Posted on 06/30/2004 7:46:13 AM PDT by veronica
NEW YORK, June 29 (JTA) — One of the most pro-Israel U.S. ambassadors to the United Nations might seem like a tough act to follow, at least to supporters of the Jewish state.
But U.S. Jewish officials are lauding John Danforth, an attorney, Episcopal priest and former Republican senator from Missouri, who will be sworn in Thursday to succeed John Negroponte.
Praised for his integrity, focus on human and civil rights, and friendship for Israel, Danforth is expected to stand up for the Jewish state — and the moral calling of the United Nations.
A June 16 cartoon in the St. Louis Jewish Light drives home the point by showing Danforth overlooking a U.N. roundtable entitled “Anti-Israel majority.”
“Let’s get back to the ideals and goals on which the U.N. was founded!” Danforth says in the cartoon. “Uh-oh! Here comes trouble!” one anti-Israel delegate says.
Supporters of Israel hope the cartoon proves prophetic.
“Mr. Danforth as a senator had an impeccable record on Israeli issues,” said Arye Mekel, Israel’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. “The fact that he is very close to President Bush is a very good thing.” Mekel called Bush’s level of backing for Israel “unprecedented.”
While agreeing that Negroponte was a bulwark against attacks on Israel, Mekel said the famed “Negroponte doctrine” merely reflected Bush administration policy.
Formulated in 2002 when Israel’s anti-terrorist operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were coming under sharp international criticism, the Negroponte doctrine set stiff conditions for U.S. approval of U.N. Security Council resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Supporters of Israel saw the doctrine as a landmark step in helping to stave off constant one-sided diplomatic attacks by the Arab bloc against the Jewish state.
Danforth’s appointment comes as the United Nations is making an effort to address anti-Semitism within its corridors and around the world. The international body held its first-ever conference on anti-Jewish prejudice June 21.
“Let us acknowledge that the United Nations’ record on anti-Semitism has at times fallen short of our ideals,” U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan told the conference. “The fight against anti-Semitism must be our fight. And Jews everywhere must feel that the United Nations is their home.”
Annan called for a General Assembly resolution blasting anti-Semitism and for U.N. human rights advisers to “actively explore ways of combating anti-Semitism more effectively in the future.”
On Monday, a group of some 40 Jewish non-governmental organizations issued a “call to action” urging the adoption of the proposed resolution, U.N. condemnation of “attempts to demonize or delegitimize Israel,” promotion of Holocaust remembrance and education, and the appointment of a special U.N. adviser on anti-Semitism.
Elan Steinberg, executive vice president of the World Jewish Congress, said he hoped Danforth’s appointment would be a “fortuitous” step in the fight against anti-Semitism.
Danforth did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Heir to the Ralston Purina pet food fortune, Danforth, 67, received joint graduate degrees from Yale University’s law and divinity schools.
After practicing law in New York and serving for seven years as Missouri’s attorney general, Danforth represented Missouri from 1976 to 1995 in the U.S. Senate, where he was highly regarded as a moderate and bridgebuilder.
Danforth was appointed by President Clinton to lead an inquiry into the 1993 federal siege on Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. The inquiry cleared the government of blame.
Since 2001, Danforth has served as Bush’s envoy to Sudan.
A partner in a St. Louis law firm, Danforth has participated in a few controversial acts, like voting against sanctions on apartheid South Africa, voting to cut funds for U.N. peacekeeping and limit U.S. support for international planning, according to the Washington Post.
He also led the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas, who was a legislative assistant to Danforth when he was senator.
But Democrats seem to view the Thomas hearings as a blip in Danforth’s career.
“It would be hard to imagine a more moderate appointment that could come out of this White House, so Danforth is as good as it gets in this administration,” Democratic media consultant Steve Rabinowitz said. “It’s a good thing.”
David Goldstein, who directed the Jewish Community Relations Bureau of Kansas City during Danforth’s Senate tenure, used to brief Danforth on Israel issues. Goldstein recalled listing the geopolitical reasons for U.S. support of the Jewish state.
Danforth agreed but added, “the real reason we ought to support Israel is it’s our moral responsibility. They’re our friends,” Goldstein related.
Indeed, Danforth’s record indicates solid support for foreign and military aid to Israel, solidarity with the Jewish state and support for Israel’s claim to Jerusalem as its undivided capital.
Jewish officials speak of him in glowing terms.
“A staunch advocate of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship,” Danforth has “deep ties” to the local and national Jewish community, said Josh Block, spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “Throughout his career, when it came to the critical issues affecting the U.S.-Israel relationship, Sen. Danforth was always there in strong support,” Block said.
“On domestic issues and on issues relating to Israel, I just can’t think of any times when we’ve had differences,” said Michael Newmark, past president of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and one of Danforth’s law partners.
According to Robert Cohn, longtime editor of the Jewish Light, Danforth “enjoyed a considerable amount of support within the Jewish community because of his integrity and his principles and his record.”
With his eulogy for President Reagan, Danforth, who presided over the June 11 funeral service at Washington’s National Cathedral, seemed to presage his own upcoming challenge at the United Nations.
Reagan envisioned an America that “could not hide its light under a bushel. It could not turn in on itself and hunker down,” he said.
“Isolationism was not an option; neither was protectionism,” Danforth continued. “We must champion freedom everywhere. We must be the beacon for the world.”
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I think this is a good choice.
