It's time to pass go

Editorial

What a difference a year makes.

Last October, following strenuous U. S. lobbying and 11th-hour electioneering by then-ailing King Hussein of Jordan, the Wye Accords were signed, putting the stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians back on track.

The clincher was the promise of substantial U.S. aid to the region. Money does talk, particularly when it is earmarked to stimulate needed economic development, a key to securing stability in the Mideast.

The expected infusion of cash was some $1.9 billion to Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians. To date, Jordan has received cash payments of $100 million - a paltry sum considering that money spent on shoring up U.S. authority in the world represents only a minuscule fraction of the federal budget. Just one cent of every dollar goes to foreign aid, and today even that penny is in jeopardy. Stingy lawmakers excised money to cover Wye commitments from this year's foreign aid bill; it took a veto of the bill by President Clinton to put the issue back in play.

Congressional penny pinchers fail to consider the importance of assuring U.S. dominance while fostering democracy in the post-Cold War world. Their dangerous retreat into isolationism is fueled by a xenophobic world view. How else to explain the absurd suggestion that dollars spent overseas deprive America's aged of essential social services?

A massive lobbying effort has helped to turn around Senate leadership. However, the Wye aid package still must pass Congress, whether it comes wrapped within another bill or presented as a stand-alone emergency appropriation. It is time to call, fax or e-mail your U.S. representative and urge approval of this vital aid.

Events in Israel this week - including opening a safe-passage route from Gaza into the West Bank - bode well for keeping the Wye momentum going. Israel and the Palestinians appear to be slowly turning the corner. To help complete the journey, the United States needs to pass "go" on its promised Wye aid.

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