Politics

Jewish Republican Leaders Stump for Romney in…Israel

Jewish Republican Leaders Ari Fleischer and Matt Brooks Stump for Romney in Israel

Republican Jewish Coalition board member Ari Fleischer speaking at an event two years ago

Are the GOP’s supporters anticipating a narrow outcome in the presidential election, like what happened in 2000? A campaign underway in Israel seems to suggest just that.

The group “iVoteIsrael” is trying to encourage the estimated 150,000 U.S. citizens living in Israel to register and vote via absentee ballot in November and has brought in some big guns from the Republican Jewish Coalition to convey the message.

Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matt Brooks and board member Ari Fleischer, former press secretary to President George W. Bush, arrived Tuesday in Israel to convince American Jews living there to vote for Mitt Romney. Their first stop was an “iVoteIsrael” event in Jerusalem.

JTA reports the potentially small margins in key battleground states were at the forefront of Fleischer’s message:

“Imagine it’s Nov. 6, you wake up, you don’t vote, you hear we have another razor-thin election,” Fleischer told the crowd. He noted that Israel’s 150,000 [American] Jews are “the size of Dayton, you’re the size of Ft. Lauderdale. You’re a longer plane trip but you’re equally important.”

The Jerusalem Post adds:

“I am a survivor of the 2000 election in the US [that George W. Bush won thanks to 537 votes in Florida],” Fleischer said. “If this race will be equally close, there is a possibility that a large number of absentee ballots coming into Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio can make the difference. It is also important to plant a flag on Israeli soil. Politicians notice a massive boost in voting like there could be here.”

IVoteIsrael contends that few of these expats have taken advantage of their right to vote in U.S. elections, and the group would like to reverse that trend. Its website states:

We – as American-Israelis – are punching WAY below our weight, and we set out to change that equation.

The group calls itself bipartisan and says it will help both Democrats and Republicans living abroad register to vote. It has also invited Democratic speakers to Israel. Its main goal is: “to see a President in the White House who will support and stand by Israel in absolute commitment to its safety, security and right to defend itself.”

Do Israelis believe President Obama is committed to its safety and security?

A recent Jerusalem Post poll showed that while 36 percent of Israelis view President Obama as neutral on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 24 percent view him as pro-Palestinian, while the same proportion view him as pro-Israel. Another way to interpret those numbers is: three-quarters of Israelis do not see the President as being pro-Israel. As Jonathan Tobin of Commentary Magazine pointed out in March when the poll was published:

“…these dismal numbers are actually a vast improvement for Obama over past polls conducted by the same firm.”

In 2009 after President Obama’s Cairo speech, 6 percent of Israelis viewed him as a supporter of Israel, while 50 percent saw him as pro-Palestinian. And last year after he called for a return to 1967 borders, which many Israelis believe leave Israel dangerously vulnerable to attack, 12 percent of Israelis viewed him as pro-Israel. Therefore, any bump in Israel-based participation will likely favor presumptive Republican candidate Mitt Romney over Obama.

Ha’aretz reports Fleischer told the group in Jerusalem that Obama is forcing Israel to make ‘harmful concessions’:

“I do not ever want to have a president in the Oval Office who will make us scratch our heads and wonder, ‘does he or does he not have Israel’s back,’” said Fleischer, alluding to President‘s Obama’s pledge, last March, at the AIPAC Conference in Washington. “I don’t want to have a president in the Oval Office who makes me wonder what next will he do to put pressure on Israel and make Israel make harmful, unwise concessions.”

IVoteIsrael Campaign Director Elie Pieprz told The Jerusalem Post that the group has registered Americans from 45 states living in Israel.

So while for most Americans the overriding election issue is the economy, for a small segment of American voters, U.S. foreign policy is not taking a back seat.

Watch iVoteIsrael’s YouTube video encouraging U.S. citizens living in Israel to register, lest they be called a “frier” in Hebrew. That’s the ultimate insult in Israel, roughly translated as a “sucker.”

Comments (34)

  • JanEek
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 5:16am

    My last sentence fell out. What I say is that just the idea that Mitt romney is elected president of USA frightens me. He has no idea about foreign policy, and if he is to act on some of his statements he is giving now as President, he will throw the world into chaos and military conflicts worst than we have today.

