THE SEARCH FOR A MIDEAST TRUCE : Thousands of Arab Americans in D.C. Protest Israeli Offensive

Chanting “Israel out of Lebanon,” several thousand Arab Americans rallied Tuesday across the street from the White House to demand that President Clinton end what they called U.S. complicity in an Israeli offensive that has killed more than 100 Lebanese civilians.

Despite what organizers described as the largest gathering of Arab Americans in Washington since the Persian Gulf War, however, the demonstrators appeared badly outmatched by the American Jewish community in the contest for the president’s ear.

While angry demonstrators cheered speakers using lines such as “I support what Hezbollah is doing and I hope they don’t stop until every Israeli is out of Lebanon,” American Jewish leaders expressed satisfaction with the administration’s support for the government of Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres.

“The response of the administration has been sensitive and understanding and supportive,” said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. “I have nothing critical to say about what they have been doing.”

With elections scheduled in Israel and the United States this year, Clinton’s policy inevitably takes on political overtones.

Arab American and American Jewish leaders say the administration seems to be trying to give a boost to the Peres reelection campaign. And it seems clear that the president has decided to solidify his own standing with Jewish voters, even if that means forfeiting any claim on the Arab American electorate.

There were no administration heavyweights at the Arab American demonstration. On Sunday night, Clinton will join Peres and King Hussein of Jordan at the annual convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the mainstay of the pro-Israel lobby on Capitol Hill.

“I expect Clinton will get a standing ovation at AIPAC,” one Jewish leader said.

Although the Clinton administration is officially neutral on the subject of next month’s Israeli election, officials have made very little effort to hide their preference for Peres, who is regarded as far more likely than his opponent to make peace with his Arab neighbors.

Washington’s response to the latest crisis makes clear that Peres enjoys the confidence of the U.S. government, always a favorable status for an Israeli politician.

But James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, said the administration’s unquestioning support for Peres damages the chances for peace even if Peres is reelected. He said the bombardment of southern Lebanon shows there is very little difference between Peres and the right-wing parties that oppose him.

“We now have a situation where right-wing and anti-peace forces in Israel, Lebanon and Syria are driving the debate because there is no one to challenge them,” Zogby said.