From: Arab World and Islamic Resources <awair@igc.org>
Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast
Date: 20 Jul 92 21:59 PDT
Subject: Palestinians criticize Demo platfor
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1483500291:000:3004
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!awair    Jul 20 21:59:00 1992


From: Arab World and Islamic Resources <awair>
Subject: Palestinians criticize Demo platform

PALESTINIANS CRITICIZE SUPE OVER PLATFORM

by John Roemer

Reprinted from SF WEEKLY, July 15, 1992, p.6-7.

Palestinians in the Bay Area reacted with dismay to reports this
week that progressive supervisor Roberta Achtenberg helped place a
strongly pro-Israel plank in the Democratic Party platform.

Achtenberg was one of Bill Clinton's eight delegates to the
committee that drafted the platform, which fails to call for an
independent Palestinian state.  "the end of the Cold War doesn't
alter Americans' deep interest and our longstanding special
relationship with Israel," the platform paper reads.  "direct
negotiations between Israel and her Arab neighbors and
Palestinians with no imposed solutions are the only way to achieve
enduring security for Israel and full peace for all parties in the
region."

The platform is also unprecedented in calling for Jerusalem to be
the capital of Israel rather than Tel Aviv.  Palestinians find
that position unacceptable because they live in half of the city
which rests in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Achtenberg did not return calls to her New York hotel.  But her
aide, Alex Clemens, said she "takes responsibility for the
platform."  An article in this week's NORTHERN CALIFORNIA JEWISH
BULLETIN quoted Achtenberg as calling the pro-Israeli plank "a
blueprint of what Bill Clinton's policy toward Israel would be."
The article notes that Achtenberg is Jewish.

Mai Jaber, president of San Francisco's Arab-American Democratic
Club, said she plans to meet with Achtenberg after her return from
New York.  "We have had very good relations with her," Jaber said.
"But the Jewish lobby is very strong both locally and nationally.
We don't have the same strength."

Fuad Mogannum, an East Bay businessman who is a longtime member of
the Arab-American club, said he has worked closely with Achtenberg
on small business issues.  "We respect Roberta a lot, but issues
like Jerusalem are going to be a real problem for us."

Elias Rashmawi, a co-owner of the Arabic Book Center on Valencia
Street, said there's been a great deal of discussion in the
Palestinian community about why progressive Democrats don't
support a Palestinian state.  "Some progressives see the Third
World as inherently despotic and backwards.  I'm afraid Roberta
Achtenberg is a prime example of this, and there are a lot like
her....If you speak against Israel you're accused of being
anti-Semitic.  Israel is simply not to be challenged in American
political debate."

Barbara Lubin, head of the Middle East Children's Alliance in
Berkeley, said, "Since Jesse jackson stopped pushing for a
two-state solution, the Democratic Party has abandoned
Palestinians.  Palestinians really have no place to go politically
- and so what else is new?"

---------------------------------------------------------

Jennifer Smith awair@igc.org AWAIR: Arab World And Islamic
Resources and School Services

Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast