NJDC's Blog

HEAD OF REPUBLICAN JEWS: OBAMA HAS "FINE" RECORD ON ISRAEL

Washington, D.C. - Despite months of relentless attacks on Barack Obama's commitment to Israel, Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) Executive Director, Matt Brooks, admitted Saturday that Senator Obama actually has a good voting record on Israel.

As quoted in the Palm Beach Post: "Obama's voting record on issues related to Israel has been 'fine' during his three years in the Senate, Brooks says."

"For fifty years, the pro-Israel community has used voting records as the most important single arbiter of whether a candidate is considered 'pro-Israel' and as the primary predictor of future behaviors," said Ira Forman, National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) Executive Director and longtime political strategist within the Jewish community. "Even the head of the national Jewish Republicans is acknowledging that Senator Obama has a fine record. Perhaps now the conservative smear artists will be shamed into ending the mudslinging," Forman stated.

NJDC contends that both Senators Clinton and Obama are strong supporters of Israel and the special relationship which exists between our two nations. The nonpartisan organization, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which does not endorse candidates, has said, "Senators Clinton, Obama, [and] McCain [...] have demonstrated their support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship."

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Republican primary candidate gives the Hitler Salute?

This is a story so incredible, even I couldn’t make it up. Tony Zirkle, a candidate in the Republican primary for Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District seat gave a speech to a rather unique audience, the Nationalist Socialist Worker’s Party, or the Nazi Party. The speech, which centered on the trafficking and prostitution of young white females, is a staple of Zirkle’s many runs for public office.  I don’t know if suggesting that we should honor Hitler is also part of his platform, but it seems to fit. And when asked about it, Zirkle mentioned that he had spoken to two black journalists about it as well (the Nazi party is white supremacist), and that he would be happy to talk about it to the following as well: "If the Black Panthers or the Jewish Zionists want me to speak about these issues, I'll do it."

This kind of attitude of racism and anti-Semitism is simply un-American. To his credit, it was a fellow Republican opponent for the primary, Luke Puckett, who brought this meeting to the attention of the media, and stated, “I can't believe, in 2008, someone could have such backward opinions." The point of mentioning this isn’t to paint the Republican Party as pro-Nazi, racist, or anti-Semitic; quite the contrary.  owever, when your party promotes discrimination and intolerance (however unintended it may be) in its platform, candidates like Mr. Zirkle are always going to pop up. It’s not a real shocker that he has yet to win a single race.

Check out the full story here.

The Jewish Pennsylvania Primary Vote

According to exit polls,  Senator Hillary Clinton carried the Pennsylvania Jewish Primary vote yesterday by 14 points.  She received 57% of the Jewish vote to Senator Obama's 43%.  Jews voted in large numbers and constituted 7% of the state's primary election vote.  Interestingly, Jews constitute only 2.3% of the state's population as a whole.

Resolution in Honor of Israel at 60

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer made the following statement on the House Floor today, in support of a resolution acknowledging the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel:

Madam Speaker, it is fitting today that Members on both sides of the aisle join to recognize the founding of our nation's steadfast friend and ally, the State of Israel; to reconfirm the special bond that exists between our two nations; and to reiterate that the support for Israel in this Congress is bipartisan, overwhelming and stronger than ever.

On May 14, 1948 - the day on which the British Mandate for Palestine expired - the people of Israel proclaimed the sovereign and independent State of Israel.

And, 11 minutes later, the United States - at the direction of President Truman - recognized the establishment of this new state.

President Truman observed:  "I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have faith in it now.  I believe it has a glorious future before it - not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization."

Madam Speaker, over the ensuing six decades it has become increasingly clear that Israel's success is not only a strategic imperative for the United States, but a moral imperative, as well.

Ours is a relationship of principle and conscience, of shared values and common aspirations, of peace and opportunity, and of a mutual commitment to freedom and democracy.

The United States and Israel are nations of immigrants.

We are safe havens for the oppressed.

We are partners for peace.

And, we are united in fighting terrorism.

No people on earth have been subjected to more bigotry and violence than the Jewish people.

And, no people are more in need of a sovereign, secure homeland to provide safe haven and to protect identity.

David Ben-Gurion once remarked: The security of Israel "is a question of the survival not only of the people of Israel, but of the Jewish people the world over."

