Jackson Gets Reminder of Anti-Semitism Issue in N.Y.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson got a boost Friday at a state party issues forum here, receiving praise from New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo and a warm welcome from the largest crowd yet to hear a Democratic presidential candidate during the forum series.

But Jackson also was reminded, in his address before about 600 forum participants, of his continuing problems with the Jewish community as a result of allegations of anti-Semitism against him dating back to his first run for the presidency in 1984.

In his remarks, Cuomo paid tribute to Jackson’s “depth and width of point of view.”

Says Reagan ‘Panicked’

In his prepared address, which dealt mainly with economic issues, Jackson charged that President Reagan “panicked” when stocks plunged this month.

“He looked into one camera and said the building was not on fire and those who say it’s on fire are irrational,” the civil rights leader said. “He looked into another camera and said the Congress set the building on fire.”

Contending that the crisis on Wall Street was “the natural, logical and inevitable result” of Reagan’s economic policies, Jackson said it also demonstrated the need for economic proposals that he has made in campaigning for the presidency.

These include a program to invest public pension funds in revitalizing U.S. industry and an American investment bank, along the lines of the world bank, to spur domestic economic growth.

Sharply Challenged

In the question period after the speech, Jackson was sharply challenged by New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind of Brooklyn, who asserted that Jackson’s past actions belied the opposition to racism and bigotry that Jackson claims as one of the major themes of his campaign.

Hikind, who also distributed copies of a letter to Jackson calling on him to withdraw from the campaign, cited statements Jackson had made in the past, including his reference to New York City as “Hymietown” because of its large Jewish population.

And the legislator also complained that while Jackson had dissociated himself from the anti-Semitic rhetoric of the Black Muslim leader Louis A. Farrakhan, Jackson had refused to denounce Farrakhan himself.

Interrupted Often

During his brief remarks, Hikind was interrupted often by hoots from members of the audience.

“I will not dignify the speech,” Jackson said when Hikind was through. “But in our campaign we will continue to reach out.”

In June, Jackson told reporters he would not accept support from Farrakhan. But in an interview in the current issue of Tikkun, a magazine devoted to Jewish affairs, Jackson did not directly repudiate Farrakhan, noting that: “On one level there has been an overreaction to Farrakhan (among Jews) as if Farrakhan has state power.”

When asked by a reporter whether he thought Jackson’s response to Hikind was appropriate, Cuomo said: “It was hard for me to know whether it was appropriate because I didn’t hear the question.”

Tells of Repudiations

But he pointed out that he himself had repudiated Farrakhan “many, many times. That’s my response,” Cuomo said. “He (Jackson) will make his response and I made mine.”

At a meeting early last month of the Lexington Club, a group of Los Angeles-area Democrats, Jackson was asked by a black in the audience about what he had done “to heal your rift with the Jews.”

Jackson responded that he was trying to reach out, but he later upbraided the questioner, John Caldwell, for raising the issue. As a result, several members of the group stopped payment on checks written to Jackson’s campaign.