June 13, 2000 Vol. 2, No. 20

This Week in Washington...

For more information, contact Reva Price, Washington Representative at rprice@thejcpa.org

JCPA Notes Assad Passing: JCPA chair Dr. Leonard Cole issued the following statement on the passing of Syrian President Hafez Assad: "President Assad’s death has occurred at a sensitive and important time in Middle East affairs. We hope and pray that the new leadership of Syria will seek to successfully conclude peace negotiations with Israel, which commenced during President Assad’s rule. We also call upon Syria to maintain calm along the Lebanese border with Israel and to terminate its support of terrorist groups in the region."

Possible Foreign Aid Glitch in the House: The House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to "mark-up" its annual spending bill this week. As in past years, the legislation contains nearly 5 billion dollars in foreign aid for Israel and Egypt. Of concern however is an effort by Subcommittee Chairman Sonny Callahan (AL) to hold back $250 million in military aid to Israel. This action is meant to send Israel the message that the US Congress is not pleased with the Israeli sale of advanced radar-equipped planes to China. The $250 million is the same amount Israel would receive from China for the controversial sale. Rep. Callahan is being urged to reconsider his action, however, on the premise that aid to Israel should not be conditioned on such issues.

Everyone Is Talking in DC: During a visit to Washington this week, Argentine President Fernando De La Rua will meet with President Clinton and speak at the Holocaust Museum. Those meeting with the Argentine President are being urged to raise unresolved questions regarding the AMIA bombing nearly six years ago. Also in Washington this week, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators are expected to begin a new round of peace talks. Despite the funeral of Syrian President Assad, Yassir Arafat is expected in the Capital by week’s end.

Congress Has Busy International Affairs Agenda: The Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs has scheduled a hearing this week on the status of Lebanon after the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Assistant Secretary of State Edward Walker and Daniel Pipes, Editor of the Middle East Quarterly are expected to testify. The Foreign Relations Committee also plans a hearing to evaluate the possibility of US soldiers being tried for wartime activities by an International Criminal Court (ICC). The hearing is timed to coincide with weeklong meetings at the U.N. dealing with establishment of such a court. All those scheduled to testify at the Senate hearing are known to oppose the U.N. plan, however. The Foreign Relations Committee has also scheduled a hearing to address possible responses to the changing nature of international terrorism, focusing on a report by the National Commission on Terrorism released last week. Finally, the House International Relations Committee plans to discuss problems experienced by religious minorities in Europe.

This and That: Delegates to the UN "Beijing Plus Five" conference recommit their governments to the rights of women and girls. The final document can be found at www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/followup/finaloutcome.pdf.

This Week in New York...

For more information, contact Benita Gayle-Almeleh, Senior Community Consultant at bga@thejcpa.org

Directors in Israel: Seventeen CRC directors, along with Larry Rubin, Martin Raffel, and Benita Gayle-Almeleh, of the JCPA staff, arrived in Israel today for the 23rd annual Minkoff Institute. They will meet with Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials to discuss various issues including Israel-Diaspora relations, Ethiopian Jewry and the peace process.

Iran 13 Update: Communities across the nation marked a day of prayer for the Iran 13 yesterday. The JCPA opened its board of directors meeting with psalms for the thirteen. A verdict and sentencing in the case is expected in the days ahead.