Speech #1020080245

Mr. Speaker. for reasons which are still not clear 3 days after the event. President Bush. late last week. began an Intensive media crusade to delay by 120 days Americas longpromised loan guarantees to Israel for Soviet Jewish Immigrants. No one can figure out why he undertook the highvisibility campaign. but he succeeded In raising the Issue to the front pages of public concern. and to enhance dramatically the passions In this country. either In support of or In opposition to the loan guarantees. The Salt Lake Tribune. In an excellent. thoughtful editorial yesterday entitled "Latest United StatesIsraeli Estrangement Needs the James Baker Touch" pointed out that "its time to cool this sort of rhetoric." James Baker would not have Initiated this unseemly and Indelicate blast at the Israeli Government at this delicate time of preparation for the peace conference. and to him falls the difficult task of repairing and rebuilding the bridges which the President has chosen to tear down.