When war broke out in the Middle East, Senator Henry ("Scoop") Jackson proved once again that Israel has no firmer friend on Capitol Hill. He was the first in the Senate to call for massive U.S. military aid to Israel; he advocated a decisive Israeli victory; he offered the harshest criticism of the policy of détente. "In recent months," he said, "the flow of Soviet arms into Syria reached floodlike proportions, and yet Dr. Kissinger comes before the American people to say that Soviet behavior has been moderate and not irresponsible. I cannot agree. I believe that Soviet behavior in the Middle East has been reckless and irresponsible."
When the Arab nations agreed to cut oil production by 5%, Jackson proposed a bill that would ration oil in the U.S. "I believe the Administration should start printing the tickets and have the machinery on standby, so we don't get caught like we did in Pearl Harbor."
Such militancy over Israel comes from a 61 -year-old, mild-mannered Presbyterian who represents the state of Washington, where Jews constitute a mere .44% of the population. On the national scene, the Jewish vote of course is more important, and Jackson has presidential aspirations. There would be more than a whiff of opportunism to his posture if it were not perfectly consistent with the views he has expressed in his 21 years in the Senate. He is an unrepentant cold warrior who still refers to "Reds" and "Commies" in his private conversation. Fearing that the Soviet Union means to dupe the U.S. most of the time, he has supported big defense spending, the anti-ballistic-missile system and the Trident submarine.
He has in particular sniped at détente ever since the word was first used to signify a lessening of tension between the U.S. and Russia. Last year he was chiefly responsible for passage of an amendment requiring the U.S. to maintain parity with Russia on all weapons in the SALT agreement. More recently, he introduced the Jackson Amendment to the trade bill; it denies most-favored-nation status to any country that does not permit free emigration—a measure aimed at the Soviet Union's refusal to let Jews leave for Israel.
Jackson is not only determined, he is also effective—a fact that is recognized by allies and opponents alike. He does his homework; he is earnest and honest. He is nothing if not himself: plainspoken, no shaggy locks, rimless glasses or any other concession to youth or fashion. He operates from an almost impregnable position in the Senate, where he is chairman of the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee and a member of the Armed Services Committee, the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, and the Government Operations Committee.