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.
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Why shouldn't Israel support itself?
For the same reason Jordan, Egypt, Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, all of Africa, Veit Nam Columbia, Ukraine, Georgia,Mexico, South Korea, Uzbekistan,Ethiopia and many other recepients of US foreign aid don't. Think about it.
Dershowitz has never advocated for the financial support of "Egypt, Poland, Ukraine, ..." and all the other countries that you mentioned.
Iran has not sworn to "wipe Israel off the map" A country does not speak, Ahmadinejad has said in his own language that he "wanted the regime of Jerusalem to vanish from the page of time." From that one statement was the mistranslation of the now infamous map quote. He was not speaking militarily.
Americans are usually very sympathetic when one group of people oppresses another group,( i.e. Darfur) but somehow we don't hear the truth about the Israeli occupation
President Carter believes in Israel, yes, he has inquired about the inequities of the two groups of people that should be figuring out how they can live in peace. You misrepresent him in your post, Mr Dershowitz. In this tough economic time of the USA, why are we still sending 10 million dollars a day to Israel. Their economy is strong, how 'bout they help us? Why can't freely discuss the plight of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in our campaign season? Why do you have to reassure people that a candidate is completely loyal to Israel??
You may be too young to remember the Six Day War, but it was begun by a consortium of Arabic countries with the explicitly stated intention of "pushing Israel into the sea." [I'm pretty sure those were the exact words.] As far as land expansion, when a country defeats those who attack them, and pushed them back beyond their original borders -- well, let's just say the US should give Texas back to Mexico. Israel has made land concessions that have gained no reciprocation except to gain the terrorist group Hamas as next-door neighbors.
I agree that Palestinians (who used to be known as Jordanians) are living in terrible conditions, but I wonder why none of the Arab nations have stepped forward to help their own, instead leaving them to rot as political pawns.
Not mentioned in Mr D's article are extremists that believes the End of Days is near and will support Israel to bring this goal about. I've seen any number of sites that label Obama as the anti-christ and have the proof. The woman at the rally who called Obama an Arab, when interviewed later, insisted he was, having seen it on a number of internet sites.
Well Alan, it is good to see you vote for POTUS based on something other than Israel. You are an American are you not? Israel should be on your list of concerns, but what is best for America should be your number one concern, not a foreign country.
The real shocker here is that Obama's positions on Israel have become so distorted by the right that fellow Jews are asking Prof. Dershowitz, "How can you vote for Obama?" The question itself seems to suggest that the Democrats have nominated some anti-Semitic hack, rather than a senator with a strong record on Israel and a clear commitment to its security. The difference between Obama and McCain, as far as I can tell, is that Obama is willing to pursue talks with Iran and McCain wants to employ the old Bush approach, which is to lay out plenty of preconditions that Iran won't agree to and then bomb Iran because it won't negotiate. McCain has also aligned himself with the fundamentalist Christian nationalists, who do not want a two-state solution and oppose any accommodations by Israel on anything, including the settlements. Hence, Palin's mantra that we should never second guess Israel. I think reasonable minds can see that Israel's long term security is best served by Obama's approach, which is to work toward a resolution of the conflict, rather than by McCain's approach, which is to ratchet up the violence and hope the Palestinians (and the Iranians) can be beaten into submission.
I would hardly say that Jimmy Carter is far left simply because he criticizes many of the most indefensible policies of the state of Israel. The facts are the facts and Israel is doing unto the people of Palestine what has been done to them over the course of history; making them into second class citizens in their own country. It is shameful and very disheartening to see so many people support Israel regardless of its actions or policies regarding Palestine and its peoples.
Carter negotiated the only abiding peace treaty that Israel has ever enjoyed. If anyone who criticizes the actions of the Israeli state is an extremist to Mr. Dershowitz, then maybe he should align himself with Sarah Palin ("pro-America" areas of the country) and George Bush (either you're with us or against us).
Eh you conveniently forgot the treaty with Jordan. Israel is at peace with ALL countries of the world except the ones which are trying to destroy it.
Not ALL ma'am...
According to my passport I cannot go to Israel..
Used to be South Africa and Israel..
If i'm not mistaken, One of the parliament members in Iran is a Jew..
Exactly who is trying to destroy it??
And please don't say the "wipe them off the map" quote.
i'll save myself another post and say, if Iran, how exactly is Iran trying to destroy it ?? Iran hasn't attacked another country in 150 years.
Israel already possesses its own nuclear weapons arsenal. Iran has signed the non proliferation treaty, Israel maintains ambiguity, which is kinda lame, ya gotta admit, too bad they can't just play by the rules.
"I am a strong supporter of Israel (though sometimes critical of specific policies).
To the best of anyone's knowledge, the Dersh has never seen an Israeli policy he didn't luuuv. Well, maybe the 70's Israel/Egypt peace accord, I dunno. But they could pretty much eat babies over there and he'd still be all for it.
Good to see you here, I was talking about you the other day at work. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this election.
I urge Dershowitz to fly down to Florida and campaign for Obama in the Jewish communities. He could actually make the difference and elect the next president.
