PA silently supports Kerry in US election
Palestinian officials are quietly pinning their hopes on Democratic candidate John Kerry winning the US presidential election.
Former US Middle East envoy Denis Ross is likely to be reappointed should Kerry win the American elections, a Palestinian Authority source said.
Ross has contacted with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and other Palestinian officials during recent visits to the region. He unofficially briefed the Palestinians on the potential new administration's Middle East plans, the source said.
Palestinians expect Kerry's Middle East policy to be closer to that of former US president Bill Clinton.
During the presidential election, senior Palestinian officials openly endorsed George W. Bush against Al Gore. The same PA officials who were outraged when Clinton placed the blame for the failure of the Camp David peace talks on PA Chairman Yasser Arafat now admit they have been disappointed and say any other administration "can only serve their interests better."
"We don't want to repeat the same mistake so let's wait and see who will win the elections and how they will deal with the Middle East," a PA Foreign Ministry official said. "I do not believe Kerry wants to publicize any plans for the Middle East or any contacts with the Palestinians so as not to hurt his election campaign," the official added.
He did not think Kerry's outlook will be very different from Bush's policies. Kerry might appoint former national security adviser Sandy Berger as secretary of state, in which case Ross is likely to be appointed Middle East envoy, another PA source confirmed.
"We believe the [pro-Palestinian Authority] State Department will play the major role again, instead of the national security adviser and secretary of defense," another source reported.
Qurei is trying to convince the American administration and Democrats of his proposal to deploy armed policemen in Palestinian cities in the West Bank to enforce law and order and enable an IDF withdrawal.
Israel has not yet responded to a PA demand for a senior security meeting to coordinate the deployment of PA policemen and agree on the type of weapons they would be allowed to carry and their numbers.
The American Jewish community pays lip service to supporting Israel but is far more concerned with themselves. For example when polled they are much more willing to give up land for peace (as if that works) than Israeli citizens are. They think Kerry is better for them and really don't care what happens in Israel.
So Pat Buchanan is correct to have a pro Arab view.
This reflects the secularization (and liberalization) of ethnic Jews. We Christians who support Israel are called upon to make them jealous for their God.
I wouldn't trust any foreign polls, regardless of the group.
1. Many American Jews are not observnt and consider secular humanism to be their principle idoelogy and…
2. they consider the Religious Right to be a bigger threat than Islamic extremists.
I regularly listen to Michael Medved's radio program and some of his Jewish callers are every bit a bigoted against conservative Christians as anti-Semites are against Jews.
This was particularly evident during the controversy surrounding "The Passion of the Christ."
What else would you expect from a DEMOCRAT poll?
Many of the Jews in America care more about abortion rights and gay marriage then they do about their homeland.
Jewish Americans will vote for Kerry at their own peril. Kerry is clearly going to take the French approach toward diplomacy and that will result in a hostile environment for Jews everywhere.
France is already having it's share of problems with anti-semitism and appeasing those here in the USA who hold such sentiments (as the French do) will only encourage the perpetrators. You can expect to see more anti-semitism displayed in this country following a Kerry win.
I know a number of Jewish persons who are quite liberal and I have never been able to reason with them. Some people just have to relearn the lessons of history it seems to me.
Once "W" got into the White House the Israelis were allowed to behave a bit more unrestrained against the palestinian terrorists. Under Clinton their hands were always tied. Kerry would return to such policies and as a result more innocent Israeli civilians will be slaughtered and the world will of course as always blame the Jews because they are so unreasonable.
Funny that 75% of the mutts over at Democratic Underground think the Jews set up McGreevey via the Mossad!
I grew up in the Northeast US so this sounds about right. Personally, I don't know any Conservative Jews; the ones I know are all 'pre-epiphany' David Horowitz-types (ie. Leftist/Socialist). In fact, the only Conservative Jews I've ever met have been here on FR (all 20 of them).
Check out Prager's answer at http://www.townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/dp20030121.shtml.
Reagan got 40% of the Jewish vote and Bush will get at least that. Why believe some DNC-like poll???
Look at who is sponsoring the poll. Don't worry.
I don't buy the poll. As a 44 year old AMERICAN Jew I support Bush. Infact I have financially sent my money off to Many Republican causes including President Bush. I am a card carrying member of the "REPUBLICAN JEWISH COALITION" http://rjchq.org
Yes, there are many left leaning Jews who are misguided in this world but there are just as many who are RIGHT in their views. Sometimes the Jewish community is too passive and you only hear from those what are left as they want you to think they are the Majority of the Jewish community. They are not. Maybe its a NY Jew who is to the left but not the Midwest Jew.
Sounds like they got the poll results they paid for.
FYI
http://www.njdc.org/mission.html
Founded in 1990, the National Jewish Democratic Council is the national voice of Jewish Democrats. Informed by our commitment to those values shared by the Democratic Party and the vast majority of American Jews - including the separation of church and state, a strong US-Israel relationship, and reproductive freedom...
WWJD?
I think this poll is actually good news. 34 percent of American Jews now recognize that Republicans are better than Democrats on Israel. Since only 19 percent of Jews voted for Bush last time, I bet there's an awakening going on. Also, considering the source of this poll, I bet the percentages are even better.