Romney and Gingrich Campaign on Israel Ahead of Florida Primary

January 31, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Jan. 31 – On the last day before the Florida primary, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney pushed his support for Israel.

Fight Terrorism, Support Israel

"Fight Terrorism, Support Israel" Sign in Tampa, Jan. 23

“My view is American strength is essential to the world,” the former Massachusetts governor said yesterday during a morning stop in Jacksonville.  “And it’s essential for us – and we should stand by our allies and our friends like Israel – and all the other nations that have been with us committing our futures together.”

Last night, speaking in The Villages, a retirement community in central Florida, Romney said “I will stand for Israel” twice, per a tweet by the Jewish Voice’s Jacob Kornbluh.

“I believe instead of becoming friendly with our enemies, we should become friendlier with our friends,” Romney said. “I want to make sure we stand by Israel and we stand by our allies of the world; we show them that we care for our friends and allies and that we do not in any way disrespect them. I will stand for Israel, I will stand for friends, and we will be stronger because America will stand for something, including our values.”

Meanwhile, in Pensacola, rival Newt Gingrich criticized Romney for vetoing funding for kosher food in nursing homes during his tenure as governor. The former Speaker also repeated his pledge to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

In 2008, Jewish voters accounted for three percent of the electorate in the GOP primary. Yet the Jewish vote in Florida can have an impact. And before the NBC News/National Journal/Tampa Bay Times Debate in Tampa last week, a group of people held pro-Israel signs, stating their desire for the candidates to focus more on Israel. Both Romney and Gingrich may have received the message.

The last polls for the Florida primary close at 8:00 PM today.

Filed under GOP Primary, Israel, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich Tagged with , , , , , ,

Gingrich attacks Romney for cutting kosher food

January 30, 2012 1 Comment

Newt Gingrich

File: Newt Gingrich at a Townhall in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Jan. 30 - CNN’s Shawna Shepherd reports former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich attacked former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney today for vetoing funding for kosher food in nursing homes during his tenure as governor.

“Gov. Romney imposed activities on the Catholic hospitals against their opposition religious institution, refused them to allow right of conscience in Romneycare,” Gingrich said in Jacksonville, Fla. “Just as, by the way, he eliminated serving kosher food for elderly Jewish residents under Medicare. I did not know this, it just came out yesterday.”

Shepherd explains Gingrich was “referring to a report over the weekend about a bill Romney vetoed in Massachusetts in 2003 to ‘reject $600,000 in additional funds for poor Jewish nursing-home residents to get kosher meals.’ According to the New York Post story, that money was later restored in an amendment approved by the state legislature. Romney’s veto came during a fiscal crisis in Massachusetts when vetoes to spending provisions were common.”

Filed under GOP Primary, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich Tagged with , , , ,

What You May Have Missed: Courting the Jewish Vote; Natural Gas; War with Iran

January 29, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Jan. 29 – With the Florida primary just two days away, the remaining Republican presidential candidates have been criss-crossing the state, speaking at political rallies, churches and various forums. President Obama also is visiting battleground states. Here are some things you may have missed:

*** Applause Lines on Israel for Gingrich: On Jan. 28, Sarah Posner of Religion Dispatches reports former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich received a standing ovation for repeating his promise to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. During the presidential forum hosted by the Christian legal group Liberty Counsel and others at the Aloma Baptist Church in Winter Park, Fla., Posner reports every time Gingrich mentioned Israel “it drew cheers and standing ovations.”

When questioned about a $10 million donation to his super PAC Winning Our Future by casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Gingrich focused on Adelson’s passion for the survival of Israel. Posner reported Gingrich said he and Adelson agree “that Iran is a deep, immediate threat posing the risk of a second Holocaust,” resulting in an emotional “yes” from the audience.

*** Romney Criticizes Obama for Reducing Military: Speaking in Pensacola, Fla. on Jan. 28, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney once again attacked Obama on his policies toward Iran. Maeve Reston of the Los Angeles Times reports Romney said he preferred adding 100,000 active-duty military personnel, as opposed to Obama’s support for reducing the military budget and reducing American troops by 100,000.

“He is going to reduce our military capability … and as part of that he’s reducing our troops by 100,000,” Romney said to a large crowd at the Fish House in Pensacola. “This is a doomsday scenario. This is a very dangerous course in my view.”

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Filed under Barack Obama, GOP Primary, Iran, Israel, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Florida – The Jewish Vote

January 28, 2012 2 Comments

By Nathan Klein, Polling Director

Washington, Jan. 28 – As all (political) eyes are focused on Florida’s Republican Presidential Primary vote on Tuesday, new polling from Quinnipiac shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leading the field by nine percentage points heading into the weekend. But, regardless of the nominee, Florida will once again be a key swing state in the electoral math for the general election. It is also one of the few states in which the Jewish vote can be a decisive factor in deciding elections.

