Ten Israel Questions Mitt Romney Must Answer

NJDC — July 26, 2012 – 9:52 am | Foreign Policy | Iran | Israel | Mitt Romney Comments (1) Add a comment

The National Jewish Democratic Council today issued a series of questions for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to answer during his trip to Israel. “We are thrilled that Mitt Romney will be following the lead set by President Obama and visiting Israel as a presidential candidate,” said NJDC President and CEO David A. Harris. “Romney’s visit to Israel will provide him with the perfect opportunity to clarify a number of broad and unclear foreign policy statements that he’s made on the campaign trail. Our hope is that Romney will be inspired by his surroundings and give the thorough and detailed answers to the questions on which many have been seeking answers.”

#1. Governor Romney, when you say that you will “do the opposite” of President Obama on Israel, to what are you referring? Are you planning to reverse the unprecedented amount of military assistance that has come from this Administration? Are you planning to stop voting with Israel 100% of the time in the United Nations Security Council? Are you planning on driving a wedge between the U.S. and Israeli militaries, which are cooperating closer than ever before?

#2. Governor Romney, what is your Iran policy? Several media outlets—including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times—have noted that when it comes to a specific Iran policy, the steps you mention are not much different from those of the current Administration. What will you actually do differently? Sound bites like “If we re-elect Barack Obama, Iran will get a nuclear weapon….If we elect Mitt Romney, Iran will not” are unacceptable answers.

#3. Governor Romney, if Russia is indeed the United States’ “number one geopolitical foe,” what do you make of the growing closeness between Israel and Russia—particularly vis-à-vis stopping Iran? Perhaps you could provide your answer to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres, who recently hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin.

#4. Governor Romney, in addition to your campaign forming a “strategic partnership” with one of the U.S.-Israel relationship’s staunchest opponents on the Hill to win your nomination, your campaign advisors include:

* An Israel-challenged former Governor and White House Chief of Staff as an attack dog;

* A “Special Adviser” who lobbied for companies that did business with Iran;

* A “Special Adviser” who dog whistled about the U.S. embassy while belittling Jewish voters; and

* A surrogate who passed off a false story authored by an “anti-Israel warrior” and former Yasser Arafat adviser as fact.

How will these individuals shape your Israel policies? Are these individuals with checkered pasts on Israel part of your “do the opposite” plan?

#5. Governor Romney, are you actually vetting former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for vice president? How do you account for Rice’s much-criticized record on Israel? Are you comfortable with her comparison of Palestinians to African Americans fighting for civil rights in the 1960s? Do you agree with the way she pressured Israel to accept a peace treaty with Hezbollah before the Israeli military had a chance to complete its military operations?

#6. Governor Romney, do you intend to start all foreign aid at zero, including to Israel? You went on record as agreeing with Texas Governor Rick Perry during the primary debates, without clarifying whether or not this promise included any memorandums of understanding in regards to Israel. Furthermore, you failed to clarify your stance during an address to the Republican Jewish Coalition. You may want to make your position clearer when meeting with Israeli citizens who have benefitted from President Obama’s unprecedented foreign aid record.

#7. Governor Romney, does your admiration for President Ronald Reagan extend to his mixed Israel record? As a reminder, Reagan—who never visited Israel throughout his lifetime—sold weaponry to Israel’s enemies while refusing sales to the Jewish state, supported anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations, condemned Israel’s attack on an Iraqi nuclear reactor, and suspended key cooperation agreements between the United States and Israel. Are these the actions that inspire your “do the opposite” plan?

#8. Governor Romney, with so many of President George W. Bush’s advisors—including Dan Senor, Tevi Troy, Mary Beth Long, and John Lehman—on your staff, how similar will your foreign policies be? After serving in an Administration that allowed Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge to collapse, revoked hundreds of millions of dollars in loan guarantees, endorsed participation by Hamas in Palestinian elections, and refused to sell bunker-busting bombs for potential use to halt the Iranian nuclear efforts, isn’t it fair to wonder whether these advisors will push you in a similar direction as their previous boss? 

#9. Governor Romney, do you still believe that politics ends at the water’s edge? You strongly criticized members of the Democratic Party during President George W. Bush’s time in office, arguing that “we need to not have people running their own separate foreign policies.” During your travels overseas, will you keep your own words in mind, as well as the pledge you made this week in front of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention, and refrain from criticizing a sitting president’s foreign policies?

#10. Governor Romney, you repeatedly have failed to offer any of your own original ideas for how you would conduct foreign policy in your own administration. Rather than offer criticisms of President Obama—what would you do?

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