Smear Campaign

Jewish groups, senators protest flood
of e-mails attacking Obama.

Ron Kampeas
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Washington

E

fforts to turn American Jews against the presidential
aspirations of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., have
elicited a stinging protest from a diverse group of
Jewish organizations.
Nine Jewish organizational leaders signed a letter last week
that addressed rumors about Obama's upbringing and faith.
Several said they were moved to act primarily by
the attempt to use smear tactics to swing Jewish
votes.
"These tactics attempt to drive a wedge
between our community and a presidential can-
didate based on despicable and false attacks and
innuendo based on religion," the statement said.
"We reject these efforts to manipulate members
of our community into supporting or opposing
candidates
Over the weekend, a separate letter signed by
seven Jewish U.S. senators echoed the theme.
"We find it particularly abhorrent that these
attacks are apparently being sent specifically to
the Jewish community',' said the letter, initiated by
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.
It was signed also by Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif, Ben.
Cardin, D-Md., Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., Frank Lautenberg, D-
N.J., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Ron Wyden,
D-Ore..
"Jews, who have historically been the target
of such attacks, should be the first to reject
these tactics," the letter said.
E-mails circulating for months increased in
intensity after Obama won the Iowa caucuses.
The Jewish organizational letter was
unusual
in that Jewish groups usually stay
Carl Levin
out of the fray in election season, not wanting
to be seen as endorsing candidates. Those involved in the letter
were reluctant to speak publicly about it.
The Obama letter was preceeded by a quieter campaign late
last year by Jewish Republicans to work within the party to roll
back evangelical attacks on the Mormon faith of Mitt Romney,
the former Massachusetts governor who is vying for the
Republican nomination.
The e-mails that circulated about Obama mix outright fabri-
cation with distortions about Obama's upbringing.
An example of an outright lie: Obama was sworn into office
on the Koran.
A distortion: Obama's father and stepfather were part of
a Muslim conspiracy to place one of their own in the White
House. Both men were Muslims, but nominally so, and Obama
is a Christian.
William Daroff, the Washington director of United Jewish
Communities, said the Obama e-mails that pop into his inbox
three to four times a week remind him of the calumnies he
often reads about Jews on community Web sites under the
rubric "Watch out for these'

"It was similar to warnings about falsehoods on the Internet,
like 'Jews stayed home on 9-11;" Daroff said. "It was being used
to stir up Jewish sensibilities as they related to Obama's candi-
dacy."
On the record, Jewish officials insist the Jewish organiza-
tions' letter originated in the Jewish community Off the record,
at least two figures familiar with it say it originated with the
Obama campaign, which has been anxious about efforts to chip
away at his Jewish support.
Both figures noted, however, that there was virtually no dif-
ference between early drafts originating with the campaign
and the final version approved by the Jewish
leadership.
Obama has addressed concerns about some
of his affiliations, notably his membership
in Trinity United, a Chicago-area church. Its
leader, Jeremiah Wright, has embraced some
radical black teachings, and a church-affiliated
magazine recently lauded Louis Farrakhan, the
anti-Semitic leader of the Nation of Islam.
In an address on the eve of Martin Luther
King Day at King's church, Ebenezer Baptist
in Atlanta, Obama excoriated black anti-
Semitism and other bigotry. He noted that
African Americans "have been at the receiv-
ing end of man's inhumanity to man:' then
went on to say that the community "has not
always been true to King's vision of a beloved community."
"We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of
embracing them:' Obama said. "The scourge of anti-Semitism
has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long,
some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs
instead of companions in the fight for opportunity"
Whatever the origins of the communal letter, Jewish orga-
nization leaders said the insinuations about Obama's faith
prompted them to rally the way they would expect non-Jews
to rally if a Jewish candidate were similarly targeted.
"We saw a greater frequency of them in the Jewish commu-
nity:' said Nathan Diament, the Washington director for the
Orthodox Union. "A couple of us started talking about doing
something in response."
In addition to the UJC and Orthodox Union, signatories to
the letter included the top executives of the American Jewish
Committee, the Reform movement, the Anti-Defamation
League, the American Jewish Congress, the National Council
of Jewish Women, the Jewish Council of Public Affairs and the
Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Obama addressed several issues during a Nevada debate. "I
am a Christian; I was sworn in with a Bible;' he said. "In the
Internet age, there are lies that are going to be spread all over
the place. I have been victimized by these lies. Fortunately the
American people are, I think, smarter than folks give them
credit for."
In e-mail exchanges, Jewish organizational leaders consid-
ered expanding its message to address Romney's Mormon
faith. Ultimately, those involved said, It was felt that it would
be more effective to narrowly address the Obama issue
because that was the only smear campaign focusing on Jewish
interest. ❑

Rabbi E.B. (Bunny) Freedman is a
board member of Hebrew Free Loan
and executive director of the Jewish
Hospice & Chaplaincy Network. In
these roles, Rabbi Freedman is
witness to the most vulnerable among
us and dedicates himself to ensuring
no Jew is alone in time of need.

"In this week's Torah portion we
read, 'When you loan money to my
people do not charge interest.' In
times of stress the Torah wants us to
view ourselves as an undivided
people," Rabbi Freedman says.
"When we unite and respond
unselfishly we are indeed God's
people. Our community's challenging
financial climate makes this age-old
message especially relevant today."

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In1111 PAIR Of Mg TUA

IN

January 31 2008

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