Arab Americans Hold on in Mid-Term Elections, but Congress Remains Pro-Israel

By Shirl McArthur

While there were several significant departures and arrivals with the Republican sweep of the mid-term elections, there is little doubt that the new Congress will continue its predecessors’ pattern of blind support for Israel, even at the expense of U.S. interests in the Middle East.

All Arab-American members of Congress won in November, but with the departure of Rep. John Baldacci (D-ME), who was elected governor of Maine, and Rep. John Sununu (R-NH), who becomes the only Arab-American senator, Arab-American representation in the House was reduced to four. Democrats Chris John (LA) and Nick Rahall (WV) and Republicans Darrell Issa (CA) and Ray LaHood (IL) all won re-election with 78 percent or better of the vote. Issa already is being mentioned as one of a half-dozen or so possible challengers to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in 2004.

The most important win was Sununu’s hard-fought race in New Hampshire, which he won by 51 to 49 percent over outgoing Gov. Jeanne Shaheen. She is not Arab American herself but is married to a prominent New Hampshire Arab American. In the weeks leading up to both the primary and general elections there were repeated reports that Sununu had been targeted by pro-Israel groups after their successes in defeating Reps. Earl Hilliard (D-AL) and Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) in their respective primaries. (See the November Washington Report for details.) The National Jewish Democratic Council attacked Sununu for not supporting several pro-Israel resolutions. Even Republican Jewish Coalition executive director Matthew Brooks called Sununu’s record of support for Israel “less than stellar.”

In the Republican primary, Sununu had to overcome attacks on his Arab ancestry by his opponent, Sen. Bob Smith, and the campaigning in support of Smith by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Then, in the general election—and in spite of her Arab-American association—Shaheen challenged Sununu’s voting record as not being sufficiently pro-Israel.

But Sununu’s replacement of Bob Smith, who made this magazine’s most recent “Hall of Shame,” was almost the end of the good news in the Senate. With Republicans reclaiming committee chairmanships, the retirement of Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) can also be seen as a positive development, since the hawkish, pro-Israel Helms would have been in line to resume his chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee. Instead, he will likely be replaced by Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN), who is considered one of the most knowledgeable and moderate Republicans on foreign affairs.

Sununu’s win was offset by the election of two new Jewish senators with strong pro-Israel credentials, Democrat Frank Lautenberg in New Jersey and Republican Norm Coleman in Minnesota. Coleman’s election was particularly galling, since he replaced Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN), who tragically died in a plane crash and who was a strong supporter of justice for the Palestinians and other causes of interest to Arab Americans (see box). Coleman, formerly the mayor of St. Paul, received strong backing and financial support from Jewish organizations, including the Republican Jewish Coalition. Brooks called Coleman “a passionate Jewish representative.”

Lautenberg’s election, after a two-year absence from the Senate, is not much of a change, since he replaces Sen. Bob Torricelli (D-NJ), who would have made the Hall of Shame except for his sponsorship of hate crimes legislation (which is also supported by major Jewish organizations). Lautenberg has close ties to the Jewish community and formerly was chairman of United Jewish Appeal. On the other hand, during his previous time in the Senate he expressed reservations about the wisdom of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during unsettled times.

Two Republican supporters of Israel moved to the Senate from the House: Saxby Chambliss in Georgia and Lindsey Graham in South Carolina. In a nasty campaign, Chambliss defeated Sen. Max Cleland (D-SC). Among the numerous accusations leveled by Chambliss against Cleland was his charge that Cleland hadn’t spoken out strongly enough against some of McKinney’s allegedly anti-Israel statements. Graham, who replaces retiring Sen. Strom Thurmond (D-SC), was one of the speakers at the October Rally for Israel sponsored by the Christian Coalition.

In the House, the picture is much the same. In addition to Sununu, Baldacci, McKinney and Hilliard, supporters of America’s interests in the Middle East also lost Reps. David Bonior (D-MI), who resigned in an unsuccessful bid for the Michigan governorship; Eva Clayton (D-NC), who retired; Lynn Rivers (D-MI), who was defeated in the primary; and Jim Traficant (D-OH), who was expelled from the House after being convicted on corruption charges. Bonior especially will be much missed, because he, like Wellstone, was a strong champion of civil and human rights and of justice for the Palestinians. He sponsored the unsuccessful Secret Evidence Repeal bills in both the 106th and 107th Congresses.

On the other hand, supporters of Israel’s interests in the Midde East also saw departures from the House. They included, in addition to Chambliss and Graham, Reps. Ed Bryant (R-TN), who resigned in an unsuccessful governorship bid; Benjamin Gilman (R-NY), who retired; and Felix Grucci (R-NY), Connie Morella (R-MD), David Phelps (D-IL), and Ronnie Shows (D-MS), who were defeated in the general election.

Of these, the retirement of Gilman is the most important, because of his seniority and position as chairman of the Middle East subcomittee of the International Relations Committee. While occasionally showing signs of responsibility, for the most part Gilman was a forceful and effective promoter of Israel’s interests. Who will take over the subcommittee, or whether its responsibilities once again will be folded into the full committee, will not be decided until the new Congress convenes in January.

