Herbits: GOP Israel Attacks “Threaten the Safety and Security of the Jewish State”

Sari Weintraub — October 24, 2012 – 2:57 pm | Barack Obama | Foreign Policy | Israel | Republicans Comments (0) Add a comment

In an op-ed published this week in The Palm Beach Post, former secretary general to the World Jewish Congress, Stephen Herbits, explained how the Republicans’ constant smears of President Barack Obama’s Israel record are “antithetical to Israel’s well-being.” Herbits wrote:

From calling him a closet Muslim to serially misrepresenting his statements, the purpose of these assertions is to create the appearance of a rift between the Obama administration and Israel in an effort to diminish Democratic Jewish support. In doing so, these Republicans disregard the danger they are posing to the Jewish state.

Creating a faux rift between Israel and the U.S. sends a terrible message to Israel’s enemies. At a time when Iran is closer than ever to developing nuclear weapons capability, the worst message to send Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is of a conflict between Washington and Jerusalem on how to confront his regime. Such rhetoric, while potentially expedient, emboldens the Iranians and makes Israel less safe…

There is another near-term effect of using Israel as a wedge issue. The American electorate cannot tolerate manipulation, and will not take kindly to the appearance of interference from a foreign nation - even an ally - in its domestic politics. For Republicans to contort every statement by Israel’s prime minister as being a sign of support for Mitt Romney and condemnation of President Obama is disingenuous and damaging. Fair-minded Americans will punish the Republicans and Israel for such manipulation.

A further element of the long-term damage Republicans are creating occurs when they give voice to those who may not be naturally predisposed to support the Jewish state strongly. The danger in lambasting President Obama carries the risk - win or lose - that despite his long, strong history of supporting Israel, he was punished for it politically…

More than ever, Israel needs the unqualified, bipartisan support of the United States. In our politics, there are many things that we disagree about. But support for Israel is not one of them. Republicans must resist the urge to turn Israel into a political issue. Republican victory cannot come at the expense of an Israeli defeat.

Click here to read the op-ed.

 

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