    Report Post » JanEek  
  • JanEek
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 5:09am

    These days the situation in Israel and “Palestine” is shadowed by the revolution in Syria, but the facts remains. The main fact is that Israel is committing State terrorism on a people that can not defend themselves.

    But the retaliation from Israel is so harsh, brutal and excessive that it is hard to imagine.
    They also keep building houses, settling Jews on Palestinian land. I could go on, but there is no need. Israel is slowly choking the Palestinians, depriving them of a minimum of a normal, decent life.

    20-30 years ago, Israel had a basic sympathy from most of the Western world. Not so now. An extensive survey by BBC shows that “favorable” to Israel is down to 21 %.

    And now Mitt Romney is in Israel and of course he can’t keep his mouth shut. I always wonder if most Americans even bother to even try to understand the effects some of his statements have. He says that “Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel”. THAT is one of the most difficult issues in the conflict, and even the US has never accepted that as a solution. Then he goes on and somewhat implying that if he was elected President, and Israels attacks Iran, the US would stand by them. —- In that region there are close to 500 million Muslims, and although Iran is not the most popular country in that area, Israel is hated. So, if Israel really attacked Iran, the consequences would be a major disaster, including the involvement of the US troops in Iraq.

    Just the idea that Mitt Romney should

    Report Post » JanEek  
  • sbenard
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 12:22pm

    One can only wonder what a lame duck Obama would do to throw Israel under the bus! America’s liberal Jews need to wake up!

    Report Post » sbenard  
  • republic2011
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:26am

    American jews have spent so many decades chasing Nazi’s and Nazi sympathizers from WWII, yet, they don’t seem to recognize that all the moves taken by this President, to date, and his democratic party are the same as Hitler took in the lead up to his taking absolute power of Germany and committing atrocities (nationalization of business, nationalization of schools, nationalization of healthcare, entitlements galore, NDAA, etc.). Time to wake up. If American jews don’t vote this guy out, they will almost guarantee a repeat of history. We are becoming a fascist nation.. study your history.

    Report Post »  
    • justangry
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:43am

      You do realize that percentage wise, the Demoncrats were less in favor of the NDAA than Republicans, right?

      Report Post » justangry  
    • KevINtampa
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 2:10pm

      The Republicans that voted for it need to be fired as well. The Republican vs. Democrat feud is a farce. They might argue over the means and time frames, but share the same end: centrally planned society.

      Report Post »  
    • The-Real-Enrico
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 4:22pm

      @justangry I believe you. I know the way progressive dupe the the average repubes GOP is safety and security in the form force like police or militarily.

      For some reason people who claim to be on the conservative side think that our police and security agencies can do no wrong. The people who believe that are just as bad as the other side.

      You can not trade freedom for safety. What are we saving if we give up our freedom? If we give up freedom protect our selves then what do we have left to be protecting?

      Our police and protection agencies can be corrupted just like any other government agency. It is our job to not let them be corrupted.

      We still need many more to wake up. We are doing this to ourselves! We need to stop pointing fingers and then look in the mirror.

      Report Post » The-Real-Enrico  
  • jamesctheman
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:25am

    Self loathers in that community will blow off his message. The dire consequences of not putting Obama back in Chicago in November will resonate through the Israeli state like a shockwave. This man does not have your back. They’re scared to further infuriate the Islamists movements going on. We need to doubledown. We have broken our covenent to God & Israel. We have put them inthe most vulnerable position & tie their arms. Please vote for Israel. Romney understand the importance of our relationship & spiritual bond we have with the Jewish state. There will never be a restored Al Quds. Jerusalem will be the nam of the capitol again for the Jewish people & recognized. Thank ou Lord for giving me the strength for what I’m bout to do. I have joined the Friends of the IDF & in August I accepted & leave for bootcamp for two years. My Jewish ife & son will be coming with me. My convictions to protect Israel are so strong I will spill my blood in the Holy Land. It’s that important. George Washington & Thomas Jefferson planned the landmarks for D.C.. If you see how th buildings lay & connect them the Star of DAVID is present. Protect Israel.

