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Symbolism is important. Protocol is significant. Jews blundered on both fronts this week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played buddy-buddy with the Rev. Jerry Falwell — an avowed enemy of President Clinton.

At the same time, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum officials were tripping over themselves after disinviting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. They had to apologize and reinvite him as a VIP guest.

The handling of both events was amateurish.

First off, Netanyahu must be more careful when he conducts high-profile courting of opposing factions within the United States.

Even if Falwell solidly supports Israel, he also represents a movement that supports school prayer, school vouchers and a ban on abortion. Evangelical Christians also have the unsavory reputation of proselytizing Jews and providing major financial backing for Jews for Jesus.

Such issues raise the hackles of the majority of American Jews. In addition, Falwell has been hawking a video accusing Clinton of dealing drugs and committing other crimes.

How Netanyahu thought he could embrace the former head of the Moral Majority and then waltz into Clinton's arms is an absolute mystery.

Playing games is no way to foster serious negotiations. Netanyahu would be much better off meeting with Arafat than with Falwell.

Meanwhile, the museum's leaders fell on their faces. Maybe they never should have invited Arafat, who has shown no interest in the museum and whose heavily controlled press denies the Shoah. No one knows whether he will use the museum's powerful symbolism as a tool for learning or publicity.

Still, once the museum leaders put the invitation out there, they never should have withdrawn it.

Hopefully, the museum will better handle the outcry that will surely come from Holocaust survivors for inviting a man responsible for scores of Jewish deaths.

Both events this week are embarrassments that American Jews can do without.