ICYMI: Romney Chose to be Nominated by Israel-Challenged John Sununu

David Streeter — August 30, 2012 – 7:25 pm | Israel | Mitt Romney | Republicans Comments (0) Add a comment

Earlier in the campaign, it was pointed out that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney had struck an alliance with Israel-challenged former Governor and White House Chief of Staff John Sununu. This week at the Republican National Convention, Sununu was one of the people who officially nominated him for the GOP’s presidential ticket, per Romney’s request.

For those unfamiliar with Sununu’s record, below are some highlights.

* He was the only governor of a U.S. state who refused to sign a 1987 proclamation saluting the 90th anniversary of Zionism and calling on the UN to rescind its Zionism-racism resolution.  

* Though his reasoning for the above action was that governors should not be involved in foreign policy, he issued a 1988 proclamation honoring the veterans of U.S.S. Liberty, an American naval vessel mistakenly attacked by Israeli jets in June 1967, calling the attack, “vicious and unprovoked.”

* According to a William Safire article in 1991, the former governor pushed out a story to journalists that he was being attacked by the press due to his ties to Arab-American groups.

* “Two sources said Sununu had listed ‘those who don’t like my call for even handedness [in U.S. policy in the Mideast], the Jewish groups’ as among those either work against him or egging on those working against him.”

* His Remarks were so bad that the executive director of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations wrote Sununu, protesting that his views were “offensive and without foundation.”

* Sununu stated on 7/17/2012 during Romney conference call that “I wish this president would learn how to be an American.”

* He later clarified his comments, stating that they were regarding the economy: “The President has to learn the American formula for creating business.”

Perhaps forging political alliances with Israel-challenged Republicans—like Representative Ron Paul (R-TX)—was what Romney meant by his pledge to “do the opposite” on Israel?

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