01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Here's an interesting wrinkle in Rhode Island's scrappy Republican U.S. Senate primary. Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey calls incumbent Linc Chafee weak on Israel and is appealing to pro-Israel political action committees for money.

Laffey writes, "Unlike Senator Chafee, I believe in close U.S.-Israel ties and am committed to promoting and protecting the security of both countries."

Branding Laffey a "demagogue," Chafee tells me, "I'm not going to concede, in any way, shape or form, that my positions are not in Israel's best interest."

Chafee chairs a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on the Middle East and has been to Israel three times. Laffey has never been there.

Israel is of special interest to Jewish voters, who often lean Democratic. Of course, in Rhode Island, where independents can pick a primary, Laffey and Chafee can hope to attract ticket-splitters who might otherwise be drawn to the Matt Brown-Sheldon Whitehouse Democratic Senate battle.

There's plenty of pro-Israel political money around the United States. Such PACs were a major source of funding for Democrat Richard Licht when he tried to unseat the late Sen. John Chafee, Linc Chafee's father, in 1988. Linc Chafee says the Christian right, increasingly active in Republican politics, also has a strong, Biblically inspired interest in Israel.

Lawyer Norman Orodenker, a Laffey mentor since the mayor was a kid, says, "He was always a very, very strong pro-Israel guy." Other Jewish figures around Laffey include adviser Paul Zisserson; campaign press aide Nachama Soloveichik; and Washington consultant Jon Lerner, whose firm is Red Sea LLC, as in the parting of the Red Sea.

Laffey blasts Chafee for having voted against war with Iraq, a nation Orodenker says was a major backer of anti-Israel terrorists. Laffey also slams Chafee's 2003 vote against the Syria Accountability Act he says was "designed to control an aggressive anti-Israel, anti-American regime."

Morrie Amitay, whose Washington PAC has given Laffey $5,000, says that, on Israel issues, it's "no contest" between the two Republicans. He cites Chafee's failure to sign or co-sponsor several letters or resolutions many colleagues backed.

Chafee says he opposed the Iraq war because he didn't believe Bush administration claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction he could use against America. And, he says, Israel is now worse off because the war spread unrest in the Middle East.

He says he opposed the Syria measure because he didn't want to isolate the country, and hoped to see it play a constructive regional role. He says he abstains from signing onto letters or resolutions unless he's convinced they'll be productive.

Chafee says he agrees with President Bush that Israel will be best off if there's a "viable, contiguous" Palestinian state "living side by side, in peace."

His campaign cites a $1,500 donation from the pro-Israel Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs. Chafee plans to appeal to other such PACs.

Jewish figures around Chafee include Bruce Wolpert, a lawyer he calls a top political adviser; Mark Silverman, his staff foreign-relations expert; and Debbie Rich, his Senate press aide.

Wolpert tabs Chafee a "strong supporter" of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Of course, Wolpert says, Jewish voters are not single-issue voters.

True, but wouldn't it be interesting to see Chafee and Laffey debate Middle East topics face to face at a temple social hall or the Jewish Community Center?

You know Laffey would leap at the chance. As for Chafee, he says it's still only February.

M. Charles Bakst is The Journal's political columnist.

mbakst@projo.com / (401) 277-7638