In other races of interest, Arab Americans Chris Kouri and Maad Abu Ghazalah lost their bids to unseat Reps. Robin Hayes (R-NC) and Tom Lantos (D-CA), respectively. Democrat Kouri won 45 percent of the vote in North Carolina. Abu Ghazalah ran as a Libertarian candidate and did not stand much of a chance of unseating the entrenched Lantos, who is clearly the most strident, and perhaps most effective, of Israel’s supporters in Congress. Abu Ghazalah emphasized social and economic issues, but he also hammered Lantos for his preoccupation with Israel. As a third-party candidate Abu Ghazalah’s 7 percent of the vote was more than respectable.

Appropriations Bills Pushed Off to 108th Congress

The 107th Congress ended Nov. 22 without passing 11 of the 13 total appropriations bills. As described in the previous issue of this magazine, it did pass the Defense Department and military construction bills. Before adjourning, Congress passed a “continuing resolution,” allowing the government to continue functioning under the previous year’s funding levels. It expires Jan. 11, 2003, just four days after the new Congress convenes on Jan. 7. Since only administrative work (such as making committee assignments) gets done in the first week, another continuing resolution will have to be passed.

What will happen to the previously passed House and Senate versions of the various appropriations bills is up in the air. Theoretically, the new Congress could start all over and produce its own versions, but this is highly unlikely. It is more likely that some of the previously passed bills will be passed fairly quickly, perhaps stripped of some of their more controversial provisions, and the rest will be folded into a catch-all “omnibus” bill that may, or may not, contain most of the provisions of the previously passed bills. Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), who again will be Senate majority leader, has said that the staff will work during December and early January, “and we’re going to try to pop out either omnibus or freestanding bills” as soon as possible.

Of particular interest to the Middle East is what this means for the foreign operations (foreign aid) bill. The money parts of both the House and Senate versions, as described in the previous issue, will probably stay the same—including the aid for Jordan and the $200 million for Israel and $50 million for “the West Bank and Gaza” that was part of the portion of the supplemental appropriations bill not approved by the president. More problematic is the “Palestinian Statehood” provision in the House version, which says that no funds may be provided to support a Palestinian state unless the secretary of state certifies to Congress that several reform measures, including democratic elections, have been undertaken by the Palestinians.

As a further complication, The Washington Post reported on Nov. 26 that Israeli Prime Minister Sharon’s chief of staff met with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice to request an extensive new economic aid package for Israel: $10 billion in loan guarantees and $4 billion in military aid, on top of the $2.16 billion in military aid Israel expects to receive in FY 2004. Rice was reportedly noncommittal, saying the request would be taken under consideration. This bears further watching. In the meantime, hold on to your wallets.

Shirl McArthur, a retired foreign service officer, is a consultant in the Washington, DC area.

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Americans, Arabs Lose With Wellstone’s Death

Sen. Paul Wellstone, his wife, daughter, and five others died in a small plane crash in Minnesota on Oct. 25, 2002, causing universal grief and mourning across the political spectrum and, quite likely, playing a major role in the Republican takeover of the Senate in the November elections.

While Wellstone probably did not consider himself a “friend” of Arab Americans or of the Palestinians, his actions in defense of justice, civil liberties and human rights, championing the oppressed, poor and downtrodden, and promoting peace led to his being a strong supporter of many of the issues of concern to Arab Americans and other minorities. Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle (D-SD) said, “Paul Wellstone was the soul of the Senate. He was one of the most noble and courageous men I have ever known. He was a gallant and passionate fighter, especially for the less fortunate.”

Wellstone was an original co-sponsor of the Senate “hate crimes” bill, and one of 23 senators who voted against the resolution giving President George W. Bush almost unfettered authority to attack Iraq. During a 1998 visit to Gaza, he was appalled by the living conditions of the Palestinians and by the daily humiliations and injustices perpetrated on the Palestinians by Israel. He also was chairman of the Senate Middle East subcommittee, after the defection from the Republican Party by Sen. James Jeffords (I-VT) gave the Democrats control of the Senate. Under Wellstone’s leadership the subcommittee ceased the provocative, Arab-baiting hearings and other actions that had been the practice under his Republican predecessor, Sen. Sam Brownback (KS)—who likely will resume chairing the subcommittee in the 108th Congress.

Wellstone, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. He attended the University of North Carolina and was a championship wrestler. He finished his undergraduate work in three years and received his Ph.D. in political science from UNC in 1969, at age 24. He then taught political science at Minnesota’s Carleton College before being elected to the Senate in 1990. A member of numerous peace and justice organizations, he campaigned for Jesse Jackson’s unsuccessful presidential bid in 1988. He married his wife, Sheila, who was raised as a southern Baptist in the coal fields of Kentucky, in 1963.

It has been said that his final campaign ad best epitomizes his life and career. In the ad Wellstone says, “I don’t represent the big oil companies, I don’t represent the big pharmaceutical companies, I don’t represent the Enrons of this world. But you know what, they already have great representation in Washington. It’s the rest of the people who need it.”

Perhaps an equally fitting epitaph would be Wellstone’s concluding statement on the floor of the Senate on Oct. 3, 2002, explaining his vote against the Iraq resolution. His decision, he said, was “what I honestly and truthfully believe is right for the state I represent, Minnesota, for my country, and for the world in which my children and grandchildren live.”

That could apply to all of his actions and decisions as a senator. —S.M.