As reported by the Florida Department of State, in 2004, the presidential election was decided by half a percentage point in favor of former President George W. Bush; and, in 2008, President Obama won the state by under three percentage points. In those two elections, according to CNN exit polling, Jews represented six percent and four percent of the electorate respectively.

National polling among the Jewish community, undertaken by the American Jewish Committee in September 2011, shows Obama taking only 50 percent of the vote in a match-up against Romney. But, in a Public Policy Polling poll (albeit with a small Jewish sample) taken the same month in Florida, Obama is seen taking the Jewish vote by wide margins, leading Romney by 78-11 (although his standing on Israel was at a lower 61 approve – 31 disapprove level).

It is unquestionable that Florida will be a hotly contested state in the general election; small changes among the Jewish population have the potential for a big national impact.

Also, see: Florida voters want more focus on Israel

Filed under Barack Obama, GOP Primary, Mitt Romney Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

Fact Checks on Romney and Gingrich Re: Palestinians and Israel

January 28, 2012 2 Comments

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Jan. 28 – While TIP on the Trail does not have a fact checking unit for candidates’ statements, we wanted to point out two important fact checks of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich from Thursday night’s debate.

During the CNN Debate in Jacksonville, Fla., an audience member who identified himself as a Palestinian-American Republican asked the republican candidates how they would “bring peace to Palestine and Israel when most candidates barely recognize the existence of Palestine or its people.”

“As a Palestinian-American Republican, I’m here to tell you we do exist,” the questioner continued, directing the statement toward Gingrich.

The former Speaker defended his previous statements that the Palestinians are an invented people, repeating his claim that the Palestinian people were “technically an invention of the late 1970s” and saying the Palestinians are originally from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, or Jordan.

Yet Ron Kampeas of the JTA says there are a few inaccuracies in Gingrich’s statement. Read his analysis: Last Palestinian Republican standing, and fact-checking Romney and Gingrich

During his answer, Romney attacked President Obama on the president’s policies toward Israel. However, Sara Sorcher of the National Journal says many of his assertions were inaccurate. Read her analysis: Debate Fact Check: Israel, Health, Romney Money, Colombia Trade

Read the Full Transcript of Romney and Gingrich’s Responses

TIP on the Trail is not affiliated with any government, is nonpartisan and neither rates nor endorses candidates.

Filed under GOP Primary, Israel, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Statements on International Holocaust Remembrance Day

January 27, 2012 1 Comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Jan. 27 – Seven years ago, the U.N. General Assembly designated Jan. 27 – the anniversary of the liberation of Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau – as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Below, read statements released by President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. If the other Republican presidential candidates release statements on this topic, they will be added as well.

President Obama made the following statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day:

President Barack Obama places a flower at a memorial at Buchenwald Nazi concentration camp, June 5, 2009. With the President are German chancellor Angela Merkel, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, and camp survivor Bertrand Herz.

File: President Barack Obama places a flower at a memorial at Buchenwald Nazi concentration camp, June 5, 2009. With the president are German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, and camp survivor Bertrand Herz.

“I join people here at home, in Israel, and around the world in commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we mark one of the darkest, most destructive periods in human history. To remember is a choice, and today we remember the innocent victims of the Nazis’ murderous hate – six million Jews and millions of other people. We are reminded to remain ever-vigilant against the possibility of genocide, and to ensure that ‘Never Again’ is not just a phrase but a principled cause. And we resolve to stand up against prejudice, stereotyping, and violence – including the scourge of anti-Semitism – around the globe.

“At the same time, we remember the ordinary people who courageously and heroically expressed the very best of the human capacity for compassion and justice by risking their lives to save their fellow human beings during the Holocaust. They demonstrated that in the midst of evil, human beings can perform remarkable acts of decency and dignity.

“Finally, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember the survivors and the profound faith and courage they have embodied to build lives of purpose and meaning. In doing so, they are defying those who tried to kill them, and teaching us that love and life can vanquish hate and death. Let us honor them, and those we lost, by building a more peaceful, just and tolerant world.”

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney made the following statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day:

“On this day, we pause to remember the millions of Jews murdered in Europe.  But it is not enough merely to reflect on those horrors and the evil that brought it about. We must also reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that there will never be a recurrence of such terrible events. At a moment when the state of Israel is under threat from violent terrorists, from tyrants seeking nuclear weapons, and from a campaign to deny the legitimacy of a Jewish state, the United States must stand shoulder to shoulder with our ally in its quest for peace and security.”

Filed under Barack Obama, Israel, Mitt Romney Tagged with , , , , ,

Romney and Gingrich on Peace Between Palestinians and Israel

January 27, 2012 8 Comments

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Jan. 27 – In last night’s CNN Debate, an audience member who identified himself as a Palestinian-American Republican asked how the republican candidates would bring peace to Palestine and Israel. Both former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich blamed the Hamas leadership for the lack of peace in the region. Below is the transcript. Also, read Fact Checks on Romney and Gingrich’s Statements

BLITZER: Let’s take another question from the audience. Please give us your name and tell us where you are from.

