RJC: Obama Should Disinvite Hagel from Israel Trip

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(July 14, 2008) -- Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) Executive Director Matt Brooks issued the followed statement today calling on Sen. Barack Obama to drop Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) from his upcoming trip to Israel:

"If Barack Obama is getting advice from Chuck Hagel about Israel, then the American Jewish community has a lot to worry about. Of all the senators with whom Obama could have traveled with, Hagel's record on Israel is one of the worst. Senator Obama should disinvite Senator Hagel from this trip," said Brooks. "The message to the Jewish community is heard loud and clear. Where Barack Obama has chosen to visit Israel with one of the most anti-Israel senators, by contrast, on John McCain's most recent trip to Israel, he chose to visit with Joseph Lieberman."

The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC), cited clear examples of Sen. Hagel's abysimal record on Israel.

In August 2006, Hagel was one of only 12 senators who refused to write the EU asking them to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

In December 2005, Hagel was one of only 27 who refused to sign a letter to President Bush to pressure the Palestinian Authority to ban terrorist groups from participating in Palestinian legislative elections. In June 2004, Hagel refused to sign a letter urging President Bush to highlight Iran's nuclear program at the G-8 summit.

In November 2001, Hagel was one of only 11 senators who refused to sign a letter urging President Bush not to meet with the late Yassir Arafat until his forces ended the violence against Israel.

In October 2000, Hagel was one of only four senators who refused to sign a Senate letter in support of Israel. "Barack Obama continues to send every wrong signal to the Jewish community about who he is and where he stands on issues important to Israel. Since the RJC and the NJDC share similar concerns about Senator Hagel, we hope they will join us in calling on Obama to drop Hagel from the upcoming trip," said Brooks.

Conservatism is supposed to be an ideology, not a narrow set of exact views. People can disagree on specific issues while still adhering to the same general philosophy.

Also, I think you couldn't be more wrong about what you've said. Barry Goldwater didn't believe in enforcement of morality, and neither did Ronald Reagan. Sadly, most modern conservatives and liberals alike believe in enforcing their own version of morality. Each person has different versions of what is or isn't moral, which is why the government cannot do it without greatly overstepping their proper role, something conservatives should oppose.

Many grassroots conservatives, if not a majority, have come to oppose the drug war. It's an abject failure and a classic example of big government gone awry. This is really just a subset of the above; you can attempt to use the government to enforce morality, but at the end of the day you'll have higher government spending, invasion of privacy, and the continuance of immoral behavior.

The last thing you said is of course the topic of this thread. This is an even more specific policy question. Conservatives used to believe in non-interventionism. A lot of people claim that things have changed in a “post 9/11 world”, but I don't see how you can dismiss somebody who hasn't changed their views as not being conservative. We shouldn't be taking sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, plain and simple. It's none of our business. Yes, Israel is our ally, but why wouldn't they be when we continually side with them? Chicken and egg.

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