Romney, Santorum Confirm Speaking at AIPAC

February 28, 2012 3 Comments

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Feb. 28 – Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum have confirmed they will join former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) during its annual policy conference.

According to a tweet from AIPAC, Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich are now scheduled to speak to the Policy Conference on Tuesday morning, March 6, also the day of Super Tuesday, when 10 states go to the polls.

AIPAC had originally said Gingrich would address the confab in person on March 5.

Romney is planning to address the Policy Conference via satellite.

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

Obama Campaign Hosts “Jewish Constituency Focused” Fundraiser

February 27, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Feb. 27 – Politico’s Donovan Slack reports President Obama’s fundraiser Monday evening targeted the “Jewish constituency” in Washington:

An invitation says simply “Please join President Obama for a discussion and reception with supporters like you in Washington, DC.”

Turns out, “like you” appears to be Jewish.

The campaign fundraiser at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington, DC, Monday was intended to be a “Jewish Constituency Focused” event, according to a Democratic announcement obtained by POLITICO.

“An Afternoon with Jewish Leaders and President Barack Obama” included a “Roundtable Campaign Discussion” followed by a “Campaign Conversation with the President” and finally, “Appetizers and Cocktails.”

The White House and the Obama campaign both were tight-lipped about the event, releasing only basic attendance figures and ticket price — some 25 supporters paid $35,800 each to attend, for a total haul of $825,000.

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UN May Indict Assad for Crimes against Humanity

February 23, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum and Alan Elsner

Washington, Feb. 23 – A United Nations panel is drawing up a list of Syrian officials that may include President Bashar al-Assad whom it wants to investigate for crimes against humanity in the brutal suppression of the popular uprising against the Damascus regime.

The news came a day after two western journalists were killed in a savage bombardment of the city of Homs. In total, more than 6,000 people have already died in the uprising, which is turning into a brutal sectarian civil war.

For the first time, Syria attracted the attention of Republican presidential candidates in a debate Wednesday evening in Arizona. Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich all drew a connection between Assad and Iran – but none called for U.S. military intervention.

“Syria is a puppet state of Iran,” former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said during the CNN Republican presidential debate. “They are a threat not just to Israel but they have been a complete destabilizing force within Lebanon which is another problem for Israel, and Hezbollah. They are a country that we could do no worse than the leadership in Syria today which is not the case in some of the other countries that we readily got ourselves involved in.”

“Syria is [Iran's] key ally, their only ally in the Arab world,” former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney added. “It is also their route to the sea. Syria provides a shadow over Lebanon. Syria is providing the armament of Hezbollah in Lebanon that of course threatens Israel, our friend and ally.”

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Filed under GOP Primary, Iran, Israel, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Syria Tagged with , , , , , ,

GOP candidates talk Iran during CNN debate

February 23, 2012 2 Comments

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Feb. 23 – Iran was again a prominent issue in the latest GOP presidential debate in Arizona, with three of the four candidates vowing to stop the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear weapon using whatever means were necessary. Only Texas Rep. Ron Paul stood out from the chorus.

“You’re seeing in the Republican platform a very strong commitment to say we’re going to say ‘no’ to Iran,” Mitt Romney said during CNN’s Republican presidential debate Wednesday night.

The former Massachusetts governor said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might share fissile material with Hezbollah and Hamas “that they can bring into Latin America and potentially bring across the border into the United States to let off dirty bombs here or more sophisticated bombs here.”

“We simply cannot allow Iran to have nuclear weaponry,” Romney said before turning to attack President Obama. “This is a president who has made it clear through his administration and every communication that we’ve had so far that he does not want Israel to take action, that he opposes military action. This is a president who should have instead communicated to Iran that we are prepared, that we are considering military options. They are not just on the table; they are in our hand. We must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. If they do, the world changes. America will be at risk. And someday, nuclear weaponry will be used. If I’m president, that will not happen.”

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

Gingrich: “Absolute moral obligation” to prevent Iranian nuclear weapons

February 22, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Feb, 22 – During tonight’s CNN debate, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich once again said he would support Israel if the administration felt the need to attack Iran.

Moderator John King asked Gingrich if the Prime Minister of Israel called him and said he wanted to bomb Iran, would he say please stand down or would he give Israel the green light.

“The fact is, this is a dictator, Ahmadinejad, who said he doesn’t believe the Holocaust existed,” the former House Speaker said during the Republican Presidential Debate in Mesa, Ariz. “This is a dictator who said he will eliminate Israel from the face of the earth. This is a dictator who said he wanted to drive the United States out of the Middle East. I’m inclined to believe dictators. I think that it’s dangerous not to.”