A most insightful discussion indeed, exactly what is needed in the world now, some may find it strange but I do not, I believe your commentary in the past defending Israel or being critical, have been fair, at least what I have read, if people do not look beyond political ideology, race and religion a significant amount of the world's problems will not be solved.
Hi Alan.
As an European Jew you probably had ancestors who were forced to live in walled off Jewish ghettos.
Isn't that kinda like what's goin on in the West Bank and Gaza?
As a lawyer you can't condone the philosophy of---It's OK for Jews to do this to Palestinians, but wasn't OK for Germans, Russians, and Polish to do to us.
It's knows as JUSTICE, not JUST-US. Right?
Great post and analogy. An all too silent voice of reason.
Thank you
No Magen, it's not like that in any way, shape or form. And you really, really need to learn some history. The Jews were forced to live in their ghettoes entirely against their will. They did not have any choice. The Palestinians decision to ghettoize themselves was (and is) entirely and exclusively their choice. From day one. They have repeatedly been offered their own state (many, many times) and have repeatedly been invited by the international community to join the rest of the world and to live in peace with everyone else. They're the ones who have refused to do so. They do not want to recognize international law and to recognize Israel the way the rest of the world did decades ago. All they have to do to end their suffering is to recognize Israel. It would take five minutes and wouldn't cost them a penny. But until they do that, and agree to solve disputes by peaceful means rather than through continual violence, naturally the rest of the world is going to protect themselves. Trying to blame the Israelis for their problems is just a way for them to justify their continued violence and violations of international law. The Palestinians began this war and they are the ones who bear all the responsibility for ending it.
Absolutely right. Yes, I'm born from European descent -- German -- and lost family in the Holocaust. To compare the plight of the Palestinians to the concentration camps is simplistic and way, way off base.
MikeP, you've really hit the nail on the head here. People who don't know any history of the region -- you really do need to go back to the break-up of the Ottoman Empire -- form unwarranted negative opinions against Israel.
Please see in another of my comments about why the Palestinians are rotting in squalor, while the Arab nations are doing nothing to help them.
"All they have to do to end their suffering is to recognize Israel. " Recognition of Israel has been offered for years. What (dis)information do you read?
I could go on with your other confused statements, but it is useless.
Well Mr. Dershowitz I have been to your lectures and never thought you were quite so liberal if only due to the fact that you refuse to consider any arguments on the Palestinian side. Hence, this came as a surprise.
This is very encouraging though. I know a huge number of Jews (ethnic and religious) who were fervently supporting Clinton and have now turned to McCain with the same avidity. It is very shocking to see how quickly people turn the page solely on one issue. Therefore I hope that Mr. Dershowitz will do some more press promoting this view, if not trumpeting it, because this will be of paramount importance in Florida.
I really hope to see the long tradition of the Jewish liberal social activism revived!
Recent Gallup survey:
61% of Jewish voters support Obama
32% of the Jewish voters support McCain.
Your point is?
The reason the numbers aren't bigger for Obama has a few names attached to it. Biggest one:Brzezinski. Take no-prisoners hawk intent on confronting China, Russia and Israel and whoever else he doesn't like. A factual creator of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan during Soviet Invasion. If he makes it into Obama cabinet ( 90% chance) bye bye non-confrontational diplomacy.
Jews should support Obama because he won't turn the Supreme Court over to the religious right.
Although Obama panders too much to religious voters, he is far preferable than McCain on this issue. Only with Obama can we expect to have freedom of religion preserved and prayer kept out of public schools. Only with Obama can we be sure that we won't overturn Roe v. Wade and make the religious views of a small minority into law. Only with Obama will people of all faiths, and of no faith, feel an equal part of American society.
Good point about Obama strengthening liberal support for Israel, which does, indeed, seem to be waning. Far-left liberals, including Jews, seem to believe that Jews invaded Palestine in the 1930's and 40's with a massive army, armed to the teeth with the latest military equipment, intent on taking over the entire Middle East; far-rightists just have, as you say, strange views about anything having to do with Jews.
Obama is a moderate and intelligent man who can and will bridge the gap of space between Arabs and Jews. His approach and personna will isolate the extremists, remove them from the dialogue. He seems to be someone who would be excellent in the role of mediator of conflict, someone who won't, like Bush, alienate either side.
It is unfortunate that the neo-cons are still able to influence the political discourse in this country. After all, the damage they have done has been extraordinary, and likely will take decades to repair. That they have any credibility, any political capital, left is truly sad.
When it comes to Israel, the neo-cons have been particularly dreadful.
It is true that Israel is, fundamentally, a democratic and tolerant society. A non-jew in Israel is much better off than a non-Muslim would be in any Muslim country, and the same might be said for women, f gays, etc. But the issue of the settlements is a black mark on Israel and, I believe, the fundamental reason for the criticisms of Israel that one hears from the political left in America.
Obama has never expressed any kind of antipathy towards Israel. Nor has he ever expressed any anti-semitism. In fact, having grown up in Hawaii, he has a more inclusive, tolerant view of race and religion than any presidential candidate in modern times. And I expect that he will be the first president in years who might actually be able to help move the peace process forward.
The skepticism of Obama expressed by some within the American jewish community is without basis in fact, smacks of racism, and shouldn't be a factor in this year's election.
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