U.S. Report

NEW YORK (JTA) -- Jews are half as likely as members of other religious groups to say that their religion is "very important" to them, according to a Gallup analysis of surveys conducted between 1992 and 1999.

The study, based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 20,000 Americans, found that while 60 percent of respondents said religion is very important in their daily lives, only 30 percent of Jewish Americans said the same.

Foreign aid passes, excludes Wye funds

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Congress has passed a $12.6 billion foreign aid bill that will likely be vetoed by President Clinton.

The House passed it 214-211 on Tuesday. The Senate passed it 51-49 on Wednesday.

Jewish lawmakers voted against the bill, which includes nearly $3 billion in economic and military assistance to Israel, saying it does not include funding requested by the Clinton administration to help Israel and the Palestinians implement last year's Wye accord.

Nixon heard on tape lashing out at Jews

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- On just-released audiotapes, former President Nixon is heard lashing out repeatedly at "the Jews," whom he accused of being at the root of all his problems.

Nixon complained to top aides that "Jews are all over the government" and that they needed to be brought under control by putting non-Jews in charge of federal agencies, according to documents released Tuesday by the National Archives.

Slave labor talks held in Washington

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Representatives of Holocaust survivors and German companies began Wednesday two days of talks in Washington aimed at resolving Nazi-era slave labor claims.

The German side delayed discussion about the size of a compensation fund until Thursday. The German companies were reportedly prepared to offer up to $3.8 billion to settle claims. But lawyers for Holocaust survivors, who initially sought payments in excess of $20 billion, have said that amount is far too little.