Six Jewish leaders met with President Reagan at the White House today in what was described as an effort to improve the access of the Jewish community to the Administration. None of the six would comment to reporters as they left the White House, except to say it had been “a good meeting.”
Richard Krieger, director of Jewish community affairs of the Republican National Committee, said the White House had asked for the meeting and limited the number attending to six.
He said that Max Fisher, of Detroit, chairman of the Republican National Jewish Coalition, and Albert Spiegel, of Los Angeles, were asked by the White House to select the other four. They selected three other Jewish Republicans — Gordan Zacks of Columbus, Ohio, Richard Fox of Philadelphia and George Klein of New York. The sixth person was Lawrence Weinberg of Beverly Hills, Calif., who is president of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
ANTICIPATES COMPLAINTS
Krieger acknowledged that there would be complaints from other Jewish leaders, such as Howard Squadron, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, who were not invited. He said the number was limited to six by the White House and originally was to have been only Republicans but it was decided to invite Weinberg who is not a Republican.
Krieger noted that other members of the executive committee of the Republican National Jewish Coalition could not be invited. He stressed, however, that this was the first of a series of meetings and others would be included in future meetings, such as Squadron, Morton Mandel, president of the Council of Jewish Federations, and the presidents of other Jewish organizations.
Before the meeting with the President began, Krieger and Thomas Dine, executive director of AIPAC, attended a briefing by the National Security Council. Dine and Krieger did not attend the meeting with Reagan or a luncheon later with Elizabeth Dole, the President’s Assistant for Public Liaison. Krieger said one of the matters discussed today was finding a replacement for Jacob Stein as the President’s liaison to the Jewish community. The position, which is under Mrs. Dole’s jurisdiction, has been open since Stein resigned last January.
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