Klein: Romney’s Words “Meaningless” Compared to Obama’s Actions on Israel

Rachel Shabad — July 30, 2012 – 3:12 pm | Barack Obama | Democrats | Israel | Mitt Romney Comments (0) Add a comment

Former Representative Ron Klein (D-FL), an active and strong Israel supporter, noted that Republican presidential candidate Romney espouses the same pro-Israel views as President Barack Obama—but lacks Obama’s pro-Israel record.

Klein wrote: 

We have a history of presidential candidates, particularly ones that have never taken a vote or been in an elected office, express support of our closest, most reliable ally in the Middle East.  However, when they take office, they side, both publicly and privately, with Saudi Arabia and some of the most notorious dictator regimes in the Middle East, all because of our dependence on their oil.

Romney and his Republican supporters pay lip service to the greatest threat to Israel and the stability in the Middle East: an Iranian nuclear program.  But, saying the right things is meaningless when contrasted with actions.  The war in Iraq, hastily waged by a Republican president and Romney’s Middle East advisor, Dan Senor, eliminated Iran’s only mortal threat in the region, Sadaam Hussein, and bolstered Iran’s place in the region.  Once Saddam Hussein was eliminated, Iran refocused on its number one target, Israel, as well as further domination of other Middle East countries with its proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood.

President Obama has been clear from the beginning that sanctions are the first means of preventing Iran from building a nuclear weapon, but ‘that all options are on the table.’  I am pleased that Mitt Romney has repeated those commitments.  President Obama doesn’t have to say it twice.  He has shown in the killing of Osama bin Laden and other top leadership of Al Qaeda that he carries a big stick and uses it.

I am proud of the fact that President Obama has worked with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to provide Israel with the tools it needs to defend itself.  The Iron Dome defensive system has saved lives in the areas in Israel that have been bombarded by rockets.  Without much fanfare, President Obama provided bunker busting bombs to be used as necessary.  And, without exploitation for partisan advantage, President Obama has made Israel’s qualitative military advantage a top priority.  Finally, I am very proud that both President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu and the heads of the military leadership on both sides have said publicly time and again that the current levels of military and intelligence sharing and cooperation between Israel and the United States are at their highest levels since 1948, the founding of the Jewish state.

Click here to read the full op-ed. 

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