Insight

Remember
When • •

Convention Appeal

From the pages of the Jewish News for
this week 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50
years ago.

GOP courts Jewish vote with a pro-Israel platform.

1990

LISA HOSTEIN
Jewish. Telegraphic Agency

Philadelphia
arely in recent U.S. elec-
tions have a candidate's
views on Israel and the
Middle East been a make-
or-break issue for Jewish voters.
It's generally a given these days that
most candidates are pro-Israel, or at least
they espouse the traditional pro-Israel
slogans during the campaign — support
for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, a
commitment to Israel's security and a
pledge to support a united Jerusalem as
the eternal capital of the Jewish state.
At the same time, many Jewish voters
must feel a certain comfort level on the
Israel issue before they move on to other
criteria by which to cast their votes.
Which perhaps explains in part why
Republican Party leaders addressing
Jewish delegate functions at the
Republican National Convention in
Philadelphia this week emphasized
what they see as Texas Gov. George W.
Bush's support for Israel and the party's
strong pro-Israel platform.
Republican leaders know that their
presidential candidate has to overcome
the legacy of his father, former President
Bush, who — along with his secretary
of state, James Baker — was viewed by
many Jews as hostile to Israel.
They also know that many Jews are
uncomfortable with some of the
domestic positions being espoused by
Bush, including his views on abortion
and religion in public life.
So instead of focusing on economic
and other public policy issues —
issues that seem to attract Jews to the
party — most of the party leaders
addressing Jewish events touted the
Middle East-related planks in the
party platform and, in several cases,
criticized the Clinton administration
for pressuring Israel to make difficult
decisions without getting anything in
return from the Palestinians.

R

Gingrich And McCain

"It is wrong" that at the Camp David
summit, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud

Barak gave and Palestinian Authority
President Yasser Arafat took, and "the
United States never said anything,"
declared Newt Gingrich, former
speaker of the U.S. House of
Representatives, Sunday.
He spoke to hundreds of cheering
supporters gathered at a Jewish com-
munity event co-sponsored by the
American Israel Public Affairs
Committee and the United Jewish
Communities.
For his part, Sen. John McCain (R-
Ariz.), who was defeated by Bush in
the primaries and was greeted with a
hero's welcome during the convention,

said she hoped an agreement on
Jerusalem could be worked out
between Israel and the Palestinians that
maintains the holy status of the city.
She also reiterated Bush's position
that he would move the U.S. embassy
from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Rice said she did not think that the
failed Camp David summit was a
waste of time because the parties
focused on difficult issues. There has
to be an agreement under which "both
parties have to feel secure, particularly
Israel," said Rice, whom observers say
would likely get a top foreign policy
post in a Bush administration.

PAC

United
jcwish

OMIT11111 itiCS

O

A meri c an

Public Aft4

COMIT

Sen. John McCain,
R-Ariz., addresses
a pre-Republican
National Convention
event in Philadelphia
Sunday co-sponsored
by the United
Jewish Communities
and American
Israel Public Affairs
Committee.

including at the AIPAC event, empha-
Believing In Bush
sized the importance of an undivided
Many delegates at the convention
Jerusalem. At the same time, he =
appeared
convinced that Bush would
seemed to back the idea of a compro-
be
there
for
Israel.
mise that would include a sharing of
"George
Bush would have done
sovereignty with the Palestinians.
better" at Camp David
"It is difficult to imagine
than President Clinton,
that a compromise can
said Phil Hellreich,.a
be found involving
Republican delegate
Jerusalem, but to
SE E OUR W El SITE:
from Hawaii who
ignore the possibility
A report on GOP platforrn
served on the platform
is to accept the
committee.
The
0:
planks
on
issues
of
Jewish
inevitability of fur-
Republicans
would
interest is ayailable at
ther conflict,"
pursue
peace
www.detrottlemshnews.cota
McCain said. But he
because "it's in
also said, "The
the United
United States should
States'
best inter-
play no part in any
est," not because
agreement that is not
they are courting
consistent" with the premise
the
Jewish
vote,
Hellreich
said.
that "Jerusalem remain the undivided
Others,
however,
were
skeptical.
capital of Israel."
"He still has to convince me" on
Bush's chief foreign policy adviser,
Israel,
said Lee Bender, a Philadelphia
Condoleezza Rice, was less specific
attorney
who was not a delegate but
about the future of Jerusalem. Without
attended
several of the Jewish events.
mentioning a united Jerusalem, she

❑

8/4
2000

32

Secular studies teachers and
administrators at Yeshiva Beth
Yehudah agreed to a four-year con-
tract.
A Boston software company
developed a program to merge
written Hebrew with music for
teaching Haftorah and Torah por-
tions.

198

►

The Knesset voted to approve the
controversial basic law that affirms
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Norman Goldman of Oak Park
is a candidate for Oakland County
commissioner from the 19th dis-
trict.

1970

Torah scrolls were moved from
the old Ahavas Israel Synagogue on
Lafayette to the new building on
Leffingwell and Michigan, Detroit.

1960

A municipal judge in Washington,
D.C., committed George Lincoln
Rockwell, self-styled leader of the
American Nazi Party, to a hospital
for a psychiatric examination.
The new Hebrew University-
Hadassah Medical School, costing
S7 million, was dedicated at Ein
Karem In Israel.
The Workmen's Circle Jewish
School changed its name to the
Abraham Reisen Jewish School of
the Arbeiter Ring.

1950

The Wurttemberg-Baden parlia-
mein finance committee in
Stuttgart, Germany, voted 300,000
marks for restoration of a Nazi-
defiled synagogue.
Rabbi Benjamin H. Gorrelick
became the leader of Congregation
Beth Aaron in Detroit.
Al Rosen, home run hitter for
the Cleveland Indians, broke his
nose for the ninth time in 26 years
as the result of a pop fly

— Compiled by Sy Manello,
editorial assistant

