home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- NATION, Page 31American NotesFOREIGN POLICYWe'll Get Back to You
-
-
-
- In a rare political setback for Israel, top congressional
- leaders announced last week that they would delay action on an
- "urgent" request that Washington guarantee $10 billion in loans
- from Western banks to provide housing and services for the 1
- million Soviet emigres who are expected to resettle in the
- Jewish state. This would be in addition to the $3 billion in
- U.S. economic and military aid already extended this year.
-
- The Bush Administration earlier provided $400 million in
- housing guarantees on the strict condition that the funds not
- be used to build new settlements in the occupied territories.
- Israel continued to build the settlements with non-U.S. funds,
- an action that irritated top Administration officials.
-
- Leading lawmakers agreed with Secretary of State James
- Baker's argument that immediate action on the loan guarantees
- would anger Israel's Arab neighbors and endanger the October
- Middle East peace conference. Defying the Administration's
- request for a 120-day delay, however, Jewish lobbying groups and
- some of their allies on Capitol Hill vowed to push for quick
- congressional approval.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-