WHO HUB) ''17 ALEX ODEH? FBI Probe ofJDL Bombers Gets No Help From Israelis

high level federal inves- "I'm astonished to hear that there is no tigation of the Jewish cooperation," with the FBI on the JDL Defense League, which case, says General Yehoshua Caspi. the the FBI believes is re- police representative in the United sponsible for a string of States. Caspi said the Israeli police and recent terrorist bomb- intelligence services and the FBI cooper- ings that killed two per- ate "on a wide range of matters." sons including an Arab- Generally, there are close U.S.-Israeli American in California, links in intelligence-gathering and shar- is being impeded by the ing of counterintelligence activities. Re- government of Israel, cently, for example, security police in Ca- asserts a Justice De- racas arrested Mahmoud Mahmoud Atta, partment document ob- a naturalized U.S. citizen, who was alleg- tained by the Vbice The document states edly recruiting terrorists for Abu Nidal in that the FBI's efforts to prosecute the the United States. Atta is currently being AJDL have been hamstrung because of the held in a federal detention center in New reluctance of Israeli authorities to assist York, fighting extradition to Israel where the United States in following up investi- he is wanted in connection with the ma- gative leads that point to JDL founder chine-gunning of a civilian bus. Accord- Rabbi Meir Kahane's followers in Israel ing to The WiU Street Journal, Israeli and the Occupied Territories. Israeli gov- intelligence and FBI agents worked to- ernment responses to repeated FBI re- gether to help track down Atta. quests for information about JDL murder U.S. government sources and analysts suspects now residing in Israel "have in Israel cite several reasons why the Is- been untimely, incomplete and in certain raeli government might be dragging its cases no response was rendered," said heels on the JDL investigation. Simply assistant FBI director Floyd I. Clarke in put, many Israelis view Jews who kill the memo to Oliver Revell, executive as- Nazis and PLO supporters as heroes, not sistant director of the bureau. criminals. During a time of heightened Israel, the largest recipient of U.S. aid, Palestinian directed against Is- advertises itaelf as a bulwark against ter- raelis, there would be widespread public rorism in the Middle East, and has often sympathy for Jews—even those associat- chastised America for not combating ed with Kahane—who have struck down Arab terrorism vigorously enough. But Nazis or PLO sympathizers, which many Israel's apparent lack of cooperation with Israelis view as one and the same. "It the FBI in the JDL investigation calls would be very, very controversial here to into question its sincerity in prosecuting extradite young for killing the war against terrorism when the ter- Nazis," said Danny Rubinstein, veteran rorism emanates from Israel itaelf. An correspondent for the Israeli daily Davar. Israeli justice ministr spokesman in Je- Rubinstein noted that following the rusalem declined to comment about U.S. conviction of the 28-man Gush Emunim government allegations of non- terrorist underground, who werr on trial cooperation. October IMS: T1N aarferer* ef Mot OMI (iaaet) May to hMtag la tcraal. for a wave of bombings and grtnade at- A federal grand jury in Brooklyn is tacks against Wsst Bank Arabs, a huge currently probing the JDL in connection Bank Arab bus, traveled to the U.S. last whom have fled the United States and public relations campaign directed by Is- with bombings, homicides, extortion, and September following his early release sought asylum in Kiryat Arba"—a large, rael's "nationalist" camp, made up of kidnapping, according to Assistant U.S. from prison. Like Rkhter, many of the ultranationalist Jewish settlement on the prominent Knesset members in the Li- Attorney Charles Rose. Asked if Kahane JDL-Kach party activists have been ar- —which the document de- kud and religious parties, pressured the is himself under investigation for com- rested for anti-Arab terrorist violence in scribes as "a 'haven' for right-wing Jew- government to release the prisoners. Of plicity in the homicides, Rose replied: Israel; some of those arrested had re- ish sxtremist elements." the 28 who were tried, convicted, and "Vk are investigating the JDL for homi- ceived Israeli army training. The document states: "numerous leads sentenced in April 1985, 21 are already cides, and Kahane's leadership [of the