|
|
May 16, 2003/Iyar 14 5763, Vol. 55, No. 38
AIPAC reaches out to black legislators
ELI KINTISCH
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON - As it gears up for a struggle over the "road map" toward Israeli-Palestinian peace, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is making special overtures toward the Congressional Black Caucus, a group with which it has had rough relations in the recent past.
As part of its annual Washington convention, the pro-Israel lobby honored the caucus chair, Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), and the rest of the caucus at a special dinner March 30, attended by roughly 1,000 AIPAC donors from around the country.
Then, on April 24 in New York, AIPAC's executive director, Howard Kohr, joined other Jewish community leaders for a lunch with rap mogul Russell Simmons, who has tried to promote better relations between the caucus and the Jewish community.
With Congress focused on domestic affairs, it may be too early to judge how effective AIPAC's efforts have been to improve support from the black caucus on Middle East-related resolutions and initiatives.
But the first test of that support suggests a decidedly mixed result: An April letter to President Bush that AIPAC backed, expressing concerns about aspects of the U.S.-supported road map, was signed by 313 House members - but only 18 of 39 members of the black caucus.
Since the Palestinian intifada began in September 2000, some CBC members have been among the most outspoken critics of resolutions they consider too biased in Israel's favor.
These include John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), as well as former members Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) and Earl Hilliard (D-Ala.).
In May 2002, only 22 members of the caucus - which then numbered 38 - voted for a resolution expressing "solidarity with Israel."
"Many of their supporters see the Palestinians as getting a raw deal" under Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said David Bositis, an expert on black politics at the Washington-based Joint Center for Economic and Political Studies.
In the 2002 election cycle, wealthy Jewish donors from around the country, many of them AIPAC members, supported Democratic primary challengers against incumbents McKinney and Hilliard. After bitter and expensive primary fights, the pair were ousted by black challengers, leading to accusations from black congressmen that outsiders were meddling in their elections.
Since the last election cycle, Jewish community leaders have met with their black counterparts to stress the areas of agreement they share. Jewish leaders and political experts said AIPAC'S outreach toward black legislators was sincere.
|
