The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Democratic presidential candidate, was the guest Wednesday of the Arab League at a luncheon attended by envoys of 15 Arab nations and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Jackson’s well-publicized meeting with the Arab delegates came on the heels of unconfirmed reports and rumors that the candidate is seeking a future nomination as America’s ambassador to the world body.
Jackson and the Arab representatives concentrated their meeting on the tense situation in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East, following the downing of an Iran Air jetliner on Sunday by the U.S. Navy, which killed 290 people.
At a news conference after the meeting, Jackson expressed concern over the fate of the American and European hostages in Lebanon in the aftermath of the Iran tragedy.
The lives of the hostages were threatened by their pro-Iranian captors after the Sunday incident.
Several diplomats here said that they believe Jackson is seeking to enhance his image with the American public by being instrumental in helping arrange some kind of a breakthrough with the hostages.
An Israeli diplomat, asked by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency if Jackson also had asked to meet with Israeli officials here, said tersely: “No, he did not. And besides, we do not interfere in American presidential campaigns.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
