Washington Report, December 1986, Page 10

Other People's Mail

"Gentlemen don't read other people's mail," an idealistic American leader exclaimed between World Wars I and II as he abolished US cryptographic counter-intelligence programs. Times change, however, and some letters by or to other people are as informative for our readers as anything we might write ourselves.

If you wonder, for instance, how the pro-Israel lobby can focus so much out-of-state money on campaigns that bear directly on Israel's annual subsidy from the US taxpayer, you might be interested in a fund-raising appeal from the Florida chairman of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith for contributions in a South Dakota senatorial race between an Arab-American incumbent and his challenger, who believes that Israeli requests for US taxpayer assistance are "modest."

The individual contributions that flowed into Tom Daschle's campaign coffers from this letter, sent out in April, would have been in addition to the $106,200 that Daschle had already received from a variety of pro-Israel Political Action Committees (PACs) by June 30, more than four months before election day. According to his campaign office in South Dakota, James Abdnor generally opposes foreign aid, regardless of where it goes, and Abdnor has probably voted for as often as against the Israel lobby. However, Abdnor is an Arab-American, and he did not receive one cent from any pro-Israel PAC.

This is the text of a fund-raising letter sent by Jerome C. Berlin, Chairman of the Florida Region Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, in support of Tom Daschle, who was running for US Senate from South Dakota. All emphases are in the original text.

Jerome C. Berlin

Dear Friend,

Over the course of the past several years, there have been a number of U.S. Senators and Congressmen who have made a career out of voting against Israel in the U.S. Congress.

Jesse Helms, Charles Percy, and Congressman Paul Findley come readily to mind.

But can I tell you something that may surprise you?

I have studied the record ... and on issues that affect the state of Israel there is one Senator whose record is even worse.

That's Senator Jim Abdnor of South Dakota

That's right ... Senator Jim Abdnor's record is WORSE than the record of Charles Percy.

Senator Jim Abdnor's record is WORSE than the record of Congressman Paul Findley.

Senator Jim Abdnor's record is identical with the record of JESSE HELMS who has voted 100% against Israel!

Just a few examples of Jim Abdnor's voting record on issues affecting Israel will convince you that we must do everything we can to ensure that Jim Abdnor is not re-elected to the U.S. Senate.

Senator Abdnor supported the sale of AWACS to Saudi Arabia.

In 1984, Senator Jim Abdnor refused to take a stand opposing the sale of Stinger missiles to Jordan.

NOT ONCE, in his five years in the Senate, has SENATOR JIM ABDNOR voted to authorize FOREIGN AID TO ISRAEL.

But I would not ask you to become involved in the South Dakota Senate race just because of the poor voting record of Senator Jim Abdnor.

I am asking you to get involved in the South Dakota Senate race for a better reason.

The better reason is ... Congressman Tom Daschle.

I know Tom Daschle. He has represented South Dakota in Congress for seven years. He has compiled a record of accomplishment and achievement that rivals the records of Members of Congress with many years more seniority.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to sit down with Tom Daschle and discuss his upcoming Senate race against incumbent Senator Jim Abdnor. Most of our conversation focused on foreign policy and the Middle East.

Of course, I knew of Tom Daschle's strong record of support for Israel. I knew of Tom's opposition to the Saudi AWACS sale in 1981 and of his opposition to the sale of Stinger missiles to Jordan in 1984. 1 knew of his current opposition to the ill-advised plans to sell even more arms to the Arab states. I knew of his support for the proposal to implement a U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement. And I knew of his strong support of foreign aid to Israel.

But can I tell you what impresses me the most about Congressman Tom Daschle?

His eagerness to learn.

In the course of our discussion, Tom told me that he had never had the opportunity to visit Israel. As Chairman of the Florida Regional Board of the AntiDefamation League, I was planning a Mission to Israel. I encouraged Tom and his wife Linda to accompany us on that Mission.

I'm glad he did.

I would like to share with you an excerpt from a letter Tom wrote after he returned from Israel. He said:

"I told you before we left that I knew Israel was a small nation, our only strong friend in the region, and one whose vigilance we had to support.

I thought I knew those things, but I did not.

You simply have to see the Golan to know what a real threat means. You have to travel the very few minutes it takes to drive from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to understand the danger facing a nation which could be cut in half within hours by hostile invasion ...

It is not one bit surprising, having seen what I saw, that Israel is security-conscious. What is surprising is that she is not more security-conscious ... I only wish, when Congress considers her modest requests for the means to provide her own defense that every Member of Congress could have clearly in mind the picture I saw during those two weeks in Israel last month."

I am very impressed with Tom Daschle. That's why I'm writing to ask you to support Tom Daschle in his Senate race in South Dakota ... and to support him generously.

Not just because Tom Daschle is a friend of Israel, and Senator Jim Abdnor has a record of opposition to aid for Israel and a record of strong support for arms sales to Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

I'm asking you to support Tom Daschle because he is the kind of candidate who comes along only once in a generation.

Tom Daschle is a man of integrity who is destined to become one of the great leaders of the United States Senate and our nation.

Tom Daschle deserves to win the South Dakota Senate race ... and he will win, if he receives our help today.

If there is one lesson from the campaigns of the past few years, it is that you must start organizing early in order to be successful.

Tom Daschle has learned that lesson well. He has run for Congress statewide in South Dakota twice now and he has been successful both times. He has built a strong grass-roots organization in every county of South Dakota. He is the most widely-respected public official in his home state.

Most importantly, Tom Daschle currently leads Senator Jim Abdnor in the polls by nearly twenty points.

Senator Jim Abdnor has only one advantage in this race—Money. Recently he claimed that he would raise up to $4 million for his re-election campaign.

There is no way Tom Daschle can match Jim Abdnor's money machine in his home state. The farmers and ranchers who form his natural constituency have been too hard hit by the current farm crisis.

That's why Tom Daschle needs our help.

Please take a stand today, for decency ... hope ... and a sensible foreign policy.

As Congress prepares to consider selling the deadly F-16 to Jordan and a veritable arsenal of destruction to Saudi Arabia, Jim Abdnor is preparing to polish up his record as the Senate's surest vote against Israel.

Senator Jim Abdnor has the right to vote as he chooses.

But we have the right and the obligation, you and I, to see that Tom Daschle ... rather than Jim Abdnor ... is the one casting the votes in the Senate for the next six years.

We can only vote in this race with our dollars, and we must vote with those dollars ... today. Our contributions will turn the worst voter in the Senate today into one of the very best voters tomorrow.

Your contribution of $25, $50, $100 ... or more, if you can afford it, to Tom Daschle's Senate campaign will enable Tom to begin organizing today for his battle against Senator Jim Abdnor.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,
Jerome C. Berlin

P.S. Please do not put this letter aside with the intention of contributing tomorrow. In 1986, there will be no Senate race in the nation in which the two candidates differ more dramatically on issues affecting Israel than do Senator Jim Abdnor and Congressman Tom Daschle.

Your generous contribution sent today will help defeat Senator Jim Abdnor, who has made a career of voting against Israel, and help elect Tom Daschle to the United States Senate. Please help.