Romney: Ben-Zion Netanyahu’s death is a loss for all of Israel

April 30, 2012 2 Comments

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, April 30 - Mitt Romney released the following statement on the death of Ben-Zion Netanyahu:

“I extend my sincere condolences to the family of Benzion Netanyahu. Not only was he the father of my friend Benjamin, the Prime Minister of Israel, and the father of Israel’s hero of the Entebbe raid, Yonatan Netanyahu, he was also a distinguished historian and leader in his own right.  This is a loss for all of Israel and for all who care about Israel.”

Benzion Netanyahu in 2007

Benzion Netanyahu in 2007

Republican presidential hopeful Romney and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first met in 1976 at Boston Consulting Group and remained friends, as detailed in a New York Times profile. During the Dec. 10 ABC News Republican primary debate, both Romney and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich tried to best each other in who knows Netanyahu better and would therefore be more knowledgeable in how to handle the situation in the Middle East. Romney discussed their work together and called him his “friend Bibi Netanyahu.” As president, Romney said he would work together with Netanyahu as “partners.”

Ben-Zion Netanyahu died at the age of 102 on Monday at home. He is believed to have had great influence on his son Benjamin’s politics.

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New Poll Shows Conflicted American Jewish Electorate

April 30, 2012 12 Comments

By Ari Bildner, Staff Writer

Washington, April 30 – A new poll shows the mixed political mind of the American Jewish community as the nation heads into general election season.

Jewish Americans largely approve of President Obama’s handling of U.S.-Israel relations even as his overall support from the demographic has fallen, the new online poll by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) found.

When asked if the election was being held today, in a match-up between Obama and the likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney, 61 percent of those surveyed said they are more likely to vote for Obama, compared with 28 percent for Romney.

4. If the presidential election was being held today, and the candidates were [ORDER ROTATED] Mitt Romney, Republican, or Barack Obama, Democrat, for whom would you most likely vote?
28% Mitt Romney, Republican
61% Barack Obama, Democrat
11% Undecided
*% No Response

The number is a significant drop from the 78 percent the president received in exit polls in the 2008 election. But it is an improvement for Obama since AJC’s most recent survey in September 2011, when Obama received 50 percent of the support and Romney received 32 percent.

The survey also showed American Jews were more positive than negative on Obama’s handling of the U.S.-Israel relations, with 58 percent strongly or somewhat approving, against 40 percent strongly or somewhat disapproving.

9. Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is handling each of these issues: U.S-Israel Relations?
15% Approve Strongly
43% Approve Somewhat
22% Disapprove Somewhat
18% Disapprove Strongly
1% No Response

The questionnaire responses also showed the economy remaining the top issue for Jewish Americans.

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Biden defends Obama’s record on Iran and Israel, attacks Romney

April 27, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, April 27 – On the campaign trail in New York, Vice President Joe Biden delivered a speech Thursday comparing President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s foreign policy positions. However, he said “there’s no real difference” between the two men on “a few core issues” before discussing the president’s policies toward both Iran and Israel. As expected, Biden also claimed Romney “misrepresents the president’s approach or suggests that the president is not doing things that in fact he is already doing.”

Stating Iran as “the clearest example” of Romney misrepresenting Obama, Biden said the president has said containment is not his policy and is “determined to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon” and “no options are off the table.”

“When he took office, the effort to pressure Iran was stuck in neutral, Iran’s influence – and think about this, when he took office, Iran’s influence was spreading in the region,” Biden said during the campaign event in New York University’s Tishman Auditorium. “But President Obama understood that by seeking to engage Iran in the first interest, by going the extra diplomatic mile and presenting Iran a clear choice, we would demonstrate to the world that Iran, not the United States, was the problem.”

“Now, Iran is more isolated and the international community more united in their effort to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon than ever before. Tehran has deep difficulties acquiring equipment and technology for its nuclear and missile program. It’s increasingly cut off from the international financial system, unable to do the most basic business transactions.”

On Romney, Biden said the former governor has called for “‘a very different policy’ on Iran” but says that Romney’s policy is no different than Obama’s policy.

“The only step we could take that we aren’t already taking is to launch a war against Iran. If that’s what Governor Romney means by a very different policy, he should tell the American people. He should say so. Otherwise, the Governor’s tough talk about military action is just that – talk. And, I would add, counterproductive talk.”

