GOP Pres. Contenders Place Politics Above Stopping Iran at AIPAC

NJDC — March 6, 2012 – 11:00 am | Barack Obama | Election 2012 | Foreign Policy | GOP Presidential Candidates 2012 | Israel | Mitt Romney | Stop the Smears Comments (0) Add a comment

Candidates Race to Turn Iran into Political Football

On Super Tuesday, GOP presidential candidates addressing the AIPAC Policy Conference made the dangerous decision once again to follow the lead of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) the night before - and make not just support for Israel but also the effort to stop Iran into a partisan political football. National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) President & CEO David A. Harris responded:

It is simply beyond the pale to trivialize the deadly danger Iran poses by turning it into yet another political football - particularly for such an issue of profound interest to America’s and Israel’s security. These candidates have worked overtime to turn support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship into a partisan wedge issue, and now they’re doing it surrounding the effort to stop Iran - and it must stop, for the sake of America and Israel both. Of course their claims have zero basis in fact. The Washington Post just gave Mitt Romney ‘Two Pinocchios’ for his claims regarding the President and Iran, and major American newspapers have noted that between the President and these candidates, their ‘approaches differ little’ over Iran—political rhetoric notwithstanding.

The President’s words at AIPAC could not have been clearer, when he outlined his policy of prevention and his clear threat of use of force. And Prime Minister Netanyahu could not have been clearer when he noted that Israel and the United States under this Administration have ‘exactly the same policy’ regarding Iran. The record speaks for itself; the Obama Administration has leveled the toughest crippling sanctions against Iran ever, while clearly telegraphing that all options - military included - remain on the table. Anyone pretending otherwise is trying to get elected, without a policy alternative - facts-be-damned, and without regard to the damage done to Israel’s or America’s security.

Enough is enough. The time to irresponsibly place partisanship above stopping Iran has to stop for the GOP presidential candidates.

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