WASHINGTON, 11 July 2003 — A Gallup poll released yesterday says Sen. Joe Lieberman is running ahead of his rivals nationwide for the Democratic presidential nomination, but analysts say Lieberman is not getting much support from American Jews.
Some Jews argue the time isn’t right for a Jewish candidate, and fear a Jewish president could stir up anti-Semitism in the middle of a war on terrorism and the military occupation of Iraq.
And, although American Jews have traditionally voted Democratic, Lieberman (D-Connecticut) knows his biggest problem is President George W. Bush who is turning out to be the best friend Israel has ever had in the Oval Office.
“Bush is the strongest president of US-Israel relationships we’ve ever had,” Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, recently told journalists. “Bush is more committed to Israel than any other president.”
Jewish fundraisers say the Jewish community is “incredibly loyal” to any officeholder who has made the concerns of the Jewish community his utmost priority.
“Israel is first and foremost in the minds of American Jews because its very survival is at stake,” Lee Cohen, a Washington-based Jewish fundraiser told journalists. “That loyalty and concern for Israel transcends partisan politics.”
To date, Lieberman has raised a total of $8 million to run his campaign, while President Bush has raised at least $34.2 million — including $22 million at fundraisers in the past two weeks. It is difficult to know how much of these campaign funds are from Jewish contributors.
“Pro-Israel supporters can easily say that Bush has been the most ardent supporter of Israel to sit in the White House, and there’s no question about it,” said Naseer Aruri, professor Americus, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.
“Which should help us understand why American Jews might be more interested in a Bush candidacy rather than a Lieberman candidacy,” said Aruri, who recently published a book entitled: “Dishonest Broker: The US Role in Israel and Palestine.”
“I think that American Jewry would much rather have a non-Jew promote Israeli interests, than an American Jew promote them, in particular a Republican and a conservative. Why? Because American Jews are concerned about anti-Semitism. I think they feel that with a Lieberman presidency the question of partisanship towards Israel will always be there. That question is less likely to be asked with a Republican conservative at the helm.”
Others believe that despite claims to the contrary, major national Zionist organizations are not speaking for all American Jews.
“Huge numbers of American Jews strongly oppose the occupation and the various crimes that Israel is committing,” said Mark Lance, associate professor of philosophy at Georgetown University. “What you’ve got is a lot of powerful well-funded organizations trying to set an agenda and claiming to speak for all Jews.”
Lieberman has no chance of being elected, said Lance. “And I don’t believe he’ll get the Democratic nomination. He’s so conservative that liberal Democrats won’t support him.”