(UNKNOWN): Abraham Hassel (ph) from Jacksonville, Florida. How would a Republican administration help bring peace to Palestine and Israel when most candidates barely recognize the existence of Palestine or its people? As a Palestinian-American Republican, I’m here to tell you we do exist.

BLITZER: All right. Let’s ask Governor Romney, first of all. What would you say to Abraham?

ROMNEY: Well, the reason that there’s not peace between the Palestinians and Israel is because there is — in the leadership of the Palestinian people are Hamas and others who think like Hamas, who have as their intent the elimination of Israel. And whether it’s in school books that teach how to kill Jews, or whether it’s in the political discourse that is spoken either from Fatah or from Hamas, there is a belief that the Jewish people do not have a right to have a Jewish state.

There are some people who say, should we have a two-state solution? And the Israelis would be happy to have a two-state solution. It’s the Palestinians who don’t want a two-state solution. They want to eliminate the state of Israel.

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Ros-Lehtinen Responds to President’s State of the Union Address

January 26, 2012 2 Comments

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Jan. 26 – Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) responded to President Obama’s State of the Union address, talking about both Iran and Israel. Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ros-Lehtinen called for more sanctions on Iran.

“The recent sanctions by the Treasury Department against a major Iranian financial institution are welcome, but much more is needed before it’s too late to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran,” Ros-Lehtinen released in a statement. “Just last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency reiterated that the evidence points to Iran’s active pursuit of a nuclear weapon, and an ex-Israeli intelligence chief stated that Iran already has all the components to build a nuclear bomb.  …  The President must utilize the full range of tools that Congress has provided and bring to bear the full force of U.S. sanctions against Tehran.”

Obama briefly mentioned Israel during the State of the Union. “Our iron-clad commitment, and I mean iron clad, to Israel’s security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries in history,” he said.

In Ros-Lehtinen’s statement, she criticized this statement and the president’s policies toward Israel. “The President’s treatment of Israel, including calling for Israel to return to the indefensible pre-1967 lines and make further unilateral concessions to Ramallah, can hardly be called an ‘iron-clad’ commitment to Israel’s security.  And at this critical time, as the Palestinian leadership threatens to again abandon direct negotiations and continue its dangerous statehood scheme at the U.N., the President’s silence on Palestinian unilateralism is deafening.”

Filed under Barack Obama, Congress, Iran, Israel Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

Iran Expert Says Sanctions Effective, But Not Sufficient

January 25, 2012 Leave a comment

Mark Dubowitz, Executive Director of Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Mark Dubowitz, Executive Director of Foundation for Defense of Democracies

By Ari Bildner, Staff Writer

Download a Clip of the Call (Mp3)

Washington, Jan. 25 – As both President Obama and the remaining Republican presidential candidates promise to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons by any means necessary, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Executive Director Mark Dubowitz said sanctions may not be enough.

“Sanctions should never be thought of as a silver bullet; they can be thought of as silver shrapnel,” Dubowitz said Wednesday during a Conference Call sponsored by The Israel Project. “The most important part is to understand that sanctions are not a silver bullet, but part of a comprehensive strategy.”

Dubowitz recapped analysis that also was featured on National Public Radio Wednesday, in which the reporter profiled the Dubowitz team’s assessment of the international community’s economic pressure on Iran.

In his State of the Union Address to Congress Tuesday, the president applauded the international community for uniting in opposition to the Iranian nuclear program.

“Through the power of our diplomacy, a world that was once divided about how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program now stands as one,” Obama said. ”The regime is more isolated than ever before; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent.”

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Filed under Barack Obama, GOP Primary, Iran, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Obama: Iran Nuclear Program Can Be Stopped Peacefully

January 24, 2012 3 Comments

By Alan Elsner, Editor-in-Chief

President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama

Washington, Jan. 24 – U.S. President Obama said Tuesday he would take no options off the table to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons but added that a peaceful resolution of the crisis was still possible.

In his State of the Union Address to Congress, Obama applauded the international community for uniting in opposition to the Iranian nuclear program.

“The regime is more isolated than ever before; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent.

“Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal. But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible, and far better, and if Iran changes course and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of nations.”

Last month, Obama signed into law new sanctions that target foreign entities that do business with the Central Bank of Iran, which the Islamic Republic uses to process payments for its oil exports. And this week, the European Union approved a ban on oil purchases from Iran due to take effect in July.

Obama only briefly mentioned Israel in his address and did not talk about the Palestinians.

“Our iron-clad commitment, and I mean iron clad, to Israel’s security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries in history,” he said.

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Filed under Barack Obama, Iran, Israel Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

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