DENVER (JTA) – President Bush and John McCain backed policies that have endangered Israel, Democrats argued during their convention speeches Wednesday night.
In a night dedicated largely to foreign policy and national security issues, several speakers at the Pepsi Center in Denver, where the convention is being held, argued that Israel’s enemies have been emboldened by Republican mishaps. The strategy reflected an increased willingness by Democrats to go on the attack against the Bush administration over Israel, after years of simply insisting both sides of the aisle were equally supportive of the Jewish state.
Alan Solomont, a top fund raiser for Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in 2004 and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) this time around, told JTA that four years ago it was the “belief of the Kerry campaign that [Israel] was not a point of differentiation therefore the campaign did focus on other issues.”
Not this year. Among those who used their speeches to hammer home the new talking points were:
* Kerry: “George Bush, with John McCain at his side, promised to spread freedom but delivered the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time. They misread the threat and misled the country. Instead of freedom, it’s Hamas, Hezbollah, the Taliban and dictators everywhere that are on the march. North Korea has more bombs, and Iran is defiantly chasing one.”
* Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.): “Under George Bush, the Middle East has become more troubled. That hurts America and endangers our ally, Israel, which has been forced to confront a resurgent Hamas, an emboldened Hezbollah and an Iran determined to get nuclear weapons. That is not the change we need.”
* Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.): “We entered into an unnecessary war and remain bogged down in Iraq as Afghanistan backslides and the architects of Sept. 11 remain free. On Bush and McCain’s watch, we have witnessed the growing influence of a belligerent Iran that has destabilized the Middle East and threatens our ally, Israel.”
During their respective speeches, President Clinton and Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), focused on the harm done by what they described as the Bush administration’s failure to utilize diplomacy.
Clinton argued that America’s “position in the world has been weakened by,” among other things, “a failure to consistently use the power of diplomacy, from the Middle East to Africa to Latin America to Center and Eastern Europe.”
As for Biden, he pointed to Iran as a hot spot where the United States has failed diplomatically.
“Should we trust John McCain’s judgment when he rejected talking with Iran and then asked: What is there to talk about? Or Barack Obama, who said we must talk and make it clear to Iran that its conduct must change,” Biden said. “Now, after seven years of denial, even the Bush administration recognizes that we should talk to Iran, because that’s the best way to advance our security. Again, John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.”
Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, fired back on Thursday, noting that Bush had “redefined” the U.S. relationship with the Palestinians, marginalized Yasser Arafat, supported Israel’s construction of the West Bank security fence, and been described as the most pro-Israel president by two Israeli prime ministers.
“I don’t know how an appeasement policy being advocatecd by Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden makes israel any more safe and secure,” Brooks said.
Brooks also took issue with the Democrats describing the war in Iraq as a disaster that threatened Israel’s security.
“I think its absolotely ludicrous for them to make that argument,” Brooks said. “At the end of the day, we took out one of the most depostic dictators and destabilizing regimes in Iraq that was paying $25,000 to families of suicide bombers sent to kill Israeli civilians.”
Obama drew criticism from his onetime primary opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), and from Republicans for his statement last year that he would be willing to meet with the president of Iran; he and Biden were two of just two dozen senators to oppose an amendment urging the declaration of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist group.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has since said that he supported the Bush administration’s ultimate decision to take such a step, but objected to the amendment out of fear that the Bush administration would unduly treat it as an approval for attacking Iran. In general, the Obama campaign has argued that its ticket would adopt a tougher and smarter approach to isolating Iran in an effort to short circuit its nuclear pursuits.
Republicans, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani earlier this week, have been painting Obama as naive and undependable when it comes to safeguarding Israel. And, in recent days, they have also attempted to challenge Biden’s pro-Israel bona fides. The Republican Jewish Coalition issued a statement Wednesday citing a 1982 clash that Biden had with Israel’s then-prime minister, Menachem Begin, in which the Delaware senator criticized Israeli settlement expansion and reportedly raised the possibility of cutting U.S. aid to Israel over the issue. In addition, the RJC cited several pro-Israel congressional letters and resolution that Biden did not sign on to.
Biden, who has worked closely with Israel and Jewish groups on many issues, was praised by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee upon being tapped by Obama.
During his speech, Wexler – who boasts of being the first Jewish congressman to back Obama’s presidential bid – described the nominee as a staunch supporter of Israel.
“In his heart, in his gut, Barack Obama stands with Israel,” Wexler said, adding that the candidate “understands the threats Israel faces from Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran. And as President, Barack Obama will strongly support Israel’s right and capability to defend itself, and finally make progress toward the goal of a two-state solution that preserves Israel’s security as a Jewish state.”
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