Presidents Conference Extends Schindler’s Term in Office As Response to Pressure from the White Hous

In an unprecedented unanimous action, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations voted to extend the term of its chairman, Rabbi Alexander Schindler, who has completed two one-year terms, the normal term of office of the Conference chairman.

The vote of confidence in Schindler was a response to “pressure from the White House and attempts to discredit Schindler and the Presidents Conference,” Judah J. Shapiro, president of the Labor Zionist Alliance and chairman of the nominating committee of the Presidents Conference, told a press conference today. The vote took place Tuesday. Schindler’s new term in office is likely to extend for less than a year, Shapiro said. He declined to elaborate on the “pressure” coming from the White House.

Schindler, who also declined to describe “the pressure” from the White House, referred, however, at length to recent media reports about friction between himself and President Carter’s National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski.”I made no personal attack at anyone at any time, ” Schindler said at the press conference. He stressed that he did not refer to Brzezinski as an “anti-Semite.” He accused the media of personalizing and fabricating the nature of his disagreement with Brzezinski. “There is no doubt in my mind that he is not a bigot,” Schindler said.

Schindler was quoted last Friday in the New York Times as saying that Carter was now “a question mark” to Jews and that Jews had even stronger doubts about Brzezinski. Brzezinski replied to the Times that American Jews were saying “if you don’t agree with us…we’re going to stamp you as an anti-Semite.'” Brzezinski said the attacks on him were a “subtle kind of pressure” and part of a policy of “intimidation” being conducted in “public and privately by Jewish leaders.”

RELATIONS BETWEEN U.S. JEWRY, ADMINISTRATION

Asked today to describe the relations between American Jewry and the Carter Administration, Schindler said: “I think they are not bad or tense as they are described to be.” But he said there are differences and that there are aspects of the Administration’s Mideast policy that are not acceptable to the Presidents Conference. At the same time, he said, “we are pleased” with the team at the State Department which is helping to bring the negotiations between Egypt and Israel to a successful conclusion.

He also noted that support is forthcoming from the “political section” of the White House, from such key figures as Vice President Walter Mondale and President Carter’s advisors Stewart Eizenstat and Hamilton Jordan. Schindler denied that he ever said that “Carter was a question mark” in the eyes of American Jews because of his Mideast policy. He added, however, that “we have suspicions, that grew after (Mark) Siegel’s resignation that the National Security Council espouses a policy that is not favorable to us.” Siegel, who was Carter’s liaison with the American Jewish community, ended his duties at the White House Tuesday night.

Schindler noted that there is a divergence of views among the American Jewish community on Israel’s policy, but this cannot be read as an erosion in support for Israel. “If we perceived an undue pressure on Israel or a danger to Israel’s security we will be united,” Schindler declared.