Nation: Jewish Lobby Loses a Big One

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As the Administration, the Arabs and the Jews all pushed their pleas on individual Senators, the legislators suffered considerable agony. Some examples:

ABE RIBICOFF. Jewish himself and long a key supporter of Israel, the Connecticut Democrat took a surprising early stand in favor of the plane deal. He publicly assailed the Jewish lobby as "self-appointed spokesmen ... who do a great disservice to the U.S., to Israel and to the Jewish community," and privately criticized AIPAC'S director, Amitay, who was once his assistant. Stunned Jewish leaders from Hartford set up a lengthy meeting with the Senator. National Jewish leaders confronted him in Washington, Connecticut Jews in Hartford. The exchanges were acrimonious. Ribicoff insisted that he would not budge "even if I have to stand alone." Rabbis barraged him with calls and visits. Influential Jews told him: "I'll never vote for you again." His position had great influence over other pro-package Senators, who reasoned that if Ribicoff could oppose his fellow Jews, they too could be defended against Jewish criticism. During debate behind closed Senate doors, Ribicoff received an ovation for his courage. After the vote, several Senators who voted against the package praised him privately. Said one: "I admire you—and I'm ashamed of what I did."

CHARLES MATHIAS. The Maryland Republican has large Jewish constituencies in Baltimore and in Montgomery County, near Washington. But, determined to act independently, he sought advice on the plane deal from both Kissinger and Christopher. As he leaned toward approval of the sales, he talked to such all-out opponents as Amitay and Jerold Hoffberger, owner of the Baltimore Orioles. On a weekend trip to California, Mathias was told by a former president of the Los Angeles Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith: "My agency is pulling all the stops out, but I disagree; I think you're taking the right course." Maryland Jews sent him telegrams pleading that he "come home" and vote with them against the package. He did come home—but he voted for it.

JOHN CHAFEE. The Rhode Island Republican held a four-hour meeting with Jewish leaders in Providence and heard out all the anti-package arguments. He was barraged with mail overwhelmingly against the deal. He assigned an assistant to sit through all of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's hearings on the issue, not being a member himself. On the weekend he secluded himself in his rustic cabin at Matunuck, R.I., jotting down the pros and cons on a legal pad. He was impressed by the fact that his closest friend in the Senate, Republican Charles Percy, favored the sales. He decided to go with Percy. Back in Washington on Monday, he learned that the President had telephoned him three times, David and Nelson Rockefeller had called. Chafee returned the calls, said there was no need to talk, he would vote with Carter.