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The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, August 10, 1989-Page 3
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President's spokesman denies pressure m Israel
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WASHINGTON(JTA)-An effort is being made both by the Bush administration and Congress to prevent a backlash of criticism against Israel for its capture of an Islamic |in-damentalist leader and\he apparent subsequent murder of William Higjgins, an American Marine officer.
"We have continuing and close contacts with Israel on this situation," White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said last week.
''Israel is a strong ally ofthe United States," he said. "We have an enduring and vibrant relationship, and interest in continuing their security. That certainly has not changed."
Fitzwater, who spoke to reporters after President Bush met for 90niinutes with Secretary of State James Baker, Defence Secretary Richard Cheney and
other national security advisers, said experts are studying a videotape purportedly showing the hanging of Higgins by a pro-Iranian Shiite Moslem group:
But U.S. officials have not been able to determine whether the man shown hanging from a makeshift gallows is Higgins. There was also no indication yet whether the incident took place recently or some time earlier.
The Organizatipn of the Oppressed on Earth, which kidnapped Higginis in February 1988, said it killed Higgins on July 31 because Israel had not released its leader. Sheikh Abdul Kar-im Obeid.
The organization, which is believed to be a front group for the Islamic fundamentalist Hezbullah, or Party of God, had threatened to kill another American hostage, Joseph
U.S. Secretary State James Baker
Cicippio, if Israelis did not release Obeid. The deadline has since been extended indefinitely.
After Higgins'death was announced. Bush cut short a two-day trip to the West, and met with his national security advisers and then with members of
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WASHINGTON (JTA)-
The multimillionKlollar '' Star Wars'' research that Israel is supposed to con^ duct for the United States may be in jeopardy, if the second highest-ranking Democrat on the House armed services committee has his:way.
The American Israel. Public Affairs Committee is trying to thwart a proposed amendmentv introduced by Democratic Rep. Charles Bennett, which would pare the Star Wars program from $3.5 billion to $2.8 billion.
The Pentagon's Strategic Defence Initiative organization threatened this month to cancel U.S.-Israeli joint research if its 1990 fiscal year budget is lower than $3.2 billion, a congressional source said.
An official in the pro-Israellobbying community predicted that the amendment has enough votes to pass, when the Defense Authorization Bill for the 1990 fiscal year comes up for a vote in the House of Representatives at the end of the month.
The Star wars program is the ' 'centrepiece of strategic cooperation" between Israel and the United States, the official said.
Under a 3-yeaf package to be renegotia;ted this year.
Israel received $150 million to conduct research to build the so-called Arrow anti-tactical ballistic missile: Under a cost-sharing formula, Israel finances 20% and the United States ftmds 80% of the research effort., .
By contrast, few glitches have emerged so far for pro-Israel lobbyists in securing $3 billion in foreign aid for Israel for the 1990 fiscal year. The House has ap-
proved the 1990-1991 Foreign Aid Authorization bill, and the Senate appropriations committee is now coiisiderinig the bill.
Pro-Israel lobbyists predict that, in the end. Congress will save the Arrow program. But the congressional source said cuts in Star Wars threaten the "long-term viability" of the Arrow program, including its research and production schedule.
A game of cards
JERSALEM (JFFS) -
Approximately 50,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip travel to work daily in Israel, but after Aug. 18, no Gaza Palestinian will be allowed to enter Israel without a magnetic identity card.
Since ,the cards first came into use some two months ago, the Gaza civil administration has issued about 35,000 of them — at a charge of 20 shekels (about $10) each. Only Palestinians who, according to the administration, have paid all their taxes and been cleared by the security forces are elgible for a card.
While the Israeli authorities have been handing out the cards, intifada activists have beenlooking for ways to foil the operation. The popular committees in the area have embarked on a "war of attrition, "collecting the cards from Gazans to prevent them from eiiter-ing Israel under the new regulations.
' 'We consider it nothing but another means of op= : pression against .us," a ; resident, of the JabaJy.a. refugee camp said. "We know that the Israelis are stronger than us, and in the end they win; but it's a war, and we have to try our luck."
The Canadian Zionist Federation
and the
Youth and Hechalutz Diepartment
express deepest sympathy to
DR. AVRAHAM AVIHAI
Head, World Zionist Federation Youth and Hechalutz Department, Jerusalem
on the passing of his sister —^
' PEARL GOODMAN
May the family be spared Jurther^sorrow and May they be comforted among the mourners of lion and Jerusalem David Azrieli, President, Canadian Zionist Federation Zaye Ettinger, Chairman, Youth & Hec
Congress.
He then issued a statement, which was seen as iniplied criticism of Israel.
"I said that the taking of any hostages was not helpfiil to the Middle East peace process," Bush said in the statement. "The brutal and tragic events . . . have underscored the validity of that statement."
The president said that he now wanted "to go beyond that statement with an urgent call for all, all parties who hold hostages in the Middle East, to release them, forthwith as a humanitarian gesture, to begin to reverse the cycle of violence in that region."
Fitzwater denied that the Bush statement was aimed at putting pressure
on Israel. '*The statement applies to all countries hi the region," he said. "The statement speaks for Itself."
. In his statement. Bush made clear that the United States does not support an Israeli proposal, issued before Higgins'death was announced, that it would trade Obeid and all Shiite prisoners held by Israel if
'the Shiites would free three Israeli soldiers held in southern Lebanon, as well as all American and other civilian hostages held there,
"Our firm opposition to negotiating with hostage-lakers was ftirther reinforced in my discussion this evening with the administration and consultations with the congressional leadership," Bush said.
"We do not negotiate for the release of hostages," Fitzwater reiterated. But he stressed that "Israel is a sovereign nation. They have adifferentpolicy with regard to hostages than we have:"
State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler told reporters that the U.S. and Israel have different policies regarding negotiations with terrorists. She pointed out that the long-standing U.S. policy has been not to negotiate with terrorists.
' 'We make no concessions to terrorists holding offical or private American citizens hostage," she said. "This policy is the firm position of our government and is strongly supported by the American public."
But she noted that Israel, " as a sovereign nation, has a different policy."
Tutwiler praised Iran, the Soviet Union and Syria for their approach to the crisis.
Tutwiler said that the Soviets and Syriaiis"have expressed to us a desire to try to be helpftil."
But in commenting on the Iranian role, Tutwiler was careftil to use a double negative. ' 'We have no reason to believe that Iran is not dealing with this manner in a serious way," she said in a prepared statement.
When asked if Israel is being "helpfiil" Or dealing with the matter "in a serious way," she would only .say that the United States is "in close contact" with the Israelis.
Sen: Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), a leading Republican oh the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the United States should cooperate with Israel in attempting such a swap.
Lugar and Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), appearing on the Public Broadcasting System's
MacNeill/Lehrer News-hour, said it would be illogical to attribute Higgfais' death to the Israeli seizure of Obeid.
Dodd said that blaming Israel for the tragedy would only accomplish what the terrorists who kidnapped the Americans set out to do in the first place: create divisions between Israel and the United States.
The most public criticism of Israel came from Senate Minority Leader Robert Dole (R-Kan.), who said on the Senate floor that Israel should have notified the United States before taking action that might endanger Americans.
Speaking on the Senate floor. Dole said it would be "refreshing" if Israel assumed a "little more responsibility" for actions that could endanger American lives.
Later, in the face of the uproar surrounding his re-; marks, he said: "My basic message to Israel is this: We are in this together. We both have vital interests at stake. Whenever possible, we ought to act together, and always we ought to take fully into account the vital interests of the other when they contemplate unilateral action. That is a way to avoid any wedge being driven between us."
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