Why I Support Israel and Obama
I am a strong supporter of Israel (though sometimes critical of specific policies). I am also a strong supporter of Barack Obama (though I favored Hillary Clinton during the primaries). I am now getting dozens of emails asking me how as a supporter of Israel I can vote for Barack Obama. Let me explain.
I think that on the important issues relating to Israel, both Senator McCain and Senator Obama score very high. During the debates each candidate has gone out of his and her way to emphasize strong support for Israel as an American ally and a bastion of democracy in a dangerous neighborhood. They have also expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself against the nuclear threat posed by Iran which has sworn to wipe Israel off the map and the need to prevent another Holocaust.
There may be some difference in nuance among the candidates, especially with regard to negotiations with Iran, but supporters of Israel should not base their voting decision on which party or which candidates support Israel more enthusiastically. In the United States, Israel is not a divisive issue, and voting for President is not a referendum on support for Israel, at least among the major parties.
I want to keep it that way. I want to make sure that support for Israel remains strong both among liberals and conservatives. It is clear that extremists on both sides of the political spectrum hate Israel, because they hate liberal democracies, because they tend to have a special place in their heart for tyrannical regimes, and because they often have strange views with regard to anything Jewish. The extreme left, as represented by Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, Norman Finkelstein and, most recently, Jimmy Carter has little good to say about the Jewish state. But nor does the extreme right, as represented by Pat Buchanan, Robert Novak, Joseph Sobran and David Duke. When it comes to Israel there is little difference between the extreme right and the extreme left. Nor is there much of a difference between the centrist political left and the centrist political right: both generally support Israel. Among Israel's strongest supporters have always been Ted Kennedy, Harry Reed, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The same is true of the centrist political right, as represented by Mitt Romney, George W. Bush, Oren Hatch and John McCain.
Why then do I favor Obama over McCain? First, because I support him on policies unrelated to Israel, such as the Supreme Court, women's rights, separation of church and state and the economy. But I also prefer Obama to McCain on the issue of Israel. How can I say that if I have just acknowledged that on the issues they both seem to support Israel to an equal degree? The reason is because I think it is better for Israel to have a liberal supporter in the White House than to have a conservative supporter in the oval office. Obama's views on Israel will have greater impact on young people, on Europe, on the media and on others who tend to identify with the liberal perspective. Although I believe that centrists liberals in general tend to support Israel, I acknowledge that support from the left seems to be weakening as support from the right strengthens. The election of Barack Obama -- a liberal supporter of Israel -- will enhance Israel's position among wavering liberals.
As I travel around university campuses both in the United States and abroad, I see radical academics trying to present Israel as the darling of the right and anathema to the left. As a liberal supporter of Israel, I try to combat that false image. Nothing could help more in this important effort to shore up liberal support for Israel than the election of a liberal president who strongly supports Israel and who is admired by liberals throughout the world. That is among the important reasons why I support Barack Obama for president.
Alan M. Dershowitz is a Professor of Law at Harvard. His most recent book The Case Against Israel's Enemies: Exposing Jimmy Carter and Others Who Stand In The Way of Peace which has recently been published by Wiley.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
Silly me, I forgot. Israel can do no wrong and any disagreement with Israeli and Likud Party policies automatically constitutes anti-semitism.
That's an absurd thing to state. The first line of this very article states "I am a strong supporter of Israel (though sometimes critical of specific policies)."
Are you saying Dershowitz is an anti-semite?
Can you point to a single comment in this discussion in which "any disagreement with Israeli and Likud Party policies " is subsequently considered to be one that "automatically constitutes anti-semitism."?
If not, could you please explain why you chose to comment in the manner that you have.
Touche Pkafin.
MajorKong,
Any disagreement with Israeli and Likud Party policies automatically constitutes anti-semitism."
No it doesn't. But a pattern of generalizations, false accusations and adherence to various age old libels against American, European and Israeli Jews by some ( hint, hint) can be easily perceived to be Anti-Semitic rhetoric. Don't you think?
No, I'm saying Dershowitz and others like him play the "anti-semitism" card any time someone criticizes Israeli government policy. It tends to shut down any serious discussion of the subject.
I'm one of those 'I want to see it on paper' people. When I buy healthcare or sign a location lease I want it written and give little credibility to what people say. In politics I look at a persons record and try to discern his character and motivations.
