2 L.A. Jewish Groups Decline to Join Jackson Meeting

Two Los Angeles Jewish organizations said Tuesday they will not participate in a meeting scheduled for today with Democratic presidential candidate Jesse Jackson because they feel Jackson is dictating the terms.

“Many Jewish organizations feel Jackson is setting the agenda for this meeting, and that is not right,” Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said in a telephone interview.

“Why should Jackson be given control that would not be given to any other candidate for President?” Hier said. “If you are a candidate for President you should be willing to meet in a public forum and take any and all questions.”

Meeting to Be Private

Today’s meeting, scheduled for the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, will be private, at Jackson’s request. A press briefing is planned after the meeting.

David A. Lehrer, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said Tuesday that his organization has also declined to attend the meeting.

“Jackson has insisted that the meeting be private,” Lehrer said, “and that is unacceptable. It makes such a meeting subject to mischaracterization and misinformation afterward. It should be a public forum.”

The meeting has been arranged by Rabbi Allen Freehling of University Synagogue in Brentwood.

Freehling said Tuesday that about 40 Jewish leaders have been invited, but he stressed that they will be coming as individuals, not as representatives of any organizations they may belong to.

Distressed by Decision

Freehling said he expected a number of Jewish leaders to show up but said he was distressed that the Anti-Defamation League will have no one there.

“I don’t know why they are doing this,” said Freehling, who added that he has sought the meeting with Jackson “because the most important thing is to establish a dialogue.”

He emphasized that there are no restrictions on the questions that can be asked, and he said that neither Jackson nor his representatives had any control over who was invited.

Jackson has had rocky relations with some Jewish leaders for years. Some, including Hier, believe that he is not supportive enough of Israel and is reluctant to condemn Arab states for their hostility toward Israel.

Jackson also angered many Jews in 1984 by referring to New York City as “hymietown” and by refusing to denounce Black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan for anti-Semitic remarks. Jackson condemned the remarks but not Farrakhan, who was been a Jackson supporter.

Jackson has also made efforts to repair his relationships with Jews. He apologized for the “hymietown” remark in his speech before the 1984 Democratic convention, and he has had numerous private meetings with Jewish leaders in the last four years.

Says He Fears Acrimony

But as he seeks to heal the rift, Jackson has said he is doubtful of the value of potentially acrimonious public meetings. That was the reason he gave for declining to meet last month with the leaders of some Jewish groups during a public forum in the New York primary.

Hier said he got “international phone calls” Tuesday from supporters of the Simon Wiesenthal Center who were concerned about the meeting. He then decided not to attend and informed Freehling.

Hier said his concern that Jackson was “setting the agenda” for today’s meeting also stemmed from the decision to hold it at Jackson’s hotel rather than at University Synagogue as originally planned.

Eric Easter, Jackson’s assistant press secretary, said by telephone from the campaign’s Chicago headquarters that he knew no details about the meeting controversy.

Second Meeting Proposed

Lehrer said his group would be willing to attend a public meeting such as one proposed by the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles, the umbrella group for Jewish organizations in the area.

The council extended invitations to Jackson, Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis and Vice President George Bush. Jackson declined in favor of the meeting arranged by Freehling. Dukakis and Bush have not yet responded to the invitation, according to Ron Rieder, the council spokesman.

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