NADER
Around our Jewish World
By JTA
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Jewish Dems, GOPers trade Nader barbs
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Republican and Democratic Jews traded barbs over Ralph Nader’s characterization of Barack Obama’s Israel policy. Nader, the consumer activist, announced Feb. 24 another independent run for the presidency, saying the candidates were not dealing with what he called “off the table” topics, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Don’t touch that, even though it’s central to our security and to the situation in the Middle East,” is how Nader described the candidates’ Israel policy to NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Obama, the Democratic presidential hopeful and U.S. senator from Illinois, was “pro-Palestinian when he was in Illinois before he ran for the state Senate. Now he’s supporting the Israeli destruction of the tiny section called Gaza with a million-and-a-half people,” Nader said. “He’s not taking a leadership position in supporting the Israeli peace movement, which represents former Cabinet ministers, people in the Knesset, former generals, former security officials, in addition to mayors and leading intellectuals.”
The Republican Jewish Coalition said Nader’s remarks “added to the debate” about Obama’s views on Israel. “When a longtime political activist like Ralph Nader, with a well-documented, anti-Israel bias, claims that Senator Obama shares this anti-Israel bias, that is alarming,” said RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks. Jewish Democrats said Nader was unreliable. “Senator Obama has a lifelong commitment to Israel’s security,” U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), Obama’s key Jewish supporter, told JTA. “In the Illinois state Senate he was a champion of Israel Bonds.” The National Jewish Democratic Council mocked Brooks for using Nader as a reliable source. “They are basically saying ignore this United States senator’s strong pro-Israel voting record, positions and rhetoric, and instead listen to Ralph Nader,” an NJDC statement said. “Since when did Ralph Nader become the arbiter of who is and is not pro-Israel?”
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Jewish groups blasted a Methodist study guide to Israel as riddled with inaccuracies and intemperate rhetoric. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a public-policy umbrella body of local and national groups, last month published a 25-page deconstruction of “Israel-Palestine: A Study Mission for 2007-2008.”
“I was particularly distressed to see the conditions created by the birth of Israel called ‘original sin’ and to see Israelis characterized as ‘hysterical’ and ‘paranoiac,’” said Steve Gutow, JCPA’s executive director. “The quest for peace is not helped by those who demonize and distort.” In separate statements, the Methodist study guide was also slammed by the Anti-Defamation League and B’nai B’rith International. B’nai B’rith called the report an “affront to Israel and Jews,” singling out passages from the guide that critique Jewish “obsessions” with the Holocaust and anti-Semitism, and notes the United Methodist Church general conference in April, when the church will consider divestment from Israel.
“The report signals a profound misunderstanding of the situation in the Middle East,” B’nai B’rith said. “The fact that this criticism comes from the largest mainline Protestant denomination makes it all the more troubling.” The church issued a statement defending the guide as “thoughtful.” The author of the guide, the Rev. Steven Goldstein, is the top mission official at the church. In personal history passages in the publication, he describes how he might have been described as a “self-hating Jew” prior to his conversion from Judaism to Christianity.
Israel aside, Obama takes global primary
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Hillary Rodham Clinton was the choice in Israel, but Barack Obama easily won an international primary. Expatriate Americans gave Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, 66 percent of the vote to 33 percent for his Senate colleague from New York in the Democrats Abroad Global Primary held Feb. 5-12.
Clinton took Israel, which is home to an estimated 200,000 U.S. citizens. She won 54 percent of the votes to Obama’s 44 percent. The results determine the allocation of 4½ delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention in August. With his victory, Obama captured 2½ delegates and Clinton two. Another 2½ delegates will be determined in April at the Democrats Abroad Global Convention. In addition, Democrats Abroad holds four super delegate votes. Balloting took place by mail, fax and at voting centers in more than 30 countries. For the first time, voting was also available on the Internet through a secure system. Ballots were cast from 164 countries and territories, according to a Democrats Abroad statement. Republicans do not hold a global primary.
Birthright applications surge on first day
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Birthright Israel said it received 14,000 applicants for its spring and summer trips on the first day of registration. More than 30,000 applicants have registered for birthright’s free trips to Israel since registration opened Feb. 12. Registration will run through the end of March. The program has sent some 160,000 Jews aged 18-26 on free 10-day trips since its founding in 2000. The group will send about 20,000 young Jews to Israel from North America this spring and summer; it sent 17,000 this winter. Birthright Israel has been able to double the number of its trips since casino mogul Sheldon Adelson pledged $60 million to the group in late 2006.
3 hurt in Sderot attacks
JERUSALEM (JTA)—A woman and two children were injured during Palestinian rocket attacks on Sderot. Terrorists fired five Kassams at southern Israel on Feb. 25, three of which hit residential areas in Sderot. A 10-year-old boy suffered a moderate wound to his shoulder when a rocket struck an underground shelter. A mother and her year-old baby were slightly wounded. Government spokesman David Baker, responding to the attacks, said “Israel will actively pursue those who strike at our children and will take whatever steps necessary to bring these lethal rocket attacks to an end.” A senior Hamas official said it would stop firing Kassam rockets at the western Negev if Israel halts all military operations against the Palestinians. Three Hamas members were killed and at least four others wounded early on Feb. 25 in two separate Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.
Health warning over hospital mezuzot
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Devout Jews should think twice about kissing hospital mezuzot. According to an Israeli study by Assaf Harofeh Hospital, mezuzot in medical wards frequently carry germs and bacteria that can lead to illnesses such as urinary tract infections, intestinal upsets and skin rashes. The conclusions were reached after studying 70 mezuzot from different parts of the hospital.