How Obama is portrayed on the left as a bridge, a centrist, an economist and such seem to me slogans made up by a sales room team. His post partisanship just seems to me a coy effort at playing both sides of the fence.
America, thankfully is a democracy and people are supposed to vote their interests.
I feel Obama really is one of those radical euro leftists, or at least he fancies himself as one. I lived in Amsterdam and Berlin so I can honestly say I know them. Shortly after 9/11 I had a dinner guest (half German/ half Syrian ) who passionately blamed America for the event, so I know that too.
I lived in Israel and daily heard Israeli Jews extending their voices and efforts to empathies with the plight of the Palestinians. Not once did I hear a voice from an Arab in defense of Israel. Maybe one.
Not long ago it broke my heart to see Israel trade a live murderer for the bodies of two young Jewish men.
Wait a minute. You want to see it on paper. Fine. I just hope you want to see on paper from numerous sources, not only from Republican or conservative sources. You then criticize Obama's portrayal by "the left" as "slogans made up by a sales room team." What about the McCain campaign's portrayal? All presidential candidates make ads like those. McCain's ads are just demonstrably (if you ask, I'll look up the actual results of analyses of the ads) overwhelmingly negative, while Obama's are mostly positive.
So on what basis do you "feel Obama really is one of those radical euro leftists"? On the basis of your experience living in Europe? I don't base my support of Obama on what I heard when I lived in Europe, nor on what I hear from my European friends now. I base my support on issues. Perhaps you would benefit from some therapy to help you come to terms with your evidently awful experience of living overseas among those radical euro leftists. Then maybe you'll be able to think clearly.
Touche!
And I repeat. Touche!
Obviously, Obama is not a leftist. He'd fit right in at the Christian Democrat Union, German center-right party.
I agree more with Carter than Alan when it comes to Israel and Palestine, but I would like to see him Alan Deshowitz coming down to Florida and campaign for Obama. I would like to see Ed Koch as well.
You lost me when you said that Jimmy Carter, the Nobel Prize winner, 'has a special place in their hearts for tyrannical regimes.' As to 'strange views regarding anything jewish'- what a strange thing to say about Noam Chomsky and Norman Finkelstein (whom you waged a cowardly campaign to have fired from DePaul), both of whom are jewish.
One of such aspects of consideration for tenured position is the unspoken rule of collegiality and respect FOR your peers and FROM your peers. Obviously, Norman Finkelstein failed to impress the DePaul people in this respect ( and many others).
Noam Chomsky, is respected linguistics scholar, but few of his quasi-historical works would make through a peer-review of a serious historical journal. But his lectures are fun.
Alan is what's wrong with this country. He should be disbarred.
Disbarred for voicing his opinion? Should YOU be fired from your job for voicing your opinion ? This is kind of tyranny you support? Think about it.
Cool, Dersh. But do you still support torture?
"...I am categorically opposed to the use of torture. That’s my moral position...so that my personal position would be to vote against its use. "
A. Dershowitz, interview
Thank you, Prof. Dershowitz - American!!!
Alan, just wondering who you will support when they go after talk radio the way Nancy has already stated.
Great article Mr.Dershowitz,
Check out this video on Jews and Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2VFRt5W4FM
Alan Dershowitz should go to Florida in the next day or two and campaign for Obama in the Jewish communities.
Billions of taxpayer dollars go in support of Israel, giving them planes and weapons, such as missiles that they seem to like to fire into densely poplulated areas when targeting their enemies. They drop a bomb on an entire aprtment building in an attempt to assassinate one terrorist. Imagine the public outcry if our law enforcement ever took such thuggish law enforcement steps. The Oklahoma City bombing was in response to the destruction of the Branch Davidian complex because the government tried to arrest a cult leader at his compound. I know Israel is surrounded by enemies but America needs to show the rest of the world that we can support a nation while condeming deplorable actions in the name of national security. I'm sure the Palestinians would not treat the Jews any better if they were the ruling power, but this does not make Israel's actions any more justified.
What a confused set of statements. One conducts "law enforcement actions in a generally peaceful society ( like U.S.) I appreciate the fact this is the only personal experience you have. However, Israel is in a state of war with Palestinians. This creates an entirely different dynamic. There are two armies fighting. This is not police force enforcing civil order.
