Schindler Praises Shultz for Facing Down Arab Sheiks

A national Jewish leader who has frequently expressed criticism of the Reagan Administration’s Middle East policy, has now hailed Secretary of State George Shultz “for having the grace and guts to face down the wrath of oil-rich Arab sheiks and so-called Arab moderates” in defending the new U.S.-Israel relationship when he met with Arab leaders in Tunis and Morocco last weekend.

Addressing leaders of the Allied Jewish Campaign here last night, Rabbi Alexander Schindler, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, also praised the Reagan Administration’s policy of firing back at Syrian-held positions that have attacked American forces in Lebanon.

“The U.S. policy is sound and merits our endorsement,” Schindler said, adding: “The diplomatic approach was applied to Damascus and found wanting. Syria’s dictator, Hafez Assad, reneged on his apparent commitment to withdraw from Lebanon when Israel agreed to do so.

“Indeed, force appears to be the only message the Syrians understand. The most recent word from Damascus is that Donald Rumsfeld, the special U.S. envoy, is now welcome to come to negotiate. This invitation came only after the exercise of U.S. naval and aerial power in military acts of self-defense against Syrian-sponsored attack.”

Schindler praised the results of the recent White House meetings between President Reagan and Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir of Israel, asserting: “The heightened measure of economic, political and military cooperation between our country and our Israeli allies will strengthen the cause of freedom, of world peace and of Middle East stability.

“Perhaps most important of all was that the bonds of friendship, of mutual commitment to democracy and of common strategic interests were publicly announced and publicly acknowledged, for all the world to see.”