NJDC’s Rebuke of Perry Receives National and Israeli Media Attention

David Streeter — September 23, 2011 – 11:04 am | Election 2012 | GOP Presidential Candidates 2012 | Israel | Republicans Comments (1) Add a comment

On Tuesday, NJDC called out Republican presidential candidate Texas Governor Rick Perry for playing politics with support for Israel by wrongfully attacking President Barack Obama’s strong record of supporting the Jewish state. Perry did so on the day before the President went in front of the United Nations and passionately defended Israel from the Palestinians’ unilateral declaration of independence initiative and other attempts to delegitimize the Jewish state.

NJDC’s call for Perry to explain how he intended to help Israel by attacking its most powerful advocate received media coverage throughout the national and Israeli media. Some of the stories included:

GOP Candidates Assail Obama’s Mideast Policy, The Wall Street Journal, September 21, 2011

Moderate Jewish groups and Obama supporters condemned Mr. Perry’s remarks. David Harris, head of the National Jewish Democratic Council, said Mr. Perry’s criticisms were “nothing more than a deeply disturbing ploy to inject domestic politics into the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

GOP Candidates Target Obama’s Middle East Policy, The Los Angeles Times, September 21, 2011

It’s doubtful any of the GOP candidates could win over the bulk of the Jewish electorate, a historically Democratic constituency. In Washington, National Jewish Democratic Council President David A. Harris called Perry’s attack on Obama “baseless” and accused him and other Republican candidates of using Israel as a political football.

Rick Perry, Mitt Romney Slam President Obama over Israel as Palestine seeks U.N. Recognition, The New York Daily News, September 20, 2011

The National Jewish Democratic Council said Perry was playing politics at the wrong time.

“His baseless attacks on President Barack Obama’s strong record of support for Israel and the actions that the President and his Administration are taking to beat back the Palestinian’s unilateral initiative are nothing more than a deeply disturbing ploy to inject domestic politics into the U.S.-Israel relationship,” the group said.

GOP Candidates Blast Obama’s Mideast Policy, The Chicago Tribune, September 21, 2011

In Washington, the National Jewish Democratic Council president, David Harris, called Perry’s attack on Obama “baseless” and accused him and other Republican candidates of using Israel as a political football.

U.S. Republican Presidential Candidate Perry Blasts Obama’s Mideast Policy, AP, September 20, 2011

The National Jewish Democratic Council CEO, David A. Harris, said in a statement that “Rick Perry’s comments today demonstrate that he clearly has little command of the U.S.-Israel relationship and even less interest in preserving the historic bipartisan support for Israel.”

According to the statement, “it is long past time for Perry and other Republicans to heed the advice of those genuinely working towards bipartisan support for Israel, and to quit playing political games with support for Israel.”

Perry Says Obama Mideast Policy is ‘Naive, Arrogant’, The Jerusalem Post, September 20, 2011

The National Jewish Democratic Council quickly responded to Perry’s remarks.

NJDC President and CEO David A. Harris issued a statement claiming that “Perry’s comments today demonstrate that he clearly has little command of the U.S.-Israel relationship and even less interest in preserving the historic bipartisan support for Israel. His baseless attacks on President Barack Obama’s strong record of support for Israel and the actions that the President and his Administration are taking to beat back the Palestinian’s unilateral initiative are nothing more than a deeply disturbing ploy to inject domestic politics into the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

Other national, Texas-based, Israeli, and Jewish media outlets carried stories that included NJDC’s rebuke of Perry as well.  

 

Comments