JEWISH LEADERS SIGN LETTER CONDEMNING FALSE SMEARS OF OBAMA

Several prominent Jewish leaders have signed onto a letter calling for an end to an email smear campaign against Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama.  Each of the leaders represent groups which will NOT be making endorsements in the Democratic primary.  NJDC strongly supports this letter.

From the Politico:

The anonymous anti-Obama email campaign has been particularly viral in Jewish political circles (one of the ones accusing him of being some sort of Manchurian candidate was actually translated into Hebrew), and a broad group of prominent Jewish leaders just put out an open letter pushing back:

Of particular concern, over the past several weeks, many in our community have received hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo to mischaracterize Senator Barack Obama’s religious beliefs and who he is as a person.

These tactics attempt to drive a wedge between our community and a presidential candidate based on despicable and false attacks and innuendo based on religion. We reject these efforts to manipulate members of our community into supporting or opposing candidates.

Full letter, and signatories, after the jump.

January 15, 2008

An Open Letter to the Jewish Community:

As leaders of the Jewish community, none of whose organizations will endorse or oppose any candidate for President, we feel compelled to speak out against certain rhetoric and tactics in the current campaign that we find particularly abhorrent. Of particular concern, over the past several weeks, many in our community have received hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo to mischaracterize Senator Barack Obama’s religious beliefs and who he is as a person.

These tactics attempt to drive a wedge between our community and a presidential candidate based on despicable and false attacks and innuendo based on religion. We reject these efforts to manipulate members of our community into supporting or opposing candidates.

Attempts of this sort to mislead and inflame voters should not be part of our political discourse and should be rebuffed by all who believe in our democracy. Jewish voters, like all voters, should support whichever candidate they believe would make the best president. We urge everyone to make that decision based on the factual records of these candidates, and nothing less.

Sincerely,

William Daroff, Vice President, United Jewish Communities

Nathan J. Diament, Director, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America

Abraham Foxman, National Director, Anti-Defamation League

Richard S. Gordon, President, American Jewish Congress

David Harris, Executive Director, American Jewish Committee

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean, Simon Wiesenthal Center

Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Phyllis Snyder, President, National Council of Jewish Women

Hadar Susskind, Washington Director, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Comments

[Marvin]

There was a Fox news interview with the pastor of Obama's church. He was asked about Farrakhan. The pastor answered that Farrakhan was very important to our church. You can watch the interview on foxnews.com

[David Kovensky]

My wife and I are both undecided voters at this time. We were very upset in receiving some of the current "smear" e-mails regarding all the Democratic Party candidates and in particular, Barack Obama.

We are really confused about the veracity of
both negative and positive responses that proliferate the websites. Paid two minute ads
and blog responses will not serve to really clarify the candidates true true beliefs about Israel and Anti-Semitism. I think Senator Obama should be given an opportunity to address these issues in detail with a capable interviewer such as Tim Russert on "Meet The Press" and/or the "Tim Russert" Show.