Wasserman Schultz: Israel deserves to continue as a Jewish and democratic state
September 3, 2012 1 Comment
By Lauren Appelbaum and Melissa Weiss
DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz Addressing Jewish Democrats at the Democratic National Convention
Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 3 – Speaking to Jewish Democrats at the Democratic National Convention’s Jewish Community Outreach meeting, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) stressed that the president’s parameters for Middle East talks are good for Jewish Americans.
“Obama has stood by America’s ironclad relationship with Israel,” the chair of the Democratic National Committee said Monday.
Among the parameters, Obama values the importance of Israel remaining a strong Jewish state and being recognized by its neighbors as such, Schultz said. “Israel’s security is tantamount.”
“Israel deserves to continue as a Jewish and democratic state,” she said to TIP following her remarks.
Wasserman Shultz said she was proud to have been chosen by Obama to chair the DNC because of the president’s convictions.
“I am so proud of this president’s agenda in making sure Iran doesn’t attain a nuclear weapon, that all options are on the table, but that the military option is the last option,” she said.
Wasserman Shultz also spoke about domestic issues, stressing the importance of the Jewish values of ‘tikkun olam’ — repairing the world — and ‘gemilut hasidim’ — commitment to acts of loving kindness.
The rest of the session included message training for the participants. Director of Jewish Outreach for the Obama Campaign Ira Forman instructed the participants in how to talk to undecided Jewish Americans about why they should support Obama by talking about what the president has done for Israel. He listed several items, including Obama providing U.S. aid to Israel for enhanced security and the Iron Dome as well as pledging to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb.
In the end, all of the participants had the same message.
“We can send Barack Obama back to the White House on the shoulders of the Jewish community,” Wasserman Shultz said.
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I don’t know how any Jew can say with a straight face that “Obama values the importance of Israel remaining a strong Jewish state and being recognized by its neighbors as such.” If this is true, why does he endlessly pressure Israel to make land concessions for peace, while the Palestinians tell the world they will never recognize the Jewish state or allow a single Jew to live within the borders of a Palestinian state (if they ever get around to building one)? Why does Obama never demand an end to Palestinian incitement against Israel or Palestinian recognition of the Jewish state through the abandonment of the baseless Palestinian claim to Jerusalem? Why does Obama get a free pass for engaging with and funding Muslim supremacist organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, and others? A member of the white community who committed billions of dollars of aid to a white supremacist group or government would be excoriated and drummed out of office for such action. What makes it okay for a biracial black man to support supremacists of the Muslim kind? And what should Jews make of the fact that the DNC removed Jerusalem as the capital of Israel from their 2012 platform? President Obama provides Israel the minimum amount of assistance necessary to ensure continued intelligence and technological cooperation between Israel and the U.S. and a continued flow of money from gullible American Jews and others to support his campaign. This man does not care a fig for Israel. Neither does a growing swathe of the Democratic Party. Obama and the Democrats are playing Israel and us. I can’t say I’ve decided to vote for Romney, but I can say there’s no way I will vote for Obama.