Njcrac Delegates Take to the Hill with Resolutions on Mideast, Budget

When Jewish communal leaders from across the country visited their representative on Capitol Hill this week, they brought with them what they hoped were powerful lobbying tools: resolutions on the Middle East peace process, the balanced budget amendment and school prayer.

Most of the resolutions passed quickly and easily at the plenum of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council, which was held here Feb. 4-8. Some 500 professionals and lay leaders from most of the 117 local and 13 national agencies under the NJCRAC umbrella attended the annual event.

In a year lacking a single issue galvanizing the Jewish community, as did threats to the U.S. loan guarantees to Israel and the resettlement of Soviet Jewry in past years, most of the resolutions passed with little discussion.

The one resolution that generated some heat addressed the peace process. In it, NJCRAC “reaffirms its strong support of the Israeli government’s peace initiative and wishes it continued success in building upon the dramatic achievements of this past year”.

The resolution passed after more than an hour of debate without substantive change from what was originally proposed.

The debate was much less forceful than had been anticipated, since most of the objections were ironed out before the start of the plenum. It was focused in part on language relating to the possible deployment of U.S. troops on the Golan Heights as part of a peace agreement between Israel and Syria.

Originally, there was some sentiment to propose a resolution endorsing the deployment of the troops.

But the Language that ultimately was presented to the assembly reflected the more general consensus of the community, which was that discussion of the topic should be postponed until an Israeli-Syrian agreement was imminent.

The resolution that passed Monday, in carefully circumspect language, stated: “The Clinton administration has been playing an important role in facilitating the peace negotiations, especially in regard to the Israel-Syrian track.

“The parties reportedly have begun preliminary discussions regarding a possible stationing of an international monitoring contingent on the Golan Heights, which might be one element of a comprehensive agreement.

“A premature attempt to formulate U.S. policy on this issue may complicate the already sensitive and complex negotiations between Israel and Syria. Implications of U.S. involvement in this or any other kind of international effort should be examined carefully when a specific proposal is presented”.

The only ones to vote against the resolution were the representatives of the Jewish War Veterans. The organization filed its official dissent from the resolution’s reference to the Golan because “it prejudges the issue”.

The group said it opposes the idea of U.S. troops serving on the territory in question “without there being an American national security purpose and a defined withdrawal date”.

There was some debate over other language in the peace process resolution that focused on international aid to the Palestinian Authority. The resolution called for the international community “to move quickly to fulfill earlier pledges” of aid, but language was modified to reflect some frustration with the Palestinians’ own lack of accountability for the funds.

The resolution lauded the joint statement issued last week after the summit meeting in Cairo between the heads of Egypt, Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. The regional leaders jointly condemned violence in the region and pledged to seek an end to terrorist attacks.

But, the NJCRAC resolution cautioned, “Words are not enough”.

Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority “now must follow through immediately on their commitments by taking more assertive measures against terrorism, including the confiscation of weapons in the hands of Islamic extremist groups and the arrest and prosecution of those who have committed acts of violence.

“We also urge the Palestinians to implement their commitment to repeal the PLO covenant, which calls for Israel’s elimination”, the resolution said.

One of the only moments of fiery rhetoric on any other issue came during the brief debate over the resolution opposing a proposed constitutional amendment that would require a balanced federal budget. Barry Gross, a past chairman of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Greater East Bay-which covers Oakland, Calif. – protested the resolution, saying, “It’s rare that a Jewish economic conservative is not isolated and kept out of power in the Jewish community”.

“The NJCRAC process does not allow minority views to be heard on economic and social programs”, said Gross, who is now a members of the NJCRAC executive committee.

“Our organization is viewed as the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, and as such we are less and less relevant,” Gross said. “Unless we open our doors and policies we will not be at the table of power”.

NJCRAC Executive Vice Chairman Lawrence Rubin countered by telling Gross and the other delegates that the umbrella group’s process of consultation and debate over policy issues “is the most inclusive and deliberative a process that exists in Jewish life”.

The resolution on the balanced budget amendment reflected a widespread concern on the local level about its possible ramifications.

The community relations councils represent their Jewish communities in intergroup relations work, present the mainstream Jewish view on a host of issues to the larger community and to local legislators and, in some places, organize events such as Israeli Independence Day celebrations.

Typically an arm of their local Jewish federation, the JCRCs are already struggling with the financial cutbacks that have beset many Jewish communities.

If federal funding to a raft of social service programs is cut to meet the demands of a balanced budget law, Jewish federations will have to try and fill the huge gaps in funding that will face hospitals, old age homes and other programs.

As a result, community relations professional fear, the extra funding is likely to come out of their budgets.

Financial cutbacks have already made their mark.

“We used to have 16 full-time peoples in our office, in 1985 now we have six”, said Joyce Kutler, director of public information at the JCRC of Greater Philadelphia.

“Years ago we took people on missions to Israel, people who are now in top positions in local government. We haven’t been able to afford a mission in years”, she said.

Cutting back on intergroup programs such as these “have a long-term effect”, she said. Non-Jewish local leaders “don’t understand the issues important to the Jewish community”.

Another major resolution that passed Monday was one opposing school prayer.

But because so much time was devoted to the peace process resolution, not all of the proposed statements were considered in the time allotted on Monday.

In a follow-up session slated for Tuesday night, a resolution urging that Jonathan Pollard be granted parole when he become eligible in November was expected to be presented to the delegates.

The proposed resolution was initiated by the JCRC of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties.

Pollard will have served 10 years of his life sentence for spying on the United States for Israel when he becomes eligible for parole. The hearings before the parole board are expected to be in April or May, sources said.