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November 27, 1998/ 8 Kislev 5759, Vol. 51, No. 10
AIPAC official urges pro-Israel vigilance on road to peace
VICKI CABOT
Contributing Editor
In a thumbnail sketch of continuing tensions in the Mideast, played against the record of Israel's accomplishments over the past 50 years, Ester Kurz made a case for continued U.S. involvement and the need for substantive grass-roots efforts to educate and influence members of Congress.
Kurz, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's national legislative strategy and policy director, spoke at the second annual Women of AIPAC luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Arizona Biltmore. About 115 attended the event, which was chaired by Elodee Portigal.
"It won't take much to wipe out Israel next year," said Kurz, alluding to the growing threat from the rogue nations of Iran and Iraq.
Commenting on the on-again, off-again crisis over United Nations inspections of arms manufacturing sites in Iraq, Kurz noted that Saddam Hussein is "ready to risk everything to build up his chemical and biological cache."
Slowing down the arms build-up among Israel's neighbors is one of AIPAC's top priorities this year, she said. Besides pushing for international monitoring, the United States can use economic sanctions to limit proliferation.
Kurz said Israel's friends need to urge a hard-line stance on companies doing business with Iran to "slow acquisition of cash and technology."
Also high on AIPAC's agenda is maintaining support for the Arrow missile system, a joint Israeli and American venture that would provide critical long-range missile protection, as is pushing for aid to fund monitoring of the Wye agreement implementation.
Kurz was optimistic about the Wye negotiations, which resulted in an agreement that Israel will give up another 13 percent of land to the Palestinians in exchange for narrowly defined security provisos.
"It's remarkable that the Palestinians signed," said Kurz of the carefully structured agreement. "(They) will not get one square inch of land if they don't take Wye seriously." Security provisions include rescinding sections of the Palestinian covenant that call for the destruction of the Jewish state.
Last week, Israel began redeployment of troops in the West Bank. Additional redeployments will take place as the Palestinians demonstrate compliance.
The agreement caused "a revolution in Israeli politics," said Kurz of the intensive efforts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to broker support, but its ratification reflected an overriding desire to move the peace process forward.
Kurz lauded the U.S. role in the negotiations, noting that "the U.S. played a very front-and-center role."
Involvement of the Central Intelligence Agency in monitoring implementation of the agreement was critical.
"The CIA was so closely involved to get the point across to the Palestinians," she said.
Kurz said that AIPAC, the only American organization registered to lobby Congress in support of Israel, has its work cut out for it in the coming year. She bemoaned the unseating of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.
While acknowledging his detractors, Kurz called him a good friend of Israel.
"He understood it in his kishkes (guts)," she said. "He knew the strategic importance of Israel and what it means to the United States. And he wasn't afraid to speak out. His leadership and influence in the caucus is a huge loss."
So AIPAC is gearing up as the 106th Congress readies to take office.
"Our goal is to step up our efforts (to educate members of Congress.) And we need to encourage our friends to speak out and take a leadership role too.
"So much (in Israel's future) depends on how America responds, on how Congress responds. And that depends on what we do."
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