NJDC Calls on American Jews, Partisans to “Move Away From Inflammatory, Unconstructive Rhetoric”
Listed in: Israel, NJDC News, Press Releases
Marc R. Stanley, Chairman of the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) and Michael M. Adler, Chairman Emeritus of the National Jewish Democratic Council, today jointly released the following statement:
As Americans who love Israel and deeply support the U.S.-Israel relationship, we strongly believe that we must pause, take a deep breath and reflect on what we actually know - and quickly move away from the inflammatory, inaccurate and unconstructive rhetoric that is all too prevalent.
One thing we know is that despite the situation surrounding the announcement of new housing units in East Jerusalem last week, the reality is that the bedrock of the U.S.-Israel relationship remains as solid as ever. We have every reason to believe that what Vice President Biden said so eloquently on Thursday remains true today - that “the cornerstone of the relationship is our absolute, total, unvarnished commitment to Israel’s security.” The Vice President also echoed President Obama’s commitment that this administration is “determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,” and this similarly remains true today. To clarify matters further, Secretary of State Clinton repeated just yesterday, “We have an absolute commitment to Israel’s security. We have a close, unshakable bond between the United States and Israel.”
Unfortunately, we also know that some are engaging in over-the-top rhetoric for partisan gain, while others are speculating wildly or assuming facts not in evidence. Some Jewish organizations have used inflammatory rhetoric, while at least a few politicians have engaged in purely partisan attacks of the worst kind - at the cost of the essential U.S.-Israel relationship. Those who would abandon the bipartisan history of strengthening U.S.-Israel ties to engage in reckless rhetoric are advancing only their own ends - at the cost of Israel’s security, and at the cost of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Now is the time for cooler heads to prevail, and for close friends to discuss how to strengthen this critical partnership directly and privately, working together as strategic allies and friends. We call on all American Jews to help us achieve these ends and work in a bipartisan fashion to add strength to an already strong U.S.-Israel relationship.
