Jackson and Jews

The brief Times story of Jesse Jackson meeting with Israel’s Ambassador Moshe Arad in Washington (Part I, Aug. 8) is typical Jackson chutzpah. As a Chicago resident and community leader, let alone a most powerful voice in the black community, he needs no Israeli official to deal with what he himself must do--acknowledge and actively peruse the growing black-Jewish tensions that need to be defused.

In another report on the meeting, Jackson was told by Ambassador Arad that the “governments involved” would deal with the Israel-Palestinian question. Jackson, however, seems intent on injecting his views on the issue, even though he was given a full hearing by his party and it refused to act as he wanted. By pursuing the matter, Jackson harms Michael Dukakis’ presidential campaign, and he should stop.

American Jews who are active in the Democratic Party need to make their views public as to Jackson’s actions, or the Jews active in the Republican Party will cut heavily into the all-important electoral college votes where both Jews and blacks are the key to Dukakis winning.

HYMAN H. HAVES

Pacific Palisades