Hillary, Obama Court Jewish Vote
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Both Clinton and Obama are vying to become the favorite candidate of the
powerful Jewish community.
CAIRO — The two leading contenders for the Democratic presidential ticket are
courting American Jews, pledging full support and protection to Israel and firm
stance against its foes, The Washington Times reported on Wednesday, March 14.
"I need your help," Senator Hillary Clinton told delegates of the American
Israel Public Affair Committee (AIPAC), the most powerful pro-Israel lobby in
the US.
She pledged that Israel will have her utter support as a president.
"Israel's freedom, Israel's democracy must be protected," Clinton told the
cheering crowd.
Not very far from where she was standing, her main challenger Senator Barack
Obama was also busy making similar pro-Israel promises.
"Our job is to renew the effort to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors
while remaining vigilant against those who do not share this vision," said the
first African-American to enter a presidential bid.
"That effort begins with a clear and strong commitment to the security of
Israel, our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy."
Using the same language at points, the two hopefuls separately promised the
Jewish lobbyists to contain Iran, Israel's arch foe enemy.
Founded in 1953, AIPAC's original name was the American Zionist Committee for
Public Affairs.
Its stated purpose is to lobby the Congress on issues and legislation that are
in the best interests of Israel and the US.
AIPAC has been effective in gaining support for Israel among members of
Congress and White House administrations.
In 1987, The New York Times described AIPAC as "a major force in shaping United
States policy in the Middle East."
"The organization has gained power to influence a presidential candidate's
choice of staff, to block practically any arms sale to an Arab country and to
serve as a catalyst for intimate military relations between the Pentagon and
the Israeli army."
Pivotal
Clinton and Obama are battling to win favor with the American Jewish
population, estimated at 6.4 million or 2 percent of the population.
So far, ex-New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a contender for the Republican
presidential ticket, seems to be the Jews' favorite.
He ranked above all the other 2008 hopefuls in a list compiled lately by the
Israeli newspaper Haaretz for his stance on Jewish issues.
"Israel and the security of Israel are pivotal and it will have a direct impact
on the security of the United States," argued Julie Brown, a delegate to AIPAC
from Los Angeles.
"The candidates recognize the importance of that and the impact the Jewish vote
will have on the election."
Jewish voters are estimated to be 2 to 3 percent of the American electorate.
"Never before have my interests as a supporter of Israel and my interests as an
American been so closely aligned," Lloyd Levin, a Jewish voter from Milwaukee,
told the Times.
There are 43 Jewish lawmakers in the Democrats-controlled Congress, many of
them chairing key congressional committees such as the House International
Relations Committee (HIRC) and the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee.
A year ago, two prominent American professors released a study showing that the
US has been willing to set aside its own security and that of many of its
allies to advance Israeli interests.
They attributed this to pressures from Jewish American groups and influential
Jewish neo-conservatives.
Shima Derus
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