GOP Hopefuls: Stronger Stand on Iran Needed

March 6, 2012 1 Comment

By Ari Bildner, Staff Writer

Washington, March 6 – On the day of a pivotal primary election, three Republican presidential candidates re-emphasized on Tuesday their commitment to stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and promised to go further than President Barack Obama in standing with Israel on the issue.

“In a Romney administration there will be no gap between our leaders,” former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said. “I will bring the current policy of procrastination toward Iran to an end.”

Romney, former Sen. Rick Santorum and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich were speaking to the 14,000-plus delegates at the policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Santorum addressed the convention in person, while Romney and Gingrich appeared via webcam from the campaign trail on “Super Tuesday,” when 10 states hold their Republican primaries.

“While I cannot be with you, I stand with you,” Romney told the more than 13,000 pro-Israel activists attending the session. “I share your commitment to a strong and secure Israel. And I salute your tireless work to strengthen our alliance.”

“A nuclear Iran is not only a problem for Israel,” Romney said. “It is also a problem for America and the entire world.”

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Gingrich: Iran “red line is now”

March 6, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, March 6 – In an address to more than 13,000 Israel activists, Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich said the “red line is now” regarding Iran.

“As president, on my first day, I would undermine and replace the Iranian regime by any means necessary,” Gingrich said during the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference via satellite Tuesday morning. “We need a fundamental reassessment of our understanding of radical Islam.”

The former House Speaker also repeated his belief Israel would not have to give advance warning to a Gingrich administration if the prime minister felt the need to take military actions against Iran.

“I would require no advance notice to understand why I would support the rights of Israel to survive in a dangerous world,” Gingrich said.

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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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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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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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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.”

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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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Middle East Plays Part in Conservative Conference

February 10, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Washington, Feb. 10 – During a convention focused largely on domestic policies, the Middle East – and America’s involvement in the region – was not fully absent.

On the first day of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), analysts debating if the Arab Spring is good or bad for America said while the Arab Spring has created new challenges for American foreign policy, it is still hard to tell how it will unfold.

Three of the four Republican presidential hopefuls addressed the confab Friday. When former House Speaker Newt Gingrich repeated his pledge to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, he was rewarded with cheers from the audience.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney placed most of the emphasis on domestic issues, but he paused toward the end of his speech today to repeat an assurance that “America remains the greatest military power on the face of the earth.”

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Gingrich supports Israel’s right to defend itself from Iran

February 5, 2012 2 Comments

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

New York, Feb. 5 – Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said Friday he would support Israel if it attacked Iran.

“Israel has a right to defend itself; Israel cannot tolerate an Iranian nuclear weapon,” Gingrich said in an interview on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”

Speculation over whether Israel is preparing to attack Iran has been growing recently. Last week, Dr. Ronen Bergman published an article on if Israel will attack Iran. And on Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Israel may strike Iran as early as this spring.

Asked if the prime minister of Israel were to tell Gingrich as president that Israel is going to strike Iran, the former Speaker of the House said, “I would say, if you believe the survival of your country is at stake, what is it we could do to help you? … No American has the moral right to lecture an Israeli prime minister about what risk he or she should take with the survival of their country.”

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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.

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