Romney talks Israel, Iran during RNC

August 31, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Tampa, Fla., Aug. 31 – Republican nominee for president Mitt Romney criticized President Obama Thursday evening for the handling of several situations in the Middle East – including Israel and Iran.

During the speech where he officially accepted the Republican nomination., Romney called for the U.S. to take a stronger role in the relationship.

“President Obama has thrown allies like Israel under the bus, even as he has relaxed sanctions on Castro’s Cuba,” Romney said to boos that were directed at Obama’s Israel policies.

Romney praised Obama for taking out Osama bin Laden but then said, “America is less secure today because he has failed to slow Iran’s nuclear threat.”

“Obama said we should talk to Iran,” Romney said. “We’re still talking and Iran’s centrifuges are still spinning.’

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Middle East experts focus on U.S.-Israel relationship during RNC

August 30, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum and Ashley Gold

AJC Panel on U.S. Values and Interests in a Changing Middle East with Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), AJC's Jason Isaacson, Amb. Mark Green, Amb. Barukh Binah

AJC Panel on U.S. Values and Interests in a Changing Middle East with Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), AJC’s Jason Isaacson, Amb. Mark Green, Amb. Barukh Binah

Tampa, Fla., Aug. 30 – While the Middle East is shifting, Israel needs to remain a stronghold, Israeli Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy in Washington, Amb. Barukh Binah, said Thursday.

Speaking on the final day of the Republican National Convention during a panel titled “U.S. Values and Interests in a Changing Region,” Binah focused on two concerns to the security of both Israel and the U.S. – Iran and Syria.

“Iran is a huge obstacle, a huge hurdle,” Binah said. “It is not just a threat beyond the horizon; it is a day to day nuisance.”

Regarding the U.S.-Israel relationship, the Israeli Ambassador said, “Israel does not have a better ally than the United States, and the United States does not have a better ally than Israel.”

“There is no more important value for the U.S. in the Middle East than maintaining alliances,” Binah added.

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McCain foreign policy speech highlights differences between Obama, Romney

August 29, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum

Tampa, Fla., Aug. 29 – Sen. John McCain delivered a major foreign policy speech during the Republican National Convention, outlining differences he believes exist between a potential Mitt Romney administration and a Barack Obama administration.

“We can’t afford to cause our friends and allies – from Latin America to Asia, Europe to the Middle East, and especially in Israel, a nation under existential threat – to doubt America’s leadership,” the Arizona Republican said to applause.

McCain criticized President Obama for not interfering in Iran and Syria earlier. He said Obama should have assisted Iranian civilians in their uprising against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other leaders.

“The president missed a historic opportunity to throw America’s full moral support behind an Iranian revolution that shared one of our highest interests: ridding Iran of a brutal dictatorship that terrorizes the Middle East and threatens the world.”

Romney has called for “crippling sanctions” and said would consider military action to prevent a nuclear Iran, a policy not unlike what Obama has said.

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Republicans pledge support for Israel

August 29, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum and Ashley Gold

Eric Cantor (R-Va.) addressing the Republican Jewish Coalition

Eric Cantor (R-Va.) addressing the Republican Jewish Coalition

Tampa, Fla., Aug. 29 – Republican members of Congress – who are primarily speaking about domestic issues – joined together to express their support for Israel Wednesday afternoon.

Speaking at an event sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition, the members of Congress stressed two themes – the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship and stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“This world would change dramatically if we ever allowed Iran to have nuclear weapons,” Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said.

Royce discussed attacks in Europe on Jews by Hezbollah. “Who would have thought we would see attacks in Europe?” Royce said.

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) said the U.S. needs to support Israel precisely because of the threat from Iran. “Israel and U.S. share a common enemy,” West said. “So goes Israel, eventually so goes the U.S.”

“We’ll continue to stand side-by-side with Israel,” West continued, saying so not only the people in attendance but their children and grandchildren “can visit a safe and secure Israel for not 10 years but for 100 years.”

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Israel ties valued as part of Mormon-Jewish cooperation

August 28, 2012 1 Comment

AJC's Richard Foltin, St. Leo University's Dr. Abraham Peck, AIPAC's Gregory Smith

AJC’s Richard Foltin, St. Leo University’s Dr. Abraham Peck, AIPAC’s Gregory Smith

By Lauren Appelbaum and Ashley Gold

Tampa, Fla., Aug. 28 – “Why should Jews and Mormons sit and talk?” Dr. Abraham Peck asked during a panel organized by the American Jewish Committee at the Republican National Convention.

Peck, executive director of the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at St. Leo University in Florida, said both Jews and Mormons need to be included in interfaith dialogue which is taking on greater importance in the United States.

The two groups have a strong basis for friendship, stemming from the fact that that Mormons see Jews as biblically-related cousins and that both religions place a high value on primacy of the family.

Fellow panelist Gregory Smith, who is Mormon and now works for the pro-Israel lobbying organization AIPAC, expressed the same sentiment when describing his journey to become an Israel advocate.

“It’s an American value to support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship,” Smith said – something Mormons and Jews both believe very strongly.

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Obama for America announces Rabbis for Obama

August 21, 2012 3 Comments

President Obama at ‪Jewish‬ American Heritage Month reception, May 30, 2012 - Photo by William Daroff

President Obama at ‪Jewish‬ American Heritage Month reception, May 30, 2012 – Photo by William Daroff

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Aug. 21 – The Obama for America campaign has launched “Rabbis for Obama,” a group of rabbis from various denominations and from around the country whose goal is to “engage and mobilize grassroots supporters.”

