NJDC: Cantor Plays Partisan Politics with U.S.-Israel Relationship
Listed in: Israel, Stop the Smears, NJDC News, Press Releases
WASHINGTON, DC - Ira N. Forman, CEO of the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC), released the following statement in response to Representative Eric Cantor’s (R-VA) remark that President Barack Obama seems not to be a “‘true friend’ of the Jewish state” as reported in Politico today:
Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA) has decided to position himself as the arbiter of who is and who isn’t pro-Israel in this country. Setting aside Cantor’s lack of sterling professional foreign policy credentials, is it wise for him to set himself up as such a figure? This is a particularly salient question considering the fact that President Barack Obama is on the record repeatedly praising Israel and committing himself to its security needs throughout his administration. Moreover, Cantor should understand that these types of partisan attacks damage the longstanding tradition of bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.
At least one columnist has speculated that Cantor wants to modify his extreme partisan image to reveal a “newly civil Cantor.” Cantor’s insulting characterization of Speaker Nancy Pelosi as well as his willingness to play the cheapest kind of partisan politics with the U.S.-Israel relationship call into question whether Cantor wants to turn over a more “civil” leaf.
