 2002.

Hot Off the Press: Recent media reports indicate that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will unveil plans this week for military tribunals to consider charges against al Qaeda and Taliban suspects held by the United States.  The JCPA will monitor this issue and keep the field posted regarding significant developments.   An American Jewish Congress report on Military Tribunals can be found at: http://ajcongress.org/clsa/MilitaryTribunalandExecutiveSummaryCombined.htm.  A JCPA resolution covering this topic, adopted at the 2002 Plenum, can be found at: http://www.jewishpublicaffairs.org/resolutions/main.html.

Legislators with Anti-Semitism and Middle East Violence on Their Minds: Senator Bob Smith (R- NH) wrote to Secretary of State Colin Powell last week to express his “deep concern over the numerous reports of anti-Semitic incidents occurring in France” and to encourage him to address the issue with the French Government.  Last week Representatives Waxman (D-CA) and Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), along with 232 colleagues, sent a letter to President Bush commending him for his “firm stand against Palestinian terrorism and resolute message that Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat must be held accountable for the free reign of terrorist groups.”  The letter urges the President to “take even stronger action by adding the Al-Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade, the Tanzim, and Force 17 to the U.S. list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. These terrorist groups, which are militant elements of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), are responsible for fierce attacks against Israeli civilians and Americans living and visiting in Israel.”  The JCPA will continue to monitor this issue.  Efforts to acquire co-sponsors for the Middle East Peace Compliance Act (MEPCA) H. R.1795/ S.1409 continue with Congressmen Gilman (R-NY) and Ackerman (D-NY) producing 121 co-sponsors thus far. The Senate measure sponsored by Senators Feinstein (D-CA) and McConnell (R-KY) has 38 co-sponsors.  A JCPA resolution passed at last month’s Plenum urges the adoption of this act.

Here and There on Capitol Hill: Congress will begin “Spring Break” on Friday, March 22^nd and reconvene the week of April 8^th.  Before they leave, House leadership hopes to adopt their budget proposal.  The Senate Budget Committee will spend at least two days this week completing work on its budget plan.  Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, lawmakers in the Appropriations Committees continue to discuss funding needs while other legislators address efforts to fight terrorism, including a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on worldwide threats to U.S. national security at which CIA Director George Tenet is scheduled to testify.  Hearings will resume in the ongoing discussions on welfare reauthorization when Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson appears before the House Education and Workforce Committee.  The Human Resources Subcommittee is slated to hold a hearing this week on the part of the welfare revision plan that would promote marriage. 

Work on Nutrition Programs Continues: House and Senate conferees will hold discussions this week aimed at resolving their differences in the Farm Bill.  Both proposals reauthorize the Food Stamp Program for five years, but the House version includes only $3.6 billion in new funding for the nutrition title while the Senate bill provides $8.9 billion and takes important steps toward restoring food stamp benefits to refugees and legal immigrants.  JCPA urges member agencies to ask legislators to encourage Conferees to include the Senate-passed nutrition title in their final report.  Conferees aim to complete their work on the Farm Bill before they recess on March 22. 

Breakfast Briefing: The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and the Arab American Institute, in cooperation with Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA) and Congressman Darrell Issa (R- CA), will hold a breakfast briefing for Foreign Policy Staff and Members of Congress with the Israeli and Palestinian Bereaved Families Forum for Peace on Wednesday, March 20, 2002.  The Israeli and Palestinian Bereaved Families Forum for Peace is a group of Israelis and Palestinians who have lost children and relatives in the conflict.  Cited in the Mitchell Report as one of the few organizations that advances reconciliation in the face of "the near absolute loss of trust," the Forum promotes an end to the violence and a return to negotiations.  Yitzhak Frankenthal, founder of the Bereaved Families' Forum, and Khader Moghrabi, founder of the Gaza-based National Movement for Change, lead this delegation.

Congrats to Richard Heideman: Last week Argentina's President Eduardo Duhalde presented Richard D. Heideman, President of B'nai B'rith International, with the Orden de Mayo al Merito, the highest decoration given a non-Argentine civilian.  B'nai B'rith has a longstanding working relationship with the Argentine government and Argentina's representatives in the United States.  In recent weeks, Heideman wrote letters to various U.S. officials and international institutions requesting increased aid for Argentina.  Also, B'nai B'rith recently co-sponsored a $1 million shipment to Argentina which included 1,800 pounds of much-needed pharmaceutical products.

Jewish Council for Public Affairs
443 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016
info@thejcpa.org
212-684-6950 212-686-1353 fax

Jewish Council for Public Affairs
443 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
212 684-6950
212-686-1353 fax
contactus@thejcpa.org