Danger of ‘moral Majority’ to Pluralistic America Explored at CJF Assembly

Two U.S. Senators agreed here last night that the Moral Majority represents a potential threat to the pluralistic society in America and, therefore, to American Jewry.

But Sen. Carl Levin (D.Mich.) and Sen. Rudy Boschwitz (R.Minn.), both Jewish, differed in their assessment of the strength of this new right fundamentalist movement which played a role in defeating a number of Congressmen in the recent national election and which has already drawn up a “hit list” of Congressmen targeted for defeat in the 1982 elections.

The two Senators, who made brief presentations to the closing plenary session of the Council of Jewish Federations’ 49th General Assembly and were then “interviewed” by a panel of prominent CJF leaders, also differed on how the Jewish community should separate its attitude toward the Moral Majority’s support of Israel and its righteous orientation on vital domestic and foreign policies.

“Let no one doubt the growing role of the new right,” Levin warned. “This election gave the extremists an opportunity to put their foot in the door. Theological answers to political questions are dangerous. When they appeal to the Bible we have to ask — which Bible, which version, which conflicting passages? We must maintain a pluralistic America.”

AWARD TO FALWELL CRITICIZED

Levin noted that while the Moral Majority “is given more credit than it is entitled to” the real danger “is not the Moral Majority’s actual strength at this time but its perceived strength.” In addition, he observed, the issue is not “whom they embrace but if we embrace them for their support of Israel. We can welcome their support for Israel, but we must be clear that we do not accept the positions they espouse on social issues and church state issues.”

Levin said he was “bothered” by the Jabotinsky Centennial Medal Premier Menachem Begin of Israel presented to Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell last week in New York. The presentation of the award to Falwell, one of 100 prominent Americans receiving the medal, was also rapped by Sen. Frank Church (D.Idaho) who refused to accept his award because Falwell was being honored. The Moral Majority had targeted Church for defeat.

Levin cautioned that the Moral Majority’s pro-Israel position does not imply that American Jews should be silent about the Moral Majority’s positions on domestic issues. “I do not believe in silence,” he said. Most churches, he noted, oppose what the Moral Majority stands for and this provides American Jewry with an opportunity to join with these church groups, to assure a pluralistic society.

Boschwitz noted that the Moral Majority is not homogeneously rightwing and conservative. He said the polls showed that two-thirds of the Moral Majority’s supporters voted for President Carter in the recent election.

Nevertheless, he said, “we have to organize in our communities” and “we have to impact our Senators and Congressmen” to limit the affect of the Moral Majority’s pressure for programs detrimental to America’s pluralistic fabric. Boschwitz also noted that President-elect Ronald Reagan rejected pressure from the Moral Majority as to whom he should pick as his Vice Presidential running mate.

The issue of the Moral Majority and other theo-political groups in the U.S. was a topic for discussion in several Assembly plenary sessions. The consensus was that these theo-politicians are a potential danger because they seek to impose their stringent religious concepts on America as the only correct concepts, but there was no consensus on whether they automatically constitute a threat to Jews because of their fundamentalist views and whether they can become a focal point for organized anti-Semitism.

NEW CONGRESS AND FOREIGN AID

On the issue of how the new Congress will respond to foreign aid to Israel and how it will respond to the Camp David peace process, Boschwitz said “foreign aid will probably be harder to get. We lost some friends on the foreign Relations Committee like (Richard) Stone (D.Fla.), (Jacob) Javits (R.NY) and Church. We need new friends on the committee and I may be on the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee.”

Levin noted that “we can’t lose a Javits, Stone and Church and not be hurt, even if we pick up a Boschwitz.” He said that even in previous Congresses there were moves to cut foreign aid and it will be more and more difficult to expect foreign aid for Israel while there is talk of cuts in domestic programs. “Foreign aid is not popular with the public,” Levin said, “not just to Israel, but across the board.”

On the issue of the peace process in the Middle East, Levin said that Reagan sees the U.S. role in this process as being more passive. He cited the fact that Reagan made no reference to the Camp David potential in his major address to the B’nai B’rith International convention in Washington last September. Boschwitz stated that Reagan has a long history of support for Israel that “is unswerving and uncapitulating.”

CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR SOVIET JEWRY SEEN

On the issue of continuing Congressional support for Soviet Jewish emigration in the context of a possible U.S. confrontation with the Soviet Union under a Reagan Administration, Levin said it is necessary to keep “the public glare” on the issue of emigration. He noted that there are others in the USSR, aside from Jews, who want to emigrate, like the Pentecostals and other Christians. He suggested that the issue of emigration as a basic human rights issue, affords the basis for links between Jews and Christians on this issue.

Boschwitz said he concurred entirely with Levin on this point but rejected the view that “we are going into a period of confrontation with the Russians.” He said he was also concerned with Jewish emigration from countries other than the Soviet Union.

Earlier, the Assembly adopted a resolution welcoming Reagan’s assertion that Israel is a strategic ally of the U.S. and stated that “we look forward to President elect Reagan fulfilling his pledge to keep Israel strong” as an essential component of his efforts “to improve U.S. defense capabilities and strategic posture throughout the world.”

The resolution urged Reagan to give his support to the foreign aid package for fiscal 1981 when it comes before Congress and urged Congress “to continue its pattern of providing Israel with strong economic and military support which is vital to both Israel and U.S. interests.”

Another resolution called for Jerusalem to remain “forever undivided and urged Reagan “to formally acknowledge Israel’s just and humane administration of Jerusalem, her scrupulous maintenance of access to all holy places and their protection, her sovereignty over united Jerusalem and her sovereign rights to designate Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.”

Morton Mandel was re-elected president of the CJF for a third term.