Dole Under Fire for Criticizing Senate Resolution on Jerusalem

WASHINGTON —  Senate Republican leader Bob Dole, already under fire for questioning the high level of U.S. aid to Israel, invited more criticism Thursday by bluntly telling his colleagues they made a “dangerous” mistake in passing a resolution recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state.

Just back from a trip to the Middle East, Dole said the resolution has dismayed moderate Arab states and troubled even some Israeli leaders as an “ill-timed” intervention at a “critical” juncture in the delicate Middle East peace process.

Later, in a written reply to criticism of his remarks by House Republican Whip Newt Gingrich of Georgia and other conservative Republicans, the Kansas senator lambasted those who “think that if you disagree with a single policy or practice of the Israeli government . . . you should be characterized as ‘anti-Israel.’

“That is bunk,” he said, admonishing Gingrich against joining in “the narrow but shrill chorus of people who take that tack.”

The unusual public exchange of sharp letters between the Republican leaders, as well as criticism of Dole by American Jewish groups, quickly embroiled in controversy the foreign aid and policy issues that Dole was seeking to raise.

The exchange also appeared to surprise a number of his Senate colleagues who--noting that Dole has been a strong supporter of Israel in the past--said they could not see what he hopes to gain by taking critical positions that have little chance of winning wide support in Congress, especially during an election year.

“We are really baffled. We have no idea what he’s trying to do,” said a senior Democratic aide on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

It was the second major dispute involving Israel touched off by Dole this year. Last January, he caused a minor storm of protest by proposing 5% cuts in foreign aid to Israel and four other top recipients to make room in the crimped foreign aid budget for Panama, Nicaragua and the emerging democracies of Eastern Europe, all of which are looking for more U.S. support.

Despite his denials, Dole at the time was widely believed to have been floating a trial balloon for the Bush Administration.

The Administration wanted to achieve more control over the $15 billion foreign aid budget by putting limits on earmarking, the practice by which Congress influences foreign policy by allocating aid funds. The so-called “big five” recipients--Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and the Philippines--receive the bulk of that money. Israel, the largest single recipient, gets $3 billion a year.

While Dole’s latest comments may reflect to some degree the Administration’s frustration with a political stalemate in Israel that has frozen the peace process, Dole appears to be acting largely on his own.

“I think he’s acting as an independent contractor on this. I see no evidence that he is doing this for the Administration,” said California Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-San Diego), one of four conservative House members who criticized Dole at a press conference Thursday.

“Sen. Dole is speaking for himself. I don’t agree with his position and I don’t think many other senators do either,” said Sen. Howard M. Metzenbaum (D-Ohio), a member of the delegation Dole led to the Middle East.

Dole complained that much of the criticism directed toward him was based on “misquotes” and “out-of-context excerpts” of remarks attributed to him in Israel by a newspaper there, the Jerusalem Post.

He denied having said he would seek to repeal the Jerusalem resolution and sought to draw a distinction between the status of Jerusalem itself and the Senate’s taking a clear position on it at a delicate stage in the peace process.

Adopted by voice vote on March 22, the Senate resolution conflicts with the official U.S. policy of not recognizing Jerusalem as the capital as Israel.

“The resolution declares (itself) on an issue that our government--and many outside observers--see as better left to negotiations among the parties involved,” Dole said.

“The main point is that the issue of Jerusalem is serious business,” he added. “It’s not ‘National Silkworm Week’ or ‘Underwater Breathing Week.’ ”

One Senate staffer said a number of lawmakers who shared Dole’s frustration with earmarking admired his “guts” in raising such a sensitive issue.

However, in tackling it with his characteristic bluntness, the minority leader may have put himself in the position of leading a minority of one, Senate staffers added.

Hunter, who co-signed the letter Gingrich sent to Dole, added that the “perception” created by Dole’s recent statements “is that the United States does not stand as solidly behind Israel as we have in the past.”