As a patriotic Jewish American, I care deeply about Israel’s well being, as well as that of our own country.
In evaluating the two presidential candidates, I look at their statements, accomplishments and current and past advisers, with our future and Israel’s foremost in my mind.
Today, the pro-Israel choice is clear: Sen. John McCain. I regret that this choice is not shared by my coreligionists who vote Democratic and fail to appreciate the growing menace of Islamic extremism to both the United States and Israel.
I realize that for many Jewish Americans, Israel’s and America’s safety and security might be a lower priority than certain social issues, such as preserving abortion rights. If McCain had made abortion a defining issue in his public life, then this concern might have some validity. Instead, McCain has focused on national security and understands how to deal with the threat to America and free peoples around the world.
In my years in Washington, going back to my first positions in the JFK administration, I have worked for a liberal Democratic congressman and a liberal Democratic senator. Today I am more closely aligned with the diminishing number of Democrats who are considered centrists of the Joe Lieberman and Henry “Scoop” Jackson variety.
Oft-floated comparisons between Obama and the young and charismatic John F. Kennedy come up short. Actually, it is McCain, not Obama, who, like Kennedy, was commissioned as a naval officer, awarded the Purple Heart and decorated for helping his comrades. Much like JFK, McCain has pledged to fight for freedom around the world.
Many in Congress have fine Israel-related voting records. Obama, in his very brief career, is among them. But some of these same legislators also appear reluctant to confront the growing menace of Islamofacism and the threat it presents to America’s vital interests in the Middle East and to Israel’s survival.
Only one presidential candidate repeatedly states that “the transcendent challenge we face today is the menace of Islamic extremism.” McCain asserts this frequently to all kinds of audiences, and at all times. McCain offers a clear choice to voters Nov. 4, as he acknowledges the grim reality of today’s world.
One can respect Obama for his ambition, his meteoric rise and his rhetorical skills. But his equivocation on issues such as Jerusalem, public campaign financing and the surge in Iraq is disturbing, as is his approach to dealing with Iran. Even more troubling, he has spoken of the “legitimate claims” of Hezbollah and Hamas.
Also worrisome is his ultra-liberal voting record in the short time he has served in the Senate — a record that does not fit with someone who claims to be a “unifier.” A unifier might be expected to come from the middle of a party, the place that gave us the constructive and bipartisan Senate Gang of 14, which forged a compromise on judicial appointments. Obama was nowhere to be seen in that group; McCain was a lead member. And it is McCain, not Obama, who has pledged to appoint members of both parties to his presidential cabinet.
Another primary concern is Obama’s meager national security record.
Instead of arriving at well-established positions through years of intensive deliberation and consideration, he will have to rely more heavily on a group of advisers — some 300, by his own count. Given the backgrounds of several of the more prominent people who have counseled him to date and the endorsements he has received from an infamous list of Israel bashers, this is surely not a promising sign.
One speech to AIPAC cannot make up for off-the-cuff remarks that raise serious questions.
We live in a very dangerous world, with unprecedented challenges from Iran, Iraq, Russia, North Korea, Afghanistan, China, global terrorism, Middle East oil and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Given the two candidates’ records, experience, and core values, the choice for Jewish Americans should not be difficult: John McCain for president.
Morris J. Amitay, a Washington attorney, is a former executive director of AIPAC and founder of the pro-Israel Washington PAC.
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