Oct. 17, 2004 Presidents' Conference drafting statement for disengagement By URIEL HEILMAN NEW YORK The largest umbrella organization of U.S. Jewish groups is drafting a statement of support for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan. The statement, which was approved in principle by members of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations at a meeting last Thursday, may be ready as early as this Tuesday or Wednesday, conference members said. The move comes despite opposition by some in Israel who argue that U.S. Jewish groups should not take public stances on a matter that has yet to be decided by the Knesset. "It is highly inappropriate for foreign Jewish organizations to consider taking sides on a matter that has yet to be approved by the Knesset," wrote National Religious Party MK Shaul Yahalom in a letter to the conference's chairman, Malcolm Hoenlein. "The Knesset, which acts as the representative body of the people of Israel, has yet to debate and approve the political plan." But conference members who supported making the statement of support-and doing so now-said it would send the wrong signal for this key U.S. Jewish umbrella group to stay silent on a matter upon which both the Israeli prime minister and the American president publicly agree. "Here's a situation where you have the president of the United States and the prime minister agreeing," said Kenneth Jacobson, associate national director of the anti-Defamation League. "Historically, the organized Jewish community has always supported something the president and the prime minister agree on. That's part of our mission. That's what the Presidents' Conference exists for." Malcolm Hoenlein, chairman of the 52-member Conference of Presidents, said there was general consensus that the conference should offer a statement of support, though no formal vote was taken. The conference is now drafting the statement that then will be circulated to members before being made public. The process is expected to take no more than a few days. Several members of the Conference of Presidents insisted that the Americans wait until after the Israeli government officially adopted the prime minister's disengagement plan in the form of a Knesset vote, which could take several months. But Israel's ambassador to the United States, Danny Ayalon, argued at the meeting that the government already made that decision months ago when the Cabinet voted to approve the plan. "Decisions by the government are made by the prime minister and Cabinet, and that happened five months ago," Jacobson said. "The Knesset vote is merely trying to add a broader perspective." Yahalom's letter arguing for the delay was the only letter on the matter the Conference of Presidents received, Hoenlein said. It was dated Oct. 14, and Hoenlein said he received it right before he went into the meeting. "There is deep concern about the prospect of people being forcibly removed from their homes," Hoenlein said about the prospect of uprooting settlers from their Gaza Strip homes. "But traditionally our position is to support Israel's position, especially when it comes to security issues." He said the conference might issue another statement if the Knesset ultimately decides to vote no on disengagement. "This can be revisited in the future," he said. "If the Knesset makes a decision, we will respect that decision as well. The government has already made a decision."