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Obama extends wishes to Israel on her Independence Day

April 26, 2012 1 Comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Editor

Barack Obama in Sderot, Israel on July 23, 2008

Barack Obama in Sderot, Israel on July 23, 2008

Washington, April 26 – On Israel’s Independence Day, Yom Ha’Atzmaut, President Obama made a statement about the “special bond of friendship” between the two countries. This relationship has grown stronger, the statement reads, since the U.S. became the first country to recognize Israel as a country and “the historic homeland of the Jewish people” 64 years ago.

Yesterday, Obama sent  Israeli President Shimon Peres a congratulatory letter on Israel turning 64 and reaffirmed U.S.’s commitment to “Israel’s security and a comprehensive peace in the region.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also put out a statement wishing Israel well on her Independence Day, saying the “United States stands with you.” Clinton also stated the relationship between the U.S. and Israel “grows stronger every day” and the U.S. is “steadfast in our commitment to Israel’s security.”

Read Obama’s full statement after the jump.

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Sec. Clinton on Israel’s Independence Day: “U.S. Stands With You”

April 26, 2012 2 Comments

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton with the President of Israel, Shimon Peres, at the President's Residence, Jerusalem, March 3, 2009

Secretary Hillary Clinton with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, March 3, 2009

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, April 26 – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent congratulatory wishes to Israel on her Independence Day today in a public statement, saying the “United States stands with you,” one day after President Obama sent his counterpart Israeli President Shimon Peres a letter reaffirming U.S.’s commitment to “Israel’s security and a comprehensive peace in the region.”

Clinton stated the relationship between the U.S. and Israel “grows stronger every day” and the U.S. is “steadfast in our commitment to Israel’s security.”

Here is the full text of Clinton’s statement:

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Israel as you celebrate your 64th Independence Day this April 26th. For many around the world, Israel remains a beacon of hope and an inspiring example.

Israel and the United States are united by a deep and unbreakable bond based on mutual interests and respect. Our relationship grows stronger every day as we work to promote regional security, create new economic partnerships, increase two-way trade and broaden our energy cooperation. We are steadfast in our commitment to Israel’s security, which is a cornerstone of our foreign policy in the Middle East.

Over the past year, people throughout the Middle East and North Africa have demanded their universal rights and human dignity. As you celebrate your Independence Day and changes continue to sweep across the region, know that the United States stands with you to embrace new opportunities and address difficult challenges. And we will continue to work with you and your neighbors to achieve the shared goal of a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the Middle East. Congratulations and best wishes for peace and prosperity in the years to come.

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Key Republican Senator Talks Syria, Israel, Iran

April 25, 2012 1 Comment

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida

By Ari Bildner, Staff Writer

Washington, April 25 – The downfall of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad would strengthen Israel and improve the prospects for peace, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Wednesday.

“The security of our ally, the strongest and most enduring democracy in the region, Israel, with whom we are bound by the strongest ties of mutual interest and shared values and affection would improve as well. And so would the prospects for peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors improve,” Rubio said.

The Republican senator has been touted as a top vice-presidential pick for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney despite his repeated denials of interest. During the speech at the Brookings Institution, he waded into the foreign policy realm as speculation in Washington grows about the possibility of a Romney-Rubio ticket come November.

Syria has been embroiled in 13-months of violence, after demonstrators were attacked by regime forces last March.  The death toll, much of it from Assad forces killing civilians, is estimated to have reached 11,000 by mid-April. A cease-fire is now technically in place, although international monitors have said the regime has not adhered to it.

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Obama: Happy Birthday, Israel

April 25, 2012 3 Comments

President Obama welcomes Israeli President Shimon Peres in the Oval Office Tuesday, May 5, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza.

President Obama welcomes Israeli President Shimon Peres in the Oval Office Tuesday, May 5, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza.

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, April 25 - President Obama sent a letter to Israeli President Shimon Peres congratulating Israel on 64 years of independence, which will be celebrated on Independence Day (Yom Ha’Atzmaut in Hebrew) Thursday.

