Dear Friends:

While my involvement in politics is motivated by a variety of issues, there is one issue that is fundamental: my deep commitment to Israel and to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship that strengthens both Israel’s security and its efforts to seek peace. I am writing to share with you my confidence that Senator Barack Obama’s stellar record on Israel gives me great comfort that, as President, he will be the friend to Israel that we all want to see in the White House – stalwart in his defense of Israel’s security, and committed to helping Israel achieve peace with its neighbors. I have been honored to know Barack Obama for years, and I am proud to say that he is unyielding in defending Israel’s security. His conviction holds fast whether the threat comes from Gaza or Tehran. He has been a leader in calling for toughening sanctions against Iran as part of a comprehensive diplomatic effort to prevent the development and deployment of Iranian nuclear weapons. And he has stated clearly that, as President, he will make a personal commitment to help achieve a two-state solution, with Israel and a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security—with the full understanding that Israel’s security can not be compromised. In this regard, he recently spoke out about his commitment to ensure that Israel’s status as a Jewish state is never called into question: “I start with the premise that Israel is a stalwart ally of ours and their security cannot be compromised. I also start with the premise that the status quo is unsustainable and that what would be good for Israeli security will be the kind of two-state solution that allows the Palestinians to live and prosper in their own state and allows Israel to maintain the security of its state…I think everyone knows what the basic outlines of an agreement would look like. It would mean that the Palestinians would have to reinterpret the notion of right of return in a way that would preserve Israel as a Jewish state.” –Senator Barack Obama, Des Moines Foreign Policy Forum, December 18, 2007 In addition, The New York Sun editorial board published an editorial this week on Barack Obama and Israel.  The editorial states that anyone who questions Barack Obama on Israel policy has not checked their facts, as Senator Obama has spoken frequently and clearly about his strong commitment to Israel. Few public figures inspire as much hope and optimism as Barack Obama. I have every confidence that, as you get to know Barack Obama’s record on Israel, you will share my excitement about the possibility his candidacy represents and my comfort that he will advocate and support a solution in the Middle East that is consistent with values which we hold dear.

Please pass on this message to all who are interested.

B’Shalom,

Lester Crown Chicago, Illinois

This entry was posted on Friday, January 11th, 2008 at 2:58 am and is filed under Israel Supporter, Jewish. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. >