Throughout the last 60 years, Israel has been an island of freedom in a sea of despair. It has been vilified, threatened and attacked.  And yet, it has prevailed and prospered - just as it will prevail and prosper today, tomorrow and in the future.

When we talk of Israel, we inevitably acknowledge her courage in the face of those who seek her destruction.

But let us also acknowledge that over the last 60 years, the Israeli people have established a vibrant, pluralistic, democratic political system that includes freedom of speech, association and religion; a vigorous, free press; free, fair and open elections; the rule of law and an independent judiciary.

Furthermore, Israel has developed an advanced, entrepreneurial economy and is among the world leaders in the high-tech industry.

Madam Speaker, over the last five years, I have had the privilege of traveling with Congressional delegations on tours of Israel three times.  And, what the Members saw was a reflection of themselves: People who love their country; people who want to live in peace and freedom; and people who want their children to have even greater opportunities.

As our allies in Israel celebrate their 60th anniversary of independence, let us honor their determination to fulfill the vision of Zionism's founding father, Theodor Herzl, who observed, "If you will it, it is no dream."

Through courage and will, Israel was born and the dream of generations was made real - and it will endure.

I want to congratulate the citizens of Israel and the entire Jewish community on this important anniversary of Israel's founding.

Happy Earth Day!

Since first established in 1970, Earth Day has been a national reminder that we must take responsibility to protect the planet on which we live.

Judaism commands us to take initiative in maintaining the environment. From the very beginning, “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to till it and tend it" (Genesis 2:15). It is our duty to take care of the earth. Tikkun Olam, a pillar of Judaism, literally tells us to repair the world. We must act now to correct injustices done to our environment.

It is time for new leadership that can bring about necessary changes to transform America into the frontrunner in environmental sustainability. Today, President Bush set the record for the highest disapproval rating of any President in the 70-year history of the Gallup poll. The Democratic candidates are prepared with new energy policies. Senator Clinton’s Earth Day statement and Senator Obama’s Earth Day statement address making smart choices in government and in private that reflect our status as stewards of the earth.

The Talmud explains: While the sage, Choni, was walking along a road, he saw a man planting a carob tree. Choni asked him: “How long will it take for this tree to bear fruit?” “Seventy years," replied the man. Choni then asked: “Are you so healthy a man that you expect to live that length of time and eat its fruit?" The man answered: “I found a fruitful world because my ancestors planted it for me. Likewise, I am planting for my children.” Though we have barely begun to see the effects of global warming, it is a problem that future generations will inherit. By taking steps in our own lives to reduce carbon emissions, we can ensure a better world for our children.

For more on Judaism and protecting the environment, see the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life.

How Does McCain Really Feel About Hagee?

During his Sunday morning interview with George Stephanopoulos on This Week, Senator McCain said that accepting the Pastor’s endorsement was "probably" a mistake but quickly followed up by saying that he was "glad to have his endorsement". McCain also stated earlier that he "admired" Hagee’s leadership, yet he condemned any of Hagee’s remarks that were "anti anything".

McCain only attempted to distance himself from Hagee after he received intense criticism for accepting the Pastor’s endorsement. Even then, McCain said: "all I can tell you is that I am very proud to have Pastor John Hagee's support."

For more information on McCain's connection to Hagee and the Pastor's controversial comments, click here.

NJDC Condemns Outrageous Falsehoods from McCain Camp, RJC

NJDC released the following press statement today:

Washington, D.C. - Today, the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) condemned the false accusations and fear mongering from the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) and Senator McCain's campaign surrounding Senator Obama's view on former President Jimmy Carter's recent meeting with Hamas.

Both the RJC and the McCain campaign falsely claimed that Senator Obama did not condemn Carter's meeting with Hamas last week, when in fact, on April 10th, the JTA reported, "The leading presidential candidates all said that it would be a mistake for Carter to meet with Hamas." The article continued with a statement from an Obama campaign spokesman: "Senator Obama does not agree with President Carter's decision to go forward with this meeting because he does not support negotiations with Hamas until they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist and abide by past agreements."