The state of Israel was formally established on May 14, 1948, when the British relinquished control over the territory and Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, declared independence. The following day, armies from the surrounding Arab nations invaded the nascent Jewish state. After months of heavy fighting and casualties on both sides, the War of Independence officially ended in January 1949.

Independence Day is observed on the 5th of Iyar in the Hebrew lunar calendar, which means it falls on a different date each year in the western calendar.

In the letter, Obama reaffirmed U.S.’s commitment to “Israel’s security and a comprehensive peace in the region.”

The letter was originally published in The Times of Israel. Read the full letter after the jump.

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Obama: ‘Never again’ is a challenge to reject hatred in all of its forms

April 23, 2012 Leave a comment

President Obama Addressing AIPAC in March2012

President Obama Addressing AIPAC in March 2012

By Ashley Gold and Jennifer Packer

Washington, April 23 – “I said I will always be there for Israel,” President Obama said at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum today.

Honoring Holocaust Remembrance Day, he vowed Monday to use the power of the U.S. government to protect Israel and ensure Iran is stopped from harming the Jewish state through its nuclear program. “When faced with a regime that threatens global security and denies the Holocaust and threatens to destroy Israel, the United States will do everything in our power to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon,” the President said as he stood with Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Laureate Elie Wiesel at the museum.

Holocaust Remembrance Day was April 19, when the world mourned the slaughter of an estimated six million Jews and five million other people during World War II who perished at the hands of the Nazi regime. As the number of Holocaust survivors diminishes – 12,000 reportedly died in the last year - Israel strives to keep their memory alive and promote public education about the Holocaust

“’Never again’ is a challenge to reject hatred in all of its forms – including anti-Semitism, which has no place in a civilized world,” Obama said. “‘Never again’ is a challenge to defend the fundamental right of free people and free nations to exist in peace and security – and that includes the State of Israel.”

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Obama pays tribute to memory of Holocaust victims

April 19, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, April 19 – Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, known in Hebrew as “Yom HaShoah.” The day commemorates the Nazi regime’s killing of an estimated six million Jews and five million other people during World War II.

In Israel, a siren sounded at 10:00 a.m. on Yom HaShoah, announcing a two-minute moment of silence when Israelis halt their activities – drivers even stop and get out of their cars – to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust.

On Monday, President Obama will address survivors and their families at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  He made a statement today, saying “never again” should be more than an empty slogan:

On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, I join people of all faiths across the United States, in Israel and around the world in paying tribute to all who suffered in the Shoah—a horrific crime without parallel in human history.  We honor the memory of six million innocent men, women and children who were sent to their deaths simply because of their Jewish faith.  We stand in awe of those who fought back, in the ghettos and in the camps, against overwhelming odds.  And in the year of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Raoul Wallenberg, we are humbled by the rescuers who refused to be bystanders to evil.

On this day, and all days, we must do more than remember.  We must resolve that “never again” is more than an empty slogan.  As individuals, we must guard against indifference in our hearts and recognize ourselves in our fellow human beings.  As societies, we must stand against ignorance and anti-Semitism, including those who try to deny the Holocaust.  As nations, we must do everything we can to prevent and end atrocities in our time.  This is the work I will advance when I join survivors and their families at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on Monday.  This must be the work of us all, as nations and peoples who cherish the dignity of every human being.

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Analysts talk timing on Iran, U.S. presidential race

April 10, 2012 Leave a comment

By Ari Bildner, Staff Writer

Washington, April 10 – On the eve of fresh international talks with Iran over halting its suspected nuclear weapons program, three top observers of the situation offered predictions for the future of the standoff ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.

Brookings Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy senior fellows Shibley Telhami, Suzanne Maloney and Michael Doran all said that envoys to the upcoming P5+1 Talks with Iran this weekend should not expect any breakthroughs.

Some western diplomats hold “a fear of exacerbating the relationship with Iran,” Doran said, while leaders of the Islamic Republic are “masters of spinning nothing into negotiations.”

Yet Telhami said the possibility of negotiation with Iran remains, even if the country thought such talks would be risky if it wanted to preempt what it sees as a credible Israeli threat with an attack on the Jewish state.

Maloney said Congressional Republican’s outmaneuvering of President Obama on sanctions weakened the administration and added to pessimism over the upcoming talks.

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