October 9, 2008
I have not been so alarmed about the future of America and Israel since I was in college during the Vietnam War and Israel’s wars of survival. The choice of our country’s next president will determine the future of our civil liberties, individual freedoms like a woman’s right to choose, and the separation of church and state. Equally important, Israel’s survival may depend on the decisions of the next president. At this crucial time, John McCain and Sarah Palin are the wrong choice to be our new national leaders. We need to elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Never have two presidential candidates offered a more contrasting vision for our country.
I spend a great amount of my time thinking about the future of the Jewish community and Israel. I initially supported Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, but after Obama’s victory, I took the time to study his views on Israel and on domestic issues, and met with his key Jewish supporters. They range from prominent members of the Chicago Jewish community, such as Penny Pritzker, to respected national politicians who are strong supporters of Israel, such as Rep. Steve Rothman (D-NJ).
Rothman serves on the defense subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for military appropriations to Israel. At a recent gathering, he shared that he has spent his public life advocating for and supporting Israel, and would never support anyone who did not share his unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.
I also was greatly influenced by Obama’s support from respected, independent, nonpartisan experts on the Middle East. They include Ambassador Dennis Ross, Middle East envoy to Presidents George H.W. Bush and Clinton; Daniel Kurtzer, former U.S. ambassador to Egypt and Israel (2001-2005); and former National Security Adviser Tony Lake (who is Jewish). (Contrary to some Republican claims, critics of Israel such as Robert Malley and Zbigniew Brzezinski are not Obama advisers.)
At a seminar I attended, Kurtzer reiterated that Obama is absolutely committed to containing Iran. Obama was a primary sponsor of the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act in Congress, and stated to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in June: “We will also use all elements of American power to pressure Iran. I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. That starts with aggressive, principled diplomacy without self-defeating preconditions, but with a clear-eyed understanding of our interests.”
Obama’s commitment to “aggressive, principled diplomacy” is not appeasement; rather it is another weapon that has never been given a chance during the disastrous past eight years of this administration. I spent over a year in Iran when I was in college, speak Farsi, and know many Iranians. I believe Obama’s approach to dealing with Iran has a far better chance of succeeding than the ignorant and ideologically driven Bush/McCain/Palin refusal to negotiate.
Obama’s advisers unequivocally state that Obama is a strong supporter of Israel and the U.S.-Israel relationship, and that he is committed to the two-state solution — Israel and a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security.
Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as his vice presidential choice backs this up. As AIPAC spokesman Josh Block said, “Biden is a strong supporter of the U.S.-Israel relationship; he has been a staunch supporter of U.S. aid to Israel; he is a leader in the fight against Palestinian terrorism, and is a vocal advocate of the special relationship between the two democracies.”
If John McCain is elected, Jewish Americans stand to lose on the domestic issues that have always been our priority. Sarah Palin, McCain’s choice as running mate, espouses views that could not be further from our beliefs. She inquired about banning books at a public library, is adamantly opposed to a woman’s right to choose, and represents an evangelical agenda that does not separate church and state. Palin is vastly inexperienced to assume the leadership of our nation, but if McCain were elected, the prospect of Palin succeeding him in office is not far-fetched and is absolutely frightening.
Their election would enable them to select conservative justices for the U.S. Supreme Court, who would overturn protections of a woman’s right to choose and curtail our civil rights and freedoms. Their administration’s priority will be the agenda of the Evangelicals who are now pouring money into their campaign, not the agenda of those who promote social and economic issues that must be addressed, including fixing our sliding economy, making health care affordable for all Americans, and shoring up Social Security.
Never in recent memory have two presidential candidates offered a more contrasting vision for our country. If we choose McCain/Palin, we are promised more years of the same failed Bush foreign policies, more years of being bogged down in Iraq. If they are elected, I fear for the country and world in which my four children are growing up.
By contrast, Obama promises support for Israel that would be more than words, focused on bringing peace to the Middle East, ending the war in Iraq, and dealing with our real adversaries, Iran and Islamic terrorists. Domestically, Obama will safeguard beliefs held by the majority of the Jewish community. He will address our pressing social and economic issues.
Barack Obama offers a brighter vision.
Rob Bildner is cochair of New Jersey Obama Jewish Outreach.
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