“If an Israeli Prime Minister, haunted by the history of the Holocaust, recognizing that three nuclear weapons is a holocaust in Israel, if an Israeli Prime Minister calls me and says, I believe in the defense of my country – this goes back to a point that Congressman Paul raised and we probably disagree on – I do believe there are moments when you preempt. If you think a madman is about to have nuclear weapons and you think that madman is going to use those nuclear weapons, then you have an absolute moral obligation to defend the lives of your people by eliminating the capacity to get nuclear weapons.”

Filed under Iran, Israel, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Gingrich to speak at AIPAC on March 5

February 22, 2012 3 Comments

Newt Gingrich

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

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Feb. 22 – Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) during its annual policy conference.

The former Speaker of the House is scheduled to speak during the morning session on Monday, March 5, a day after President Obama is scheduled to address AIPAC.

The AIPAC conference will be taking place in Washington, D.C., March 4-6, an important time during the primary season. Super Tuesday, when 10 states go to the polls,  will be taking place on March 6.

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Obama will address AIPAC on March 4

February 21, 2012 5 Comments

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Feb. 21 – President Obama will speak at the  annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) March 4, one day before his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

“We are pleased to announce that the president will address this year’s annual AIPAC policy conference in Washington, D.C., on Sunday March 4,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday. “The president welcomes this opportunity to speak to the strengths of the special bonds between Israel and the United States.”

Last year, Obama addressed AIPAC after meeting with Netanyahu and sought to clarify his belief that a Palestinian state should be based on the 1967 lines with some territorial swaps. But since then, peace talks have failed to get off the ground with Palestinians continuing to insist of pre-conditions before returning to serious negotiations.

Some 13,000 activists will attend the annual gathering.

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

Sen. McCain Appeals for Release of U.S. Democracy Workers in Egypt

February 21, 2012 Leave a comment

Sen. John McCain

Sen. John McCain

By Alan Elsner, Editor-in-Chief

Washington, Feb. 21 – This time four years ago, Arizona Sen. John McCain was deeply embroiled in his campaign to become the Republican presidential nominee – but this week found him in Cairo, speaking about the fate of 16 U.S. pro-democracy workers and discussing whether the United States should be arming Syrian rebels.

McCain was in Cairo to attend a business conference but used the visit to meet with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and other Egyptian leaders to discuss the fate of the Americans.

“He (Tantawi) gave us his assurance that they are working very diligently to try to resolve the NGO issue,” McCain told reporters after a day that included contacts with newly elected lawmakers and members of the country’s powerful Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood.

“We are confident that people of good faith in this country and our country and many others can and will find an acceptable resolution to the present situation,” McCain said. “As we follow the debate here in Egypt, we hear it said that these NGOs are violating Egypt’s sovereignty and meddling in its affairs. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

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Obama-Netanyahu meeting set for March 5

February 20, 2012 5 Comments

File: President Barack Obama talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, May 20, 2011

File: President Barack Obama talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, May 20, 2011

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Feb. 20 – President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet March 5 in Washington, the JTA reports.

The meeting is expected to focus primarily on how to deal with Iran, whose efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon are leading to speculation of future military action. Netanyahu will be speaking at the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on the same day.

There have been a recent flurry of visits between high-level Israeli and American officials. Obama’s national security adviser concluded a three-day visit to Israel today where he met with Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and other Israeli leaders to discuss Iran, Syria and other regional security issues.

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Senate probes growing Iran ties with Latin America

February 17, 2012 Leave a comment

By Ari Bildner, Staff Writer

Washington, Feb. 17 – Iran’s expanding economic and military ties with Latin America are worrisome for United States’ security strategy and for the fate of sanctions against the country, experts told a U.S. Senate hearing Thursday.

Iran aims “to develop the capacity and capability to wreak havoc in Latin America and possibly the U.S. homeland, if the Iranian leadership views this as necessary to the survival of its nuclear program, and to develop and expand the ability to blunt international sanctions that are crippling the regime’s economic life,” analyst Doug Farah told senators on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs.

Iran has been under the brunt of punishing international sanctions for its suspected efforts to build a nuclear weapon and has reached out to Latin American countries like Venezuela and Bolivia as its international isolation grows.

Other panelists were equally adamant about growing Iranian efforts – often covert – in the continent.

“Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez and Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are conspiring to wage an asymmetrical struggle against U.S. security, and to abet Iran’s illicit nuclear program,” former U.S. Amb. Roger Noriega said.

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