Madeleine Albright on U.S.-Israel relationship, Iran, Arab Spring

September 5, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright

Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 5 – Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright expressed optimism about both the Arab Spring and Middle East peace talks while speaking during an event at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday.

“For those of us who are pro-Israel, and I consider myself one of them,” she said during The Bloomberg Link interview with Norman Pearlstine, “we believe Israel would be more secure with a two-state solution … and we want to see talks move forward.”

Saying that President Obama has been a good partner with Israel, she discussed connections between the two countries. We have a natural link to Israel based on democracy, she said.

Regarding discussions about the 2012 DNC platform being less pro-Israel than in 2008, the former Secretary of State said that is untrue.

“Jerusalem is one of the final status issues that needs to be dealt with in negotiations,” said Albright.

Read more of this post

Filed under Arab Spring, Iran, Israel Tagged with , , , , ,

Robert Wexler on Obama’s Middle East policies

September 4, 2012 Leave a comment

By Lauren Appelbaum, Political Director

Former Rep. Robert Wexler, President of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace; Foreign Policy Advisor, Obama 2012 Campaign

Former Rep. Robert Wexler

Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 4 – Robert Wexler, president of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace and Obama 2012 campaign foreign policy adviser, spoke Tuesday evening about President Obama’s Middle East policy and his support for Israel.

“Now is the time to continue the strong U.S.-Israel relationship,” the former representative from Florida said at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. “Now is the time to support Israel as a thriving, democratic home for the Jewish people.”

Watch the full video of Wexler’s speech on C-SPAN here: Robert Wexler at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

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

Minority relationships highlighted at DNC events

September 4, 2012 Leave a comment

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)

By Lauren Appelbaum and Melissa Weiss

Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 4 – The Jewish population is small in America – approximately two percent of the U.S. population. However, Jewish Americans remain a key electoral demographic for both parties.

And the American Jewish Committee (AJC) – a nonpartisan organization hosting educational events during both conventions – is putting the spotlight on coalitions between the Jewish community and other communities including Mormons, African Americans, Indians and Latinos.

During the Republican National Convention, Mormon and faith leaders said Israel ties are valued as part of Mormon-Jewish cooperation. Today, as AJC focused on both Black-Jewish and Indian-Jewish relations, both panels stressed that each community has much in common with Jewish Americans, and that each constituency has support – in most cases – for Israel.

Read more of this post

Filed under Congress, Israel Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

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.

Read more of this post

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

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.’

Filed under Iran, Israel, Mitt Romney Tagged with , , , ,

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.

Read more of this post

Filed under Arab Spring, Congress, Iran, Israel, Syria Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

Read more of this post

Filed under Congress, Iran, Israel, Mitt Romney Tagged with , , , , ,

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.”

Read more of this post

Filed under Congress, Iran, Israel, Mitt Romney Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

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.

Read more of this post

Filed under Israel, Mitt Romney Tagged with , , , , , ,

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.

Read more of this post

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

← Older posts

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 30 other followers