Pro-Israel PACs and the 1986 Election

By Rex B. Wingerter

More than $2 million had been pumped into this November's general election by pro-Israel political action committees (PACs) as of last July 1, according to Federal Election Commission records. At least 81 pro-Israel PACs anticipate that their campaign contributions will spread pro-Israel influence throughout Congress, In general, pro-Israel PACs favored Democrats over Republicans by a two to one margin.

The majority of these funds were spent in senatorial races: Republicans have a majority in the Senate for the first time in 20 years, but the Democrats would need to win only four seats to reclaim control. Almost $1.4 million in pro-Israel PAC contributions went to more than 60 senatorial candidates, with Democrats receiving over $942,000 and Republicans receiving about $530,000. Three of the top four recipients of pro-Israel PAC monies were Democrats.

Preliminary figures show that John Evans, the Democratic challenger in Idaho, received $128,000 in campaign contributions from pro-Israel PACs; Alan Cranston, the Democratic incumbent in California, received $125,274; Robert Kasten, Republican incumbent in Wisconsin, received $117,000; and, Tom Daschle, the Democratic challenger in South Dakota, received $106,000.

Pro-Israel PAC contributions typically go to incumbents with proven pro-Israel voting records who sit on committees that oversee legislation important to Israel. Senator Cranston, for example, sits on the Near East Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Cranston is recognized as one of Israel's most vocal and active supporters in the Senate: he has consistently opposed arms sales to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and any other Arab country while staunchly defending higher US aid levels to Israel.

Likewise, Senator Kasten is the chairman of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, which has jurisdiction over US foreign assistance, including the billions of dollars the US gives to Israel every year. Kasten not only strongly supports US aid to Israel, he is the principal advocate of reducing the interest rate on Israel's US loans, from the current average of 11.4 percent to 5 percent. It has been estimated that this move would cost the US Treasury more than $531 million in foregone interest payments. Co-sponsoring Kasten's plan is Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), who received $48,825 from pro-Israel PACs in 1986. Inouye was the eighth largest recipient of pro-Israel PAC monies.

Pro-Israel PAC funds also are used as a "stick" against incumbents who have not been sufficiently pro-Israel. In Idaho, John Evans has been the benefactor of pro-Israel PAC largesse primarily because in 1977 incumbent Steve Symms took a trip to Libya while a member of the House of Representatives, in an attempt to sell Idaho wheat to the Libyan government. That long-ago visit was enough to put Symms on the blacklist.

Similarly, in California, pro-Israel PACs targeted for defeat Republican challenger Ed Zschau, not only because they endorsed Cranston, but because they opposed Zschau's policies when he was a Congressman. What were the complaints against Zschau? He supported arms sales to Saudi Arabia, was in favor of reducing supplemental aid to Israel, and he admitted that he would not automatically vote pro-Israel on any issue before him. The pro-Israel PACs first sought to eliminate Zschau in the Republican primaries by giving his Republican opponent $17,250. Failing that, they re-directed large campaign contributions to Cranston's re-election campaign.

In South Dakota, the pro-Israel PACs seem to have targeted Republican Senator James Abdnor for defeat simply because he was an Arab-American. Although Abdnor voted for the AWACS sale to Saudi Arabia, he recently joined Israel's congressional allies by refusing to sell military equipment to Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Nonetheless, fear that Abdnor might someday look back at his ethnic roots and vote accordingly was apparently enough to put him on the pro-Israel PAC hit-list.

In the House of Representatives, the pattern of pro-Israel PAC contributions was broadly similar to that found in the Senate. But in the House, where contributions average between six or seven thousand dollars, five particular recipients stand out. Congressman Lawrence Smith (D-FL), one of Israel's staunchest supporters in the Middle East Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, received a bountiful $42,050 from pro-Israel PACs. The second largest recipient of pro-Israel PAC funds was Congressman Sam Gejdenson (D-C7), another member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who received $26,079. Next in line was Congresswoman Cardiss Collins (D-IL) with $23,250. Collins is a prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus. The other significant recipients of pro-Israel PAC contributions were Congressman Edward Feighan (D-OH), with $22,000 and Mel Levine (D-CA), with $17,750. Both Congressmen sit on the Middle East Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and are well-known advocates for Israel.

Because these figures state only PAC contributions, and not pro-Israel funds contributed by private individuals, the total amount of pro-Israel campaign contributions in the 1986 election is bound to be considerably larger. Moreover, the PAC figures in this article were taken from the Federal Elections Commission's most recent report, issued June 30. When the FEC's next report is made public in November, a more comprehensive account of the activities of pro-Israel PACs can be made.

Rex B. Wingerter is a Washington-area lawyer and free-lance writer.

Dennis Wamsted, Washington Report congressional correspondent, identified the 81 pro-Israel PACs whose contributions are discussed in this article.