ETHNO-POLITICS PERCEPTIONS AND FOREIGN POLICY

ETHNO-POLITICS
PERCEPTIONS
AND FOREIGN POLICY
Opener

A CASE STUDY OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE
ORGANIZED AMERICAN JEWISH COMMUNITY
IN REGARD TO THE DECISION BY THE UNITED STATES
TO ENTER INTO A DIPLOMATIC DIALOGUE
WITH THE
PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION
(1967-1988)


by


Elliot Jager



A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

Department of Politics
New York University
May 1994

David B.H. Denoon






COPYRIGHT BY
ELLIOT JAGER

1994




“Jews are associated with liberalism the way the French are with wine … The pure liberal spirit precludes the possibility of intractable hatred or intransigent political will.”

Ruth R. Wisse
The Liberal Betrayal of the Jews



“One of the curious things about political opinions is how often the same people line up on opposite sides of different issues … They have different visions of how the world works … Implicit in the unconstrained vision is the notion that … means exist to improve human nature … Much of … twentieth century liberalism builds upon these foundations …”

Thomas Sowell
A Conflict of Visions


For My Mother
Yvette Jager
Yecheved Channa Bas Yosef
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The day is short and the work is great
Rabbi Tarfon
Sayings of the Fathers (Pirkei Avot)

This dissertation is the product of more than several years of effort. Urging me on, first and foremost, was my mother Yvette Jager. She reminded me that I only thought I was indispensable to the various projects which kept me from completing the manuscript sooner. I have since found an appropriate aphorism which encapsulated her advice and refer to it anytime I feel myself about to be side-tracked: “The graveyard is full of indispensable men.”

Professor David B.H. Denoon saw me through just about every important milestone of my graduate career. I shall always be indebted to him. He combined the right amount of confidence and toughness which served as an impetus for me to finally finish this product. I could not have done it without him.

There are a number of people whose support, in one form or another, made it possible for me to complete this dissertation. First my work-mates: I want to thank Assistant Commissioner Joseph Verrilli for his support and encouragement. He allowed me to take several long stretches of leave and actively encouraged me to complete my academic work. Natalie K. Smith, my former direct supervisor and dear friend, was equally supportive. Had I not worked for Natalie and Joe, I doubt that this dissertation would have been completed. They allowed me to maintain my academic interests even while earning a living away from academia. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Spar showed much understanding. Joseph A. Hines was a loyal assistant. My friend Norbert Ataande understood what I was going through. Bruce Krueger and Nick Monello were always very helpful. Everyone at work rooted me on and I thank them all.

I also want to thank Miriam Talmor and her children for their hospitality during my trips to Israel and for their overall support.

Marilyn La Porte, of NYU, encouraged my adjunct teaching career and that was an important inducement to continue. Other friends, fellow students and colleagues at the NYU Politics Department were encouraging. Marla Brettschneider, also of NYU, allowed me to read her doctoral dissertation and that was very helpful.

Elsewhere, Cyma Horowitz and Michelle Amish of the AJCommittee Blaustein Library made my research easier than it would otherwise have been. Joseph Polakoff, one of the greats of Jewish journalism, covered many of the events I discuss in this paper. His JTA dispatches proved invaluable.

Jonathan S. Tobin remained a loyal friend even when I made myself scarce for long periods at a time.

I am especially grateful to Professor Rael Issac who read much of the manuscript and offered a valuable critique.

A number of busy people (whose names appear in the footnotes) allowed me to interview them and I am grateful for their having done so.

In addition to Professor Denoon, my Ph.D. committee consisted of Professors James T. Crown and James C. Hsiung. Both made any number of useful suggestions which made this dissertation better than it would otherwise have been. Professors Farhad Kazemi and Martin Schain agreed to serve on my committee despite the heavy demands on their schedules. Each was supportive and encouraging in his own way. I am very grateful to all five committee members.
ABSTRACT

This study seeks to explain the role and activities of the organized American Jewish community in the decision by the United States to enter into a diplomatic dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organization.

I argue that American Jewish support was essential for the success of the U.S.-led peace process, that this support depended on changing perceptions about the nature of the Arab-Israel conflict among American Jewish leaders, and that this perceptual change was connected to political suasion or manipulation from outside the American Jewish community and from within.

My approach is to associate perceptual changes to political suasion and agenda setting. A conflict that had been zero-sum became non-zero-sum. A dispute involving the Arab states versus Israel became a struggle between an indigenous Palestinian Arab population and Israel. The PLO, whose raison d’etre was Israel’s annihilation, became a multifaceted NGO capable of self-reformation.

Without minimizing the impact of other variables (facts-on-the-ground, reversals of Arab policy, etc.), this study examines changing perceptions of the Arab-Israel conflict and argues that leadership elements in the American Jewish community played a critical role in evaluating and codifying the perceptual transformation of the conflict. All of these perceptual changes were politically necessary prerequisites before “talking” to the PLO was possible. The U.S. approach to resolving the conflict benefited immensely from the facilitating role played by various Jewish leadership elements.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication Page ……………………………………………

Acknowledgements ………………………………………..

List of Charts & Maps ……………………………………..

List of Appendices ………………………………………..

I.Introduction ………………………………………..
What This Study Sets Out to Do

II.Methodology & Approach …………………………
• Beyond Pressure Politics & Linkage
A Self Lobbying Interest Group

III.Historical / Perceptual Setting ……………………..
• The Origins of the Palestinian Arab
Cause, 1948-1967

IV.Organized Community …………………………….
• The Structure of Organized Pro-Israelism

V.The Jewish Opposition …………………………….
• Redefining Pro-Israelism

VI.Nixon & Ford Years ……………………………….
• Perceptual Metamorphosis

VII.Carter Years ………………………………………..
• Perception, Disassociation & Manipulation

VIII.Reagan Years ………………………………………
• The Inexorable Momentum

IX.CONCLUSION ……………………………………

Appendices …………………………………………………

Bibliography ……………………………………………….


Charts and Maps



Fig 1 Perceptual Evolution & Political Environment ……

Fig 2 American Jewish Political Spectrum ………………

Fig 3 Israeli Conquests 1967……………………………..

Fig 4 Distances Between Judea, Samaria & Gaza
and pre-1967 borders ………………………………

Fig 5 Settlements Outside the “Green Line” post-1988 ….

Fig 6 American Strategic Mindedness …………………...


List of Appendices



Appendix (A) Palestinian National Covenant (1988) ……………..

Appendix (B) U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Agreement
Regarding Contacts with PLO (1975) …………….

Appendix (C) August 1985 U.S. Law on Contacts with PLO …….

Appendix (D) Joint Statement U.S. Jews-Arafat
Stockholm, December 1988 ……………………….

Appendix (E) Arafat’s “Magic Words” Statement ……………….

Appendix (F) Shamir’s Response to Arafat’s Statement …………

Appendix (G) U.S. Suspension of Dialogue with PLO
(1990) ……………………………………………...

Appendix (H) Presidents Conference Chairmen ………………….

Appendix (I) Presidents Conference Membership ……………….

Appendix (J) ICPME Description …………………………………

Appendix (K) PLO Terrorism – Key Examples
(1968-1988) ………………………………………..

Appendix (L) Israel’s Dependency on U.S. ………………………..

Appendix (M) Public Opinion & Pollings Data …………………..