A delegation representing several Jewish organizations met with the White House on Monday, to press the administration to take a firmer stand regarding the crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The meeting came in the wake of a meeting last week between Jewish groups and Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic.
At that time, participants in the meeting promised to redouble their lobbying efforts for American intervention against what they feel are uncomfortable echoes of Nazi genocide.
In their meeting with Nancy Soderberg, staff director of the National Security Council, the delegation expressed the view of the organized Jewish community, as approved by the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council in February, that the situation in the former Yugoslav republic requires greater American involvement.
“We did express our disappointment that there was not until now a more forceful effort to stop the killing,” said Abraham Bayer, director for international affairs of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council.
“But we did get a feeling that the president was giving them some kind of deadline.”
Bayer said that when the Jewish community had broached the issue with the Bush administration, they were told it was not their affair.
“Now we’re being invited to the White House,” said Bayer.
The meeting was organized by NJCRAC Participating were representatives of the American Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League, B’nai B’rith, Hadassah and the National Council of Jewish Women.
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