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March 10, 2000/3 Adar II 5760, Vol. 52, No.27
Gore issues warning to Palestinians
HOWARD LOVY
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
NEW YORK - Vice President Al Gore appears destined to become the next Democratic presidential nominee, but he's apparently not taking the Jewish vote for granted.
The day before Super Tuesday, he was in New York stumping for the Jewish vote by declaring himself always and forever a friend to Israel and an enemy of terrorists. He also issued a harsh warning to the Palestinians not to make unilateral pronouncements of an independent state.
Speaking to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on March 6, Gore said that a declaration "would certainly fall in that category" of the kind of unilateral declarations that he and President Clinton have "actively and forcefully discouraged."
He said it would be "unwise" for Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to deliver on his promise to declare unilaterally a Palestinian state this fall, even if no final-status agreement with the Israelis has been reached.
Gore warned that Arafat should not assume a declaration "would have a positive outcome" for the Palestinians. He would not elaborate on what the U.S. reaction would be to such a move.
While the vice president broke little new ground in Monday's appearance, he wanted to remind the Jewish community of what he believes to be his credentials on Jewish and Israel issues.
On the issue of the transfer of weapons technology to Iran, Gore said he views "very gravely" the issue of other countries and entities sharing knowledge on weapons of mass destruction. It is "a question that potentially involves the survival of Israel, and when survival of a friend is potentially at stake, everything else is secondary."
He said there is complete intelligence cooperation between the United States and Israel on the issue.
Both the U.S. House and Senate have passed a bill that would grant the president authority to impose a range of penalties, including sanctions, on countries that supply technology or equipment to Iran for use in its weapons program. The legislation, which the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has been pressing hard for, was prompted by reports that Russian scientists, academics and companies are the top suppliers of weapons technology to Iran.
Gore, who has been the administration's point man on the issue, did not say where he stands on the legislation.
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