Think about it. Where Americans very conflicted about fire-bombing Tokyo and Berlin during WW2? No.
Israel COULD carpet bomb Palestinains, but they choose NOT to do it.
Palestinains WANT to carpet bomb Israeli cities, ONLY their lack of capacity stops them.
Think about this difference.
now explain exactly why lieberman is supporting mccain.....let me know when you find out...thanks dersh...
p.s.: as usual, a well thought out, intelligently argued, well organized position. wouldn't it be nice if the governor of alaska could actually speak like you.
I appreciate Mr. Dershowitz' support for Obama, and particularly his stated main reason for that: "because I support him on policies unrelated to Israel, such as the Supreme Court, women's rights, separation of church and state and the economy." That is a point which, unfortunately, many of my landsmen forget. For Jews - and by Jews I mean people who (in my lifetime) have supported a wide moral perspective - Israel cannot be the only issue which determines how they vote. But, in many case, I'm afraid it is. We don't live in Israel, and not many of us are planning to move there - so if we continue to elect people who don't understand constitutional democracy, we're going to be uncomfortable here, even if Israel is fully protected.
There's much else to Mr. Dershowitz' comments that I find bizarre. But the above is my main point, so I'll stop with that.
I understand that a lot of the Jewish elders in Florida will not vote for Obama. I won't even venture to ask why. For some reason, I think that they forget that thousands of black men and women died in WW2 enabling them to be able to come to the USA and enjoy the many advantages that having white skin affords one-advantages that we as Blacks are just beginning to enjoy.
As I said before, I'm not even going to try to understand why the elders would not vote for a qualified Black-an intelligent and sincere one and the better candidate at that.
I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN AND WILL NEVER FORGIVE THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL FOR ALLOWING THE PRIVATE THOUGHTS OF SENATOR OBAMA LEFT AT THE WAILING WALL TO BECOME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
"HAVE THEY NO DECENCY?"
It was not the government, it was an individual student. He has apologized, and his actions have been condemned throughout Israel and the rest of the world. Hold your grudge, if you must. But, direct it at the perpetrator, not the government.
You seem to imply that anyone ( especially the Jews) who disagrees with your choice of candidate is a racist? What sadly parochial Weltanshauung
Obviously not - most Isrealis did not want black Jews from Ethiopia to be recognized either.
OK argument; not the most compelling reasons. I think Obama is more likely to get a peace treaty, but he might be busy at home for awhile. I think Olmert just said that Israel has to give all the land back, except for even swaps.
Palestine has to run its own public utilities. But, can you imagine the mess they will make with electricity and water management and healthcare?
Israel is a democratic country. The leaders and government policies change all the time. No is no such thing as "unquestioned support" as governments are sometimes left-wing and sometimes are right-wing. There's a lot of room for disagreement among friends.
But the enemy has only one overarching goal: to destroy the State the Israel and reduce Jews to second class citizens within Arab/Islamic state. Make no mistake about it.
On fundamental basis this is what " "support for Israel" really means.
Like the Isreali's have done to Arabs and Palestinians within Isreal. Isreal has a government as bad as the Bush's administration except more blatant in their terrorism! Like the US, the Isreali people are given the choice of Evil or a little less Evil every election!
"Like the US, the Isreali people are given the choice of Evil or a little less Evil every election!"
The Israeli system is parliamentary . In every election, the citizens, regardless of religion all have the ability to vote for individuals that are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, agnostic, and or atheists. Israeli citizens of all political persuasions have the option of voting for right leaning capitalists, socialists, communists, environmentalists, even occasionally anarchists. Regardless of ethnicity, Israelis usually have the choice of voting for Arabs, Jews, Druze, and others. Regardless of inclination for militancy, the Israelis have choices that range from evil bastards to serious peace seekers.
I agree that when it comes to a Prime minister being named, the choices are usually not that great, but when it comes to individual representatives and political parties the Israelis do have a far greater pallette of characters and viewpoints to pick from than almost any other country on Earth.
"Arabs and Palestinians within Israel".... hmmmm.... I think you've displayed your level of familiarity with the issue.
Alan, You have a good perspective. Israel is not always right, but it is a strong friend of the US. In order for the US to be strong in the future it needs Obama as president. He is the 'right one' for America. That is what must remain most important to all Americans. A unified, respected, and dependable USA is also what is best for Israel.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
