Nation: Jewish Lobby Loses a Big One

Carter shows new skill, Arabs play it cool

At the end, the battle over the Middle East plane deal turned into one of the most bruising Washington lobbying fights in years. Operating with growing confidence, the President and his top aides turned in their most skillful selling job on the Senate so far. The emerging Arab lobby displayed surprising sophistication and shrewdness. The Jewish lobby responded massively, but was undercut by confused signals from Jerusalem, as well as by some indecision in its own ranks, and it suffered a rare loss in Congress.

Carter...