"This is just an outrageous falsehood," said Ira N. Forman, NJDC Executive Director. "This is the kind of irresponsible behavior we saw in 2000 when the RJC charged Vice President Al Gore as anti-Israel because he wouldn't promise to move the Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on his first day in office. Bush made the promise to move the Embassy, then failed to live up to his word without a hint of criticism from the RJC."

"Senator McCain and the RJC ought to be ashamed of themselves for employing such reckless falsehoods that instill unnecessary fear in voters," Forman continued. "How can Senator McCain's supporters claim their candidate has 'integrity' when his campaign is willing to spread utterly blatant misinformation?"

Even the conservative-leaning Washington Times wrote, "Mr. Obama joined the White House and Israel in opposing Mr. Carter's outreach to Hamas."

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Chris Matthews' view of the Jewish and African American Vote

Media Matters today quoted Chris Matthews from the April 16 edition of MSNBC's Hardball:

MATTHEWS: What is the Catholic vote, Mike Barnicle? It isn't like a vote like, for example, if you're a Jewish voter probably you care about Israel, that's a safe bet. You have one key concern. I can't think of other groups that would make it that simple. But clearly, if you're African-American, you care about civil rights. You care about certain programs of the federal government. That's a generalization, but probably true. You're more progressive. But Catholics -- where would you put them? Is there a squirrel box or a rabbit hole you can put them in politically?

What a simplistic view of Jewish and African American voters!  We would suggest that neither vote is monolithic and should not be pigeonholed into "squirrel boxes" or "rabbit holes".

The RJC Knows Better

Yesterday, Matt Brooks, Executive Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, made the following preposterous statement:

Now more than ever, Senator Barack Obama must explain why he will not join the growing chorus of U.S. lawmakers demanding that President Carter stop undermining the Middle East peace process.

Doesn't he know better?  As soon as it was announced that President Carter was planning to meet with Hamas, Senator Obama's campaign released the following statement:

Barack Obama views Hamas as a terrorist organization dedicated to Israel's destruction, and believes they cannot be treated as a legitimate actor until they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and abide by past agreements.  That has been his position consistently, and it places him squarely at odds with former President Carter's plan to meet with Hamas leaders.

So, what exactly would the RJC want Senator Obama to do?  Should he stand on his head while denouncing Carter's visit?  Of course the RJC knew about the Obama statement (as well as Senator Clinton's strong statement against the proposed meeting).   The only possible purpose of a statement like this was to try to sow the seeds of doubt in Jewish voters' minds about Senator Obama's commitment to Israel.

Let the political games continue...

Clinton and Obama Would Extend Deterrence to Israel

Last week, in his Washington Post column, conservative journalist Charles Krauthammer proposed that President Bush issue a "Holocaust Declaration" in the context of Iran's nuclear threat to Israel. This assertion would mirror President Kennedy's policy of deterrence during the Cuban missile crisis, and look something like this:

It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear attack upon Israel by Iran, or originating in Iran, as an attack by Iran on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon Iran.

In last night's Democratic presidential debate, George Stephanopoulos asked the candidates if it should be U.S. policy to extend our deterrence to Israel. Both Senators Clinton and Obama definitively stated that they would see an Iranian attack on Israel as an attack on the United States and retaliate accordingly.

Beyond stating their concurrence with such a declaration, both candidates laid out their policies for preventing Iran from achieving nuclear capabilities and attaining hegemony in the Middle East.

Senator Obama said:

Our first step should be to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of the Iranians. [...] And I will make it one of our top priorities when I am president of the United States. I have said I will do whatever is required to prevent the Iranians from obtaining nuclear weapons. [...] I think it is very important that Iran understands that an attack on Israel is an attack on our strongest ally in the region, one whose security we consider paramount. That would be an act of aggression that I would consider an attack that is unacceptable and the Untied States would take appropriate action.

Senator Clinton stated:

I think that we should be looking to create an umbrella of deterrence that goes much further than just Israel. Of course I would make it clear to the Iranians that an attack on Israel would incur massive retaliation from the United States. [...] We are at a very dangerous point with Iran.

Despite the right-wing smear machine's baseless attacks on the Democratic Party's Israel stance, the Democratic presidential candidates have clearly set the standard for strong commitment to Israel's security.

To read more about this issue in last night's debate, click here, here, and here.

For more on the candidates' views on Israel, click here.