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Friday September 13, 1996

Clinton denies being soft on Israel to get Jewish votes

MATTHEW DORF
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

WASHINGTON -- President Clinton is shooting back at critics who have charged that his administration has taken a soft line with Israel because he fears alienating American Jewish voters.

Responding to a reporter's question about the charge before meeting Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Clinton said, "That's wrong."

As the president stiffened in his Oval Office chair and became more serious, he said, "We are not interested in making rhetorical points one way or the other. We're interested in trying to bring about peace with security for all the people in the Middle East."

Some Arab Americans and Middle East policy specialists have challenged that the administration is shrinking away from criticizing Israel's expansion of settlements to avoid a potential backlash from Jewish voters on election day.

When Israeli troops last month helped move trailers into the West Bank to expand some settlements, the administration did not oppose the action and instead repeatedly told reporters that U.S. policy on settlements had not changed.

The State Department has long called settlements "a complicating factor."

However, the administration has expressed concern about the delayed Israeli redeployment from most of the West Bank town of Hebron.

Over the weekend, Secretary of State Warren Christopher urged Israel to take new "concrete steps" to advance Mideast peace.

State Department spokesman Glyn Davies rejected charges that the administration's policy was motivated by concerns about the Jewish vote.

In defense, Clinton said, "The role of the United States should be to encourage the peace process and to minimize the risks of those who take the risk for peace."

"Different governments may have different ways of pursuing the peace process," Clinton said Tuesday. "The only way we can be effective is to work with the elected" government of Israel.

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