“These rabbis mirror the diversity of American Jewry,” said Ira Forman who is the Jewish Outreach Director for the campaign.  ”Their ringing endorsement of President Obama speaks volumes about the President’s deep commitment to the security of the state of Israel and his dedication to a policy agenda that represents the values of the overwhelming majority of the American Jewish community.”

The three co-chairs include Rabbis Steven Bob and Sam Gordon, both of  Illinois and both founding co-chairs of Rabbis for Obama in 2008, and Rabbi Burt Visotzky of New York, who was a vice chair in 2008. More than 600 rabbis have signed on to be part of Rabbis for America; this number is double the number from the 2008 Rabbis for Obama group.

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Washington Post: Two-state solution still in GOP platform

August 21, 2012 1 Comment

From Rosalind S. Helderman of the Washington Post:

TAMPA — The Republican party platform will continue to endorse a two-state solution as the path to peace between Israel and her Palestinian neighbors, at the urging of a top Mitt Romney adviser.

The 112-delegates gathering here to draft the party’s platform defeated three separate amendments that would have removed language endorsing two democratic states, a Jewish state of Israel and a Palestinian state, existing side-by-side.

U.S. policy has endorsed a two-state solution for years, as did Republicans’ 2008 platform. But several delegates sought to remove the language, arguing it undercut other platform language offering unambiguous support for Israel and would pressure Israel to negotiate. One delegate suggested the GOP’s platform too closely resembles the position of Democrats and President Obama on the issue.

The amendments were defeated at the urging of former Sen. Jim Talent, who serves on the committee as a representative from Missouri and is an adviser to Romney. He noted that a two-state solution is Israel’s own policy, endorsed repeatedly by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“How do we express support for Israel if we offer an amendment that is pushing them in the direction of abandoning the policy they’ve chosen?” he argued.

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Obama: Chemical weapons in Syria a “Red Line” for U.S.

August 20, 2012 Leave a comment

By Jennifer Packer, Political Analyst

Washington, Aug. 20 – The United States has refrained from military engagement in the Syrian conflict, but that would change if there’s any sign that the Syrian regime is moving to or using chemical or biological weapons, President Obama said Monday.

“That’s an issue that doesn’t just concern Syria; it concerns our close allies in the region, including Israel; it concerns us. We cannot have a situation where chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people,” the president said in an unscheduled appearance in the White House briefing room.

Syria’s stockpile reportedly includes mustard gas as well as nerve agents such as Sarin, Tabun and VX.

“We have been very clear (not just) to the Assad regime but also to other players on the ground (that) a red line for us is if we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. That would change my calculus,” Obama said.

More than 20,000 people – most of them civilians, have been killed  in Syria’s year-and-a-half conflict.

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Obama leads Romney in recent panel survey of Israeli experts

August 20, 2012 3 Comments

By Melissa Weiss, Staff Writer

President Obama addressing AIPAC in March2012

President Obama addressing AIPAC in March 2012

Washington, Aug. 20 – President Obama bested presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on topics related to Israel in a recent panel survey of Israeli experts conducted by Israeli journalist Shmuel Rosner. The president garnered a score of 7.4 (out of 10) while the former governor of Massachusetts received a 7.2.

Because the results are based only on the answers of the panelists and not from a wider range of interviewees, the survey cannot be viewed as legitimate polling data, but rather provides an additional voice in the “who is better for Israel” argument being had among American Jews.

The panel is comprised of Israeli experts who were asked questions on issues ranging from Romney’s recent trip to Israel to the situation in Iran. A final question, asking panelists to rate both candidates on a scale of 1-10 (one being bad, 10 being good), the difference between the two was .2, the first time Obama has led over his competitor.

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Israeli Jews: Romney more concerned about Israel’s interests than Obama

August 18, 2012 Leave a comment

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat introduces Mitt Romney in Jerusalem, July 29, 2012 - Photo by Elizabeth Levy

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat introduces Mitt Romney in Jerusalem, July 29, 2012 – Photo by Elizabeth Levy

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Aug. 18 – A new Peace Index poll says double the number of Israeli Jews say presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is more concerned about Israel’s interests than incumbent President Obama.

According to the poll, 40 percent of the respondents said Romney “assigns more importance to defending Israel’s national interests” while 19 percent answered the question with Obama. Ten percent said “both to the same extent” while 25 percent said they did not know and six percent said neither.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta meets with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Jerusalem, July 31, 2012

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta meets with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Jerusalem, July 31, 2012

Another finding from the survey is that a large majority of the public (70 percent) said Israel cannot rely on the recent promise by U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that the United States will not allow Iran to have nuclear weapons.

This survey holds importance because some Israeli Jews hold dual citizenship, are eligible to vote in U.S. elections and care about the next president’s relationship with Israel. A new organization called iVote Israel was started by American-Israelis with the goal of registering these people to vote in U.S. elections for a president “who will support and stand by Israel in absolute commitment to its safety, security and right to defend itself.”

iVote Israel’s goal is for American-Israelis to be fully represented. The 2000 Bush-Gore Presidential elections came down to 537 absentee ballots cast in Florida and 64 of those were cast from Israel. Thousands of Israelis who hold dual citizenship were residents in Florida.

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