MJ Rosenberg’s IPF Column of Jun 27th:

I asked a visiting Israeli the other day which of the two candidates for President of the United States is, from his point of view, better for Israel.

A diplomatic fellow, he said that not being an American, he could not say. But then he said this: “The best President for Israel is the one who is best for America. Our fate is tied to yours. If America’s prestige is low, you cannot do much for your allies either.”

It’s a good answer.

And it reinforces the view that the debate about which of the two candidates is “best for Israel” is ridiculous. The one who is better for Israel is the one you believe is better for America.

Of course, we are still going to hear the usual claptrap about who is more pro-Israel. And claptrap it is. (more…)

His speech and transcript are on our Endorsements site.

We ran the first open letter petition for McCain to renounce Haggee’s support due to his preaching that “Jews are responsible for our own persecution”. Thankfully McCain un-accepted the endorsement, and Hagee owned up to his anti-catholic remarks. While we are still waiting for McCain to drop Nixon’s Jew-Counter Fred Malek from his campaign staff, this just came in from the NYTimes;

Last month he expressed regret for offending Roman Catholics. Now the Rev. John Hagee is extending his regret to Jews.

Mr. Hagee, a televangelist and megachurch pastor who had publicly endorsed Senator John McCain, the Republican candidate for president and was repudiated last month by Mr. McCain after a Web site posted a troubling sermon by Mr. Hagee about the Holocaust.

In the sermon he gave in 1999, Mr. Hagee said that God allowed the Holocaust to happen in order to get the Jewish people to return to Israel in order to fulfill Biblical prophecy. (more…)

PLEASE SIGN THE STATEMENT BELOW:

As American Jews, we declare our support for Barack Obama, the Democratic Candidate for President.

Senator Obama is committed to an agenda around which Americans can unite to address our country’s long-term needs as well as the challenges we face every day. He has the courage, the vision, and the wisdom to offer the change our society needs, coupled with the intellect, personality and oratorical gifts to help propel that agenda forward and restore America’s standing in the world.

We stand with Senator Obama because of his lifelong commitment to values we as Jews hold dear, our tradition of tikkun olam - the Jewish mandate to “repair the world.” This vision is exemplified by his dedication to providing affordable healthcare and quality education to all Americans; enacting equitable tax, jobs and economic policies; caring for our environment; bringing ethics reform and transparency back to our government; protecting civil rights and freedoms, and adopting a rational approach to our national security. (more…)

This series of youtubes was created from an original 36 minute video. It is complete and unabridged, broken into chapters with readable transcripts below. 

NEW! We also have a 15 minute abridged version!

1) My understanding of Zionism

Before I begin, I also want to mention that I know some have been receiving provocative e-mails that have been circulating throughout Jewish communities across the country. A few of you may have gotten them. They’re filled with tall tales and dire warnings about a certain candidate for president. And all I want to say is — let me know if you see this guy named Barack Obama, because he sounds pretty scary.

But if anyone has been confused by these e-mails, I want you to know that today I’ll be speaking from my heart, and as a true friend of Israel. And I know that when I visit with AIPAC, I am among friends. Good friends. Friends who share my strong commitment to make sure that the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable today, unbreakable tomorrow, unbreakable forever. (more…)

 From  New Yorker

Last week, members of the steering committee for Generation Obama—a grassroots group that organizes young professionals—held an after-work meeting in a conference room at a marketing firm on Third Avenue. The theme was reaching out. “The name of the next fund-raiser is Let’s Keep GOing,” said Jeremy Goldberg, the group’s leader, who is thirty-one and has dark curly hair and a baby face, and is working on a master’s in international finance at Columbia. “That’s capital ‘G,’ capital ‘O.’ Some people find it cheesy. I find it appealing.” (more…)