Appearing at a Republican Jewish Coalition forum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called for “a dramatically rethought strategy for the Middle East.”
Gingrich was one of six GOP presidential hopefuls who took the stage separately at the candidates’ forum Dec. 7, laying out their lines of attack against President Barack Obama and offering a preview of how Middle East issues might play out in a general election battle.
The current leaders of the GOP pack, Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, appeared to cement their status as favorites of Jewish Republicans, both receiving warm receptions and ample applause from the Washington audience less than a month before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses.
The candidates touched on economic issues while largely avoiding certain social issues, such as abortion and religion, that tend to push Jewish voters away from Republicans. Instead, they focused their comments on foreign policy, assailing the Obama administration for its policies toward Israel and Iran and vowing they would be better friends to the Jewish state and tougher foes for the Islamic Republic.
Gingrich said the U.S. needs to prepare for a “long struggle with radical Islamists.”
He also took aim at recent remarks by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who urged Israel to “mend fences” with its neighbors. “This one-sided continuing pressure that says it’s always Israel’s fault, no matter how bad the other side is, has to stop,” Gingrich said.
Romney blasted Obama’s handling of relations with Israel, charging that the president has “publicly proposed that Israel adopt indefensible borders … insulted its prime minister, and [has] been timid and weak in the face of the existential threat of a nuclear Iran.”
The candidates talked tough on Iran and had more tough words for the Obama administration.
“On Iran, the only rational long-term policy is regime replacement,” Gingrich said in response to a question from an audience member.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry warned that Obama’s “failed policy of outreach to Tehran” has left the U.S. “with only two options: a military strike or a nuclear Iran.”
One issue mostly missing from the RJC forum, which also included candidates Jon Huntsman, former Sen. Rick Santorum and Rep. Michele Bachmann, was aid to Israel.
The topic became a campaign flash point after Perry said at a debate that all U.S. aid allotments to foreign countries should start at zero and be considered anew each year, and Gingrich and Romney immediately agreed.
Asked whether his framework also would apply to Israel, Perry answered that it would, though he stressed that Israel would likely continue to receive funding at a “high level.”
For weeks, leading Jewish Democrats have been highlighting the issue, accusing the Republican contenders of lacking commitment to American aid to Israel.
“I am deeply disappointed that Governor Romney refused to state whether he supports the [memorandum of understanding] between the U.S. and Israel in his address this morning to the Republican Jewish Coalition,” Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.) said in a statement.
Overall, while the RJC forum garnered plenty of media attention, it did not yield much of substance. Gingrich offered the only real news of the night when he said he would offer the job of secretary of state to former American diplomat John Bolton.
Bolton served for less than a year as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the second Bush administration. Known for his confrontational style, Bolton is a favorite of conservatives but a pariah to liberals who see him as an undiplomatic diplomat.
The real headlines — and fallout — from the GOP ranks came later in the week with the release of an interview Gingrich did with the Jewish Channel.
In the interview, Gingrich labeled Palestinians “an invented” people. After coming under criticism — including from Romney, who called his opponent’s comments “incendiary” — Gingrich said he stood by his characterization but reaffirmed his support for a negotiated settlement including a Palestinian state.
This article was produced in cooperation with the Washington Jewish Week.