President Reagan made a major effort last Thursday to try to allay the fears that have arisen in the American Jewish community in the aftermath of the debate over the sale to AWACS surveillance planes and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia.
But at the end of the day, during which the President met with two groups of Jews, Howard Squadron, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said that while he was “satisfied” that Reagan was “sincere” in wishing to allay the concerns, there would have to be “tangible things” done before these fears would go away.
Specifically, Squadron said that while Reagan reiterated his support for the Camp David peace process, there should be a “more active part in the Camp David process” by the Administration, “pushing harder for autonomy.”
REAGAN CONCERNED OVER ANTI-SEMITISM
Reagan also expressed his concern over the emergence of anti-Semitism during the AWACS debate, Squadron said. But the Jewish leader said the President should express his concern, not just to Jews, but to a more general group.
Squadron made his remarks to reporters after he had led a delegation of more than 20 representatives of the Presidents Conference to the meeting with Reagan. The group first met with Vice President George Bush, White House Counsellor Edwin Meese, National Security Advisor Richard Allen, and Elizabeth Dole, a special advisor to the President for public liaison, before they were joined by Reagan. A similar scenario took place Thursday morning when some 30 Jewish Republicans met with Reagan.
At both meetings, the Jewish leaders expressed their concerns “strongly and firmly, Squadron said. He noted that the President gave basically the same response at both meetings.
Jacob Stein, the President’s special liaison to the Jewish community, in a telephone interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency Friday, said that the meetings Thursday were an “important step in setting the record straight” and were “a forward movement” in clearing up relations with the Jewish community.
DEALT WITH FAHD’S PLAN
It was learned that a great deal of the time at both meetings was devoted to the concern by the Jewish leaders with the favorable view the Reagan Administration has taken toward the eight point plan proposed by Crown Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia.
Squadron said Reagan reiterated his support for the Camp David process as the means for achieving peace in the Mideast. He said that Reagan felt that the Fahd plan showed “some hope” and demonstrated a “less belligerent attitude” than earlier Saudi calls for a “jihad ” (holy war) against Israel. Reagan said he “thought that this kind of hope ought to be pursued,” Squadron said.
In reply, Squadron said he told the President that he was “concerned” that the Saudis “are not serious” about helping the peace process. He pointed out that Saudi Arabia did not lose any territory in the 1967 Six-Day War and they had nothing to negotiate with Israel. He said they could sign a peace agreement with Israel, a step which he said Israel would welcome.
Reagan said the Saudis are considered leaders in their region and can be “useful” in getting other countries to join the peace process, Squadron said.
Stein, who participated in the meeting between Reagan and the Presidents Conference, stressed that Reagan had declared he was committed to following the Camp David process, not the Fahd plan, as the path to peace in the Middle East.
SUPPORT FOR A UNITED JERUSALEM
Squadron noted that both Meese and the President reconfirmed the statements Reagan made to the Presidents Conference on Sept. 15, 1980 when Reagan was a candidate for the presidency. Squadron said this included support for a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty, opposition to a Palestinian state and refusal by the United States to deal with the Palestine Liberation Organization until it ended its terrorism and accepted United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 and Israel’s right to exist.
Several hours after Squadron reported on the President’s statement on Jerusalem, the White House issued a clarification. “American policy towards Jerusalem is that it should remain undivided with free access to the holy sites,” the statement said. “The future status of Jerusalem is to be determined through negotiations.” The statement added: “The President said that he preferred for Jerusalem to remain undivided under Israeli sovereignty but the President also said that he favored some type of a Vatican-like solution that will continue to preserve the free access to the holy sites that Israel has afforded since 1967.”
Stein said there was no contradiction between Squadron’s statement and the President’s He said Reagan had reconfirmed what he had told the Presidents Conference 14 months ago.
Meanwhile, at the State Department, spokesman Dean Fischer said Friday the United States official position on Jerusalem is that “we believe Jerusalem should remain united” with access to all the holy places but that its final status should be determined by negotiations.
DIFFERENT NUANCES ON TERRORISM
The State Department also had a different nuance on Reagan’s statement to the Jewish leaders that the renunciation of terrorism by the PLO is one of the conditions for the United States to deal with the PLO. Fischer said the United States would study whether to deal with the PLO once it accepts Israel’s right to exist and UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. He said that “clearly, terrorism is not consistent” with the recognition of Israel’s right to exist and the two UN resolutions.
On the issue of anti-Semitism, the Jewish leaders expressed their concern over the imputations during the AWACS debate of “disloyalty” by those who opposed the sale. Squadron said that Reagan declared that none of these expressions came from him or from any one in the Administration. However, Squadron said one of the President’s aides said that one staff member had been “rebuked.”
Squadron said he did not remember which aide said this and that the reason for the rebuke or what the rebuke entailed was not mentioned. He said Reagan denied that his press conference statement in October telling other countries not to interfere in U.S. foreign policy was aimed at Israel.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
