Ronald Lauder, chairman of the company founded by his family, also serves as chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and as president of the Jewish National Fund. Boycott organizer Khalid Turaani was particularly incensed by Lauder's appearance at a Natan Sharansky-organized rally in January in which he opposed the division of Jerusalem as well as a right of return to Israel for Palestinian refugees and their heirs.

Turaani contended a boycott "will send a clear message that people of conscience refuse to do business with corproations supporting Israeli apartheid policies which violate internationally recognized human rights."

In Brief ....

INTERNATIONAL -- Rep. Bob Filner (D-San Diego) was a guest in the Philippines of the new President maria Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who congratulated him on his work in behalf of Filipino veterans of World War II who fought under the U.S. Forces and believe they should receive the same benefits as U.S. Veterans. ... Andrzej Kielcznski, also known as Joseph Barak, lost a case in a federal district court in New York in which he tried to resist deportation back to Israel, and also attempted to force the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to pay him benefits for the years he spied on Israel in behalf of the CIA. From 1985 through 1991, while Kielcznski was a member of the Likud party in Israel, he supplied information to the United States, including information on the activities of Jonathan Pollard, his suit said. U.S. Attorney Sandra L. Levy persuaded Judge I. Leo Glasser that in order to protect confidentiality, courts for more than a century have declined to enforce secret agreements to which a U.S. government agency is a party.

NATIONAL -- Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) is the ranking Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee holding hearings into President Bill Clinton's last-minute pardons of fugitive financier Marc Rich and others. With the Republican chairman, Dan Burton of Indiana, apparently intent on proving that Clinton was bribed to grant a pardon to Rich, Waxman provided the three former Clinton aides--John Podesta, Beth Nolan, and Bruce Lindsey--the opportunity by which they stated for the record that even though they had opposed Rich's pardon they did not believe any money was exchanged for it. ...On the Senate side, meanwhile, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa) has offered to take President Clinton's testimony privately, in concert with a yet to be named Democratic senator. But Clinton was not expected to agree immediately. ... The Republican Jewish Coalition has announced the election of Sam Fox, a St. Louis businessman, as its national chairman. During the confirmation hearings for Attorney General John Ashcroft, Fox paid for some high profile advertisements urging senators to support the former U.S. Senator and governor from Missouri.

STATE -- A group called "Campaign for California Families," which opposes legislation which would grant to gay couples the same rights enjoyed by married heterosexuals, has accused four Jewish Democratic legislators of engaging in a "full-blown attack against marriage." Randy Thomasson, executive director of the Sacramento-based group, said AB 1338 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz of West Hollywood, and coauthored by "three lesbian Democrats: Sheila Kuehl of Santa Monica, Carole Migden of San Francisco and Jackie Goldberg of Los Angeles "cheapens the value of marriage and ... Will harm children statewide." ... Assemblyman Howard Wayne (D-San Diego) authored a resolution which declared the month of March to be "Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in California" He said "screening for colorectal cancer is underutilized with less than 50 percent of individuals above age 50 receiving these important examinations."

LOCAL -- U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) launched a webpage honoring "National Women's History Month" by featuring an interview with UC San Diego physics professor Sally Ride, who as an astronaut became celebrated in 1983 as the first woman in space. The interview can be found by accessing the senator's webpage at http://boxer.senate.gov. ... Assemblyman Howard Wayne (D-San Diego) celebrated the 97th anniversary of the late Dr. Seuss's birth by reading The Wall, a book about a visit to the Vietnam Veterans memorial, to students at Montgomery Middle School. The March 2 classroom appearance was part of the national "Read Across America Day" sponsored by the National Education Association. ... Larry Remer was the campaign consultant in the successful effort by Ralph Inzunza to step up to the City Council seat once occupied by his former boss, Juan Vargas, who now is a state assemblyman. Remer said Inzunza won without needing a runoff election because he knocked at voters' doors in the district and because he had Vargas' endorsement. Because he is planning a vacation in Italy during April, Remer says he will not be a full-time consultant in the upcoming special election for the 6th District City Council seat recently vacated by Valerie Stallings. However, Remer said he will handle targeted mailings for candidate Steve Danon, who was formerly chief of staff to county Supervisor Ron Roberts. Donald H. Harrison