Is Danforth the man who presided over Reagan's funeral?
On another note we have President Bush, the strongest defender of Israel of ANY President, ever. Coming on the heals of the Clinton years where Yassir Arafat was the most frequent foriegn visitor to the White House and was put on equal moral stature with the Prome Ministers of Irael, yet the Jews will once again vote for Kerry the equiviator by a 10-1 margin.
Yes, as marlon has indicated. He was also a Senator from my state of Missouri. His brother was chancellor of Washington University while I was there. I met Danforth when he was Attorney General for Missouri. The Danforths are Ralston-Purina heirs, very rich, and among the nicest people you could ever know. He also stood up for Clarence Thomas during his high tech lynching. I really think highly of him.
Yes, a very good appointment. His presence at the Reagan funeral reminded the world that he is a proest as well as a politician.
The Episcopal Church has been in the forefront of many distressing trends in Christianity....especiallly gay orfinations...but Danforth has
stayed aloof from all this.
Worldwide Anglicanism encompasses 70 million communicants...the American branch is a tiny fraction of it...there many African members of the church...Danforth may be able to reach out to them and cut
off Third World support for anti-Israel resolutions.
| Year | Candidate | % of Jewish Vote |
| 1916 | ||
| Hughes (R) | 45 | |
| Wilson (D) | 55 | |
| 1920 | ||
| Harding (R) | 43 | |
| Cox (D) | 19 | |
| Debs (Soc) | 38 | |
| 1924 | ||
| Coolidge (R) | 27 | |
| Davis (D) | 51 | |
| La Folette (Progressive) | 22 | |
| 1928 | ||
| Hoover (R) | 28 | |
| Smith (D) | 72 | |
| 1932 | ||
| Hoover (R) | 18 | |
| Roosevelt (D) | 82 | |
| 1936 | ||
| Landon (R) | 15 | |
| Roosevelt (D) | 85 | |
| 1940 | ||
| Wilkie (R) | 10 | |
| Roosevelt (D) | 90 | |
| 1944 | ||
| Dewey (R) | 10 | |
| Roosevelt (D) | 90 | |
| 1948 | ||
| Dewey (R) | 10 | |
| Truman (D) | 75 | |
| Wallace (Progressive) | 15 | |
| 1952 | ||
| Eisenhower (R) | 36 | |
| Stevenson (D) | 64 | |
| 1956 | ||
| Eisenhower (R) | 40 | |
| Stevenson (D) | 60 | |
| 1960 | ||
| Nixon (R) | 18 | |
| Kennedy (D) | 82 | |
| 1964 | ||
| Goldwater (R) | 10 | |
| Johnson (D) | 90 | |
| 1968 | ||
| Nixon (R) | 17 | |
| Humphrey (D) | 81 | |
| Wallace (I) | 2 | |
| 1972 | ||
| Nixon (R) | 35 | |
| McGovern (D) | 65 | |
| 1976 | ||
| Ford (R) | 27 | |
| Carter (D) | 71 | |
| McCarthy (I) | 2 | |
| 1980 | ||
| Reagan (R) | 39 | |
| Carter (D) | 45 | |
| Anderson (I) | 14 | |
| 1984 | ||
| Reagan (R) | 31 | |
| Mondale (D) | 67 | |
| 1988 | ||
| Bush (R) | 35 | |
| Dukakis (D) | 64 | |
| 1992 | ||
| Bush (R) | 11 | |
| Clinton (D) | 80 | |
| Perot (I) | 9 | |
| 1996 | ||
| Dole (R) | 16 | |
| Clinton (D) | 78 | |
| Perot (I) | 3 | |
| 2000 | ||
| Bush (R) | 19 | |
| Gore (D) | 79 | |
| Nader (G) | 1 |
Very interesting. Thanks for posting these stats.
One thing stands out to me, and that is Nixon receiving 35% of the Jewish vote in 1972 - which was an improvement from his 17% in '68. As unpopular as the war in Vietnam was, I find this improvement remarkable.
If Nixon was able to get 35% of the Jewish vote in '72, I think it is very likely Bush will vastly improve on his numbers from 2000 (19%). I have already heard upwards of 30% this time.
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
Nader supporters give up Arizona ballotIndependent candidate Ralph Nader, denied a spot on the Arizona ballot, on Friday accused the Democrats and presidential candidate John Kerry of engaging in political "dirty tricks." ...Nader complained that the Democratic Party has "stepped up its obstruction tendencies" in challenging his ballot access... The Kerry campaign dismissed Nader’s complaints, arguing that Democrats were following the rules when they legally challenged Nader’s signatures to get on the ballot... Nader’s campaign had submitted more than 22,000 signatures to Arizona election officials June 9 -- far more than the 14,694 valid signatures required by state law to compete against President Bush and Kerry... Two Democratic voters had filed a lawsuit last week, backed by the Arizona Democratic Party, questioning the validity of Nader’s nominating petitions and other documents. The Democrats argued that more than 70 percent of the signatures were invalid... Nader campaign attorney Richard Mahrle conceded there were "technical errors" in the ballot petition and said Nader would not contest the lawsuit... Nader and Kerry met in May, with the two offering compliments following the session. Whatever truce existed was clearly gone on Friday as Nader campaign spokesman Kevin Zeese warned Democrats about future ballot challenges... Nader has been endorsed by the Reform Party, which has ballot lines in at least seven states.
The Associated Press
July 02, 2004
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