Reagan Tells Orthodox Leader That He is Deeply and Personally Committed to Israel

President Reagan assured a major American Orthodox leader yesterday that he would "remain deeply and personally committed" to Israel. The President, in a 10-15 minute meeting with Rabbi Moshe Sherer, president of Agudath Israel of America, said it was the press that was trying to create the impression of a "split" between his Administration and Israel, according to a spokesman for the Orthodox group. The spokesman said Reagan declared that "nothing is further from the truth."

Sherer met with Reagan as 160 Orthodox leaders from 13 states were in Washington yesterday for Agudath Israel’s National Leadership meeting. The group met with White House, State Department and other Administration officials and had a luncheon meeting with members of the House and Senate.

Vice President George Bush, who met with the entire group, also stressed Reagan’s commitment to Israel. "I see the President in off-guarded moments and it is there that I can see the deep personal commitment," Bush was quoted as saying.

Reagan also praised Agudath Israel for its pioneering efforts in seeking tuition tax credits for parents with children who attend parochial schools. The President had urged Congress to adopt the tuition tax credit for private schools.

ROLE OF YESHIVAS PRAISED

Education Secretary Terrell Bell, in meeting with the group, surprised the Orthodox leaders by tracing the development of Yeshivas in Jewish history and praising their contribution to the "educational excellence and diversity that have made America great."

Bell said that the Minnesota experience with tuition tax credits has shown that public school enrollment does not decline when it was introduced. He said good public schools have nothing to fear from the competition from private schools while those which are substandard "ought to be afraid" and forced to improve from the competition.

DISAGREEMENT ON HUSSEIN AS A MODERATE

In their meetings with State Department officials, the Agudath Israel leaders objected to the Administration considering King Hussein of Jordan as a moderate and Reagan’s peace proposal that would put Hussein in control of the West Bank. One Agudath leader noted that when Hussein did have control of the West Bank before 1967, Jews could not pray at such holy sites as the Western Wall of the Old City of Jerusalem, Rachel’s Tomb outside Bethlehem, the Cave of Machpela in Hebron and Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus.

Wat Cluverius, who formerly headed the Israel Desk as the State Department, said moderate is a relative term He said Hussein wants to join the peace process but needs Arab support to do so, according to the Agudath spokesman.

The Orthodox group also met with Elliott Abrams, Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs and urged special efforts on behalf of Soviet Jewish activists such as Anatoly Shcharansky and Josef Begun. They also asked for a relaxation of U.S. immigration laws to allow the speedier immigration of victims of persecution in Iran and other Arab countries.