Israel’s Plan To Build Homes Condemned 13 Lawmakers Urge U.S. To Shun Meeting Called By Arafat

The Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee and 19 other associations, including Jewish peace groups, Wednesday condemned Israel’s plan to build housing for Jews in east Jerusalem as a “flagrant violation of international law.”

The organizations criticized President Clinton and other U.S. officials for not being more forceful in criticizing Israel’s decision to construct 6,500 housing units in Har Homa in southeast Jerusalem.

However, the State Department offered its sympathy to the Palestinians, saying they had been “buffeted” by recent Israeli decisions and had a right to air their complaints at an international gathering in Gaza that the United States would attend.

Israel vigorously objected to the meeting, called by Yasser Arafat, as a threat to Mideast peace negotiations, and 13 members of Congress told Clinton it would be a one-sided event that the United States should shun.

“Under your leadership,” they said in a letter, “the U.S. has played a critical role in the Middle East peace process by bringing Israelis and Palestinians together. We must continue to play this role.

“Unfortunately, participating in this meeting will only drive the parties apart. We urge you not to send a representative to this meeting.”

Israel, meanwhile, filed two formal protests, one Tuesday night and a second on Wednesday, State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said.

Hala Maksoud, president of the anti-discrimination group, described as “insincere” recommendations from Clinton and his ambassador to the United Nations, Bill Richardson, that Israelis and Palestinians negotiate such issues directly in final status talks instead of involving the United Nations.

“Settlement plans should be rescinded, not negotiated,” Maksoud said, reading a joint statement from the groups. “To recommend negotiation is to urge Palestinian surrender.”

Clinton said Monday the Israeli decision should not have been made because it complicates the final status talks that are supposed to begin next week. He also said the United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel’s move because it was ill-advised.

Maksoud said the organizations were sponsoring teach-ins on Jerusalem in 100 U.S. cities and collecting petitions urging Clinton to put more pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reverse his decision.

She said the organizations hoped to “educate the American public about the devastating consequences of Israel’s policy of apartheid and to send a message” to Congress calling for an immediate reduction in U.S. aid to Israel.

Arafat is angry with Israel for planning to build 6,500 Jewish housing units in Jerusalem and for scheduling a West Bank withdrawal he says is not big enough.

His complaints drew sympathy from the State Department.

“It’s appropriate that we go” to the meeting, spokesman Burns said. “We will be there. And we have great respect for Chairman Arafat.”

He suggested Arafat invite Israel and said that the United States would be represented by Ed Abingdon, U.S. consul general in east Jerusalem, where the Palestinians are trying to establish a capital for a state.

“The Palestinians have been buffeted by several decisions of the Israeli government,” Burns said.