U.S. government sources say several have been forwarded through FBIHQ to out of prison; several have prominent JDLJ is being questioned, so you can individuals from this group who are now the Israeli Secret Intelligence Service public positions. One of the released draw your own conclusions." Kahane os- in Israel are the prime suspects in the (ISIS) in Washington, D.C. Response to Gush Emunim terrorists currently directs tensibly stepped down as head of the JDL October 1985 pipe-bomb murder of Alex these leads is crucial for the solution of efforts to settle Jews in the fiercely na- following his Knesset victory in 1984, but Odeh, an official of the American-Arab the 25 terrorist incidents and other crimi- tionalist Palestinian Wfest Bank city of according to JDL officials, he remains its Anti - Discrimination Committee, in San- nal activity perpetrated by the JDL Lead Hebron. Even William Nakash, a Paris- "spiritual advisor." ta Ana, California; the August 1985 requests were for telephone subscriber in- bom Jewish underworld figure convicted According to sources familiar with the house-bomb slaying of Tscherim Soobzo- formation, criminal background informa- of killing an Arab in France before escap- UJ3. government probe, the primary mur- kov of Paterson, New Jersey, an alleged tion, arrest records, prison contacts, asso- ing to Israel, where he ia batting extradi- der suspects come from a group of about Nazi war criminal; the September 1986 ciates, residence status, and travel tion, is being supported by the religious 35 hardcore JDL members, primarily bomb explosion at the Brentwood, Long documentations.... The Terrorism Sec- community in Israel, including the two from the New York area, who routinely Island, home of alleged Nazi Elmars tion has bad numerous meetings with chief rabbis. "Jews should never be hand- ferry back and forth between the U.S. Sprogis, in which a 23-year-old passerby ISIS r-^resentatives in Washington, DXT., ed over to gentiles under any circum- and Israel, where they are involved in lost a leg, and the August 1985 attempted during which our concerns relative to stances," said right-wing Knesset mem- Rabbi Kahane's violently anti-Arab Koch bombing of an ADC office in Boston in their handling of our requests were ber Rabbi Eliazer Wsldman, who has party. According to these sources, the which two police officers were severely raised. Although these discussions have lobbied for both Nakash and the Gush suspects often travel here on Israeli wounded. sometimes resulted in a temporary 'flur- Emunim terrorist underground. passports under their Hebrew names, According to the government docu- ry" of activity on their part, no sustained Israel may also be concerned about not making it more difficult for U.S. authori- ment obtained by the Voice, the FBI "has improvement in the flow of information enraging New York's large, influential and ties to track their movements. Fbr exam- developed several key suspects, many of has been realized." wealthy right-wing Jewish community, ple, Israeli officials reportedly did not in- which has been supportive of JDL vigi- form the FBI when Yehuda Rkhter, a lantiam in America. As part of the FBI's JDL official from Los Angeles who was BY ROBERT I. FRIEDMAN probe into the JDL, agents are investigat- convicted in a 1984 attack on a VHtst Continued on page 26 FRIEDMAN ConttmM from page 17 ... f __ Jim Ameri- STMPCMlded from pagt 34 \ng whether Kahane or his organization so far, even a request by the Justice De- ca and Canada, and hail uncovered a JDL And though f knew—covering the fis- have collected money from American partment's International TVrroriam-Mid- plot to awsnrnste ADC founder James cal crisis from ray sheepishly unique per- Jews to finance terror cells operating in dle Ea*t unit to reassign an FBI liaison to Abouresk last year, according to the for- spective for the W»ce—that white-shoe America. Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who the U.S. EmbasajTln TM Aviv has met mer Senator, who say* the FBI called bankers would never have pulled the plug Voice last year that he sympa- with a lack of enthusiasm in Israel him after foiling it. In addition, the FBI on Rockefeller and Lindsay, two of their thized WHtj^an American Jewish under- lb be sure, Israel is not totally to blame thwarted a plot by a Kach member from own, as dispassionately as they did on ground that foucders Nazis, recently said for the FBI's failure to indict the sus- Israel who was in Los Angeles allegedly Beame and Carey, I was not only sur- he also sympathSfecHvith the murder of pects. Though government document* recruiting militant Jews to kidnap two prised, but shaken. At the same time we'd American Arab officials or anyone else state the JDL is responsible for 25 recent Israeli Arab businessmen working in Cal- been deriding LBJ and Nixon for aping who supports the "terrorism of the terrorist incicbnta, making it one of the ifornia. The Israeli was quietly bundled waist deep in the Big Muddy, we'd blun- PLO." Hikind, a former JDL activist and most active terrorist groups in America, off to Israel last summer, according to dered into a swamp ourselves. And we currently assemblyman from the 48th the major 1985 bombings came at a time law enforcement sources. hadn't even known it. district, which has the largest Jewish of relative JDL quiescence, reportedly The JDL hardly compares with Abu Though the effects of the fiscal crisis population in New York State, recently catching the FBI without wiretaps and Nidal's well-heeled international terrorist were in some ways physically measur- hired thrice convicted JDL flttnber Vic- informants in place. network. Headquartered in New York, the able—so many miles of subway track left tor Vancier as a researcher on Soviet Jew- Further complicating the FBI's investi- JDL has smal, poorly financed chapters unrepaired, so many schools without ish affairs. Vancier was sentenced on Oc- gation, according to informed sources, in only a handful of the nation's larger computers or nurses—they were psycho- tober 26 to 10 years in prison for si* JDL has been the reluctance on the part of metropolitan centers. Nonetheless, the logical as well. The shrinking of munici- bombings, including the firebomhing of potential witnesses to testify in front of JDL's tactics have taken a deadly turn in pal ambition—from transformational to Avery Fisher Hall last October— just be- the grand jury. One reason for this reti- recent years. Kahane himself has not the merely custodial—costs. Ed Koch, fore the Moscow State Symphony was to cence Is the fierce devotion of many JDL only publicly cheered many of the JDL's uncrippled by corruption, first won the appear. His 24-year-old colleague, Jay members to Kahane, who has often stat- recent bombings, but he also has called mayoralty by promising "competence." Cohen, committed suit ide last September ed that Jews should not inform on other for more. In one of his weekly columns Hardly an inspiring slogan, and he ratter than face a lengthy prison term. Jews. More menacingly, according to last May for the Jewish Press, he vowed couldn't even deliver that. Whether Israel might be protecting the sources familiar with the investigation, a that Kach would set up a "Mossad type What we've seen in the years since JDL because it tacitly approves of its number of grand jury witnesses allegedly unit" to assassinate perceived enemies of Lindsay is, I think, a willingness to dodge crimes, or because it fears the negative have been threatened by JDL members in the Jewish people wherever they reside risk by turning the city's future over to publicity associated with noisy extradi- New York, making it hard for the FBI to "Let the Nazi groups,'' he wrote, that forces that stand outside its political pro- tion hearings, which Kahane would sure- persuade key witnesses to come forward. have arisen in the United States and cesses, outside its citizens' control. ly exploit, U.S. government officials are Despite these problems, the FBI has Canada and France and Britain and Lat- Beame grudgingly ceded power to the frustrated with Israel's apparent lack of had several major breakthroughs. The in America know that they are on the bankers, Koch cheerfully gave it to devel- cooperation. Israeli and U.S. officials are bureau has managed to penetrate at least cross hairs of the Israeli gun." H opers. Both, with appropriate rhetoric about "poverty pimps," dismantled pro- grams of empowerment. And in those few (mostly white) neighborhoods where the illusion of community control remains, it CREATIVE SPACE has degenerated into Nil fBY. Though 14" Storage bin Beame and Koch actually it, some of wfcasters what happened is our legacy. Rag $5599 Baskets But not all—and not, I believe, only. So SALE $39.99 when the invitation to the reunion came, Reg. $21.9!* HOFfWTZ I was eager to attend. I wasn't disap- New Super Deluxe pointed. 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