Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

54 | MAY 6 • 2021 

Mondale: A Friend to Israel
F

ormer Vice President of the United 
States Walter Mondale passed away on 
April 19, 2021, at the age of 93. Most 
of the obituaries for Mondale applauded him 
as a staunch friend of Israel. As the JTA
’s Ron 
Kampeas stated, “Mondale was from an era 
when being pro-Israel and progressive were 
often synonymous.
”
There are 245 pages in the 
William Davidson Digital 
Archive of Jewish Detroit 
History with content about 
Mondale. The vast majority are 
from the 1970s and 1980s when 
Mondale, son of a Methodist 
minister, was U.S. senator from 
Minnesota (1964-1976), vice 
president of the United States (1977-1981) and 
candidate for president in 1984. He also served 
as ambassador to Japan (1993-1996).
As an American politician, Mondale did 
set some modern political precedents. Unlike 
most of his predecessors, he was an active vice 
president, a role that successors such as Al 
Gore, Joe Biden, Dick Cheney and Mike Pence 
continued to follow. Mondale made a path-
breaking decision when he named a woman, 
Geraldine Ferraro, as his vice presidential run-
ning mate in 1984. She was the first and only 
woman on a presidential ticket until Hillary 
Clinton’s run for president in 2008. 
Unfortunately, for Mondale, he was also 
known for his landslide loss to Ronald Reagan, 
one of the worst presidential election defeats 
in history.
Throughout his career, Mondale was known 
for his good humor, his integrity and his polit-
ical convictions. He was a class act. Moreover, 
as the stories and reports in the JN bear out, 
Mondale was a steadfast friend to American 
Jews and to the State of Israel. 
Mondale is first mentioned in the Sept. 3, 
1965, issue of the JN. There is a small report 
about his introduction of Vice President 
Hubert Humphrey at a Histadrut dinner in 
Minnesota. 
Mondale also traveled to Israel. A report 
in the Aug. 26, 1966, JN cited Sen. Mondale 

as one of three American representatives to 
attend the dedication of Israel’s new Knesset 
building. He also led a delegation, one that 
included Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, to 
Israel in 1978 to celebrate the nation’s 30th 
anniversary. 
Mondale’s experiences led him to become 
a steadfast supporter of Israel. For example, 
he defended America’s annual aid to Israel. 
In his 1984 presidential campaign, Mondale 
made freeing Soviet Jews a campaign 
issue. He did not tolerate antisemitism 
and, during this campaign, blasted his 
rival Jesse Jackson for dealing with Louis 
Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam. 
Perhaps Mondale’s best 
work involved the peace 
negotiations between 
Israel and Egypt in 1978. 
An active participant as 
VP
, he served as a buffer 
between Israel’s Prime 
Minster Menachem Begin 
and President Jimmy Carter. 
The two men were wary 
of each other, and Mondale 
played a critical role as a trust-
worthy go-between for each 
of them. 
Did Jews like everything 
Mondale said or did? Not 
always, but overall, he was a 
very good friend to Israel and to 
American Jews. The many stories 
in the JN are a testimony to this 
fact.
I’ll leave you with a piece 
of Mondale’s congratulatory 
message to Reagan after his 
election loss: “We rejoice in 
our freedom … in our democ-
racy.
” Now, isn’t that a fine 
way to recognize the spirit of 
America? 

Want to learn more? Go to the 

DJN Foundation archives, avail-

able for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

Mondale: A Friend to Israel

as one of three American representatives to 
attend the dedication of Israel’s new Knesset 
building. He also led a delegation, one that 
included Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, to 
Israel in 1978 to celebrate the nation’s 30th 

Mondale’s experiences led him to become 

a steadfast supporter of Israel. For example, 
he defended America’s annual aid to Israel. 
In his 1984 presidential campaign, Mondale 

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam. 

and President Jimmy Carter. 

of each other, and Mondale 
played a critical role as a trust-
worthy go-between for each 

Did Jews like everything 

always, but overall, he was a 
very good friend to Israel and to 
American Jews. The many stories 

are a testimony to this 

our freedom … in our democ-

able for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

American Jews. The many stories 

