National News

Clinton 'Fritters Away' Opportunity for Strong Iraq Action

11/20/1998 | James Besser | Washington Correspondent

‘He Frittered It Away’

‘It’s so obvious, it’s almost comical,” said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. “We know exactly what Saddam’s doing, but we continue to play his game.”

Supreme Court Opens Door to School Vouchers

11/13/1998 | James Besser | Washington Correspondent

Door Opened For Vouchers

This week’s decision by the Supreme Court not to hear a case involving a pioneering school voucher program in Milwaukee postponed a judicial showdown over theconstitutionality of government aid to parochial institutions.
But there was widespread agreement that the move may send a signal to cities and states considering similar programs, which provide tax vouchers to parents who send their children to private or parochial schools, and to lower courts that are beginning to rule on such programs.

Gingrich Departure: Mixed News for Jewish Groups

11/13/1998 | James Besser | Washington Correspondent

The good news for American Jewish groups that lobby Congress on an array of domestic and foreign policy issues is that the insurgents who forced the retirement of House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) in the wake of last week’s GOP election debacle may bring a more bipartisan, pragmatic approach to the GOP leadership.
But that’s also the bad news.

US Nudging Israel on Wye Memorandum

11/06/1998 | James Besser | Washington Correspondent

For Now, U.S. Nudging Israel

Urgent but quiet pleas, not strong-arming, were on the diplomatic menu at the State Department this week as the target date to begin implementation of the Wye River Memorandum came and went without much action on the ground.
But observers warned that U.S. pressure is likely to resume if what is seen by administration officials as Israeli foot-dragging continues.

Aid Hinges on Congress;Tight Congressional Races

10/30/1998 | James Besser | Washington Correspondent

Aid Hinges On Congress
As a sweetener to last week’s Wye River agreement, the Clinton administration is offering new aid to the Palestinians and Israelis. But on Capitol Hill, already sour on foreign aid and not a hotbed of support for Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat, the aid package could be a hard sell.

Angst Over King Hussein’s Health

10/23/1998 | James Besser | Washington Correspondent

Angst Over Hussein’s Health

The Clinton administration went out of its way this week to debunk reports in Israel that Jordan’s King Hussein is unlikely to resume his duties because of deteriorating health. The king’s illness was a persistent subtheme to this week’s frantic diplomatic effort at the Wye River Conference Center even before Hussein’s dramatic appearance at the summit on Tuesday — summoned from his sickbed by an administration that believed the Israeli-Palestinian meetings were in deep trouble.