    Report Post » jamesctheman  
    • KidCharlemagne
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:20am

      jamesctheman
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:25am
      If you see how th buildings lay & connect them the Star of DAVID is present.
      ===========================================

      I hope not:

      “Some Orthodox Jewish groups reject the use of the Jewish Star of David because of its association with magic. Neturei Karta and Satmar reject it because they associate it with Zionism.”

      “But you have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which you made to yourselves.”
      -Amos 5:26

      Report Post »  
    • anomnomnommm
      Posted on July 17, 2012 at 11:29am

      http://i.imgur.com/edFu0.jpg

      Report Post »  
  • marthasusan40
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:01am

    American/Jews better register and vote Romney like their lives depend on it, because they do. It is just that simple….Wake up Israel.

    Report Post »  
  • Individualism
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 9:48am

    If there not living or fighting abroad don’t let them vote, take away their citizenship instead.

    Report Post » Individualism  
  • Want our country back
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 9:29am

    American Jews, you might want to consider this article before you vote Democrat.
    How much does Barack OBAMA HATE ISRAEL and want to throw her under the bus? Here’s how much; the Obama administration not only EXCLUDED ISRAEL FROM A NEW COUNTERTERRORISM FORUM IN SPAIN, it didn’t even mention Israel in its remarks. If there were ever a country that has dealt with murderous terrorist attacks over and over again, that country would be Israel.
    The rest of the article is worth a read @ breitbart.com

    Report Post » Want our country back  
  • watersRpeople
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 9:12am

    Yeah it’s not Judah, it’s Israel….yeah.

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 9:09am

    Does anyone doubt that Dems will work feverishly to avoid counting absentee ballots from Israel…and our military?

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • Inlightofthings
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 9:23am

      GONZO…

      FYI. A lot has been said about the Soros company SCYTL that is counting votes. My research has shown they are contracted to count military and absentee ballots for 12 states or so. I don’t believe they are contracted to count all votes. Either way, there is exposure there. I recall the military vote being disenfranchised in ‘00 and ’04.

      Report Post »  
  • Want our country back
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 8:55am

    There needs to be a FULL COURT PRESS to wake up the American Jews. I support Israel and the Jewish people. If we, the American people, re-elect this administration we’ll ALL go down in flames. I‘m too old to see a turnaround in my lifetime because it could take several decades for us to restore this country to it’s freedom, if ever.

    GOP2012

    Report Post » Want our country back  
  • lynnissmart
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 8:47am

    Anyone who votes for the Commiedemoctratie, should be truly ashamed of themselves……that being said, you have only one choice! period……..

    Report Post »  
    • justangry
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:44am

      I’m writing in Paul. I don‘t like the people I’m seeing Romney surround himself with. I don’t like the way the GOP has conducted itself in the primaries. All the ethics of the W’s administration, all the murdering, lying, intimidation. I mean seriously, Ari Fleischer? Yeah, no thanks, I’ll pass. I’ve heard his lies before.

      Report Post » justangry  
    • The-Real-Enrico
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 4:52pm

      @justangry I say go ahead and vote with your convictions as long as you voting and not vote for Obama.
      At this point I believe that Paul would be 100% better would have preferred if Paul had would lead the GOP ticket. Shoot and I am not a Paul supporter(as president).

      I will be voting for Romney in November because I am sadly going to be just voting against Obama. I love most of what Paul preaches but the small 1% of his foreign policy I believe to be a seriously dangerous for our national security.
      And yes understand it, no need to explain it. I just plain dis-agree.

      At this point actually hope turn out some type a miracle at the convention force Romney’s hand on message or just plain beats him.

      Report Post » The-Real-Enrico  
    • soybomb315
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 6:01pm

      @Just

      After the RNC convention, Ron Paul will no longer be seeking the presidency. Don’t write-in someone who doesnt want it. Look into Gary Johnson. He will be on your ballot

      Report Post » soybomb315  
    • justangry
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 7:14pm

      @The Real, Where do you get your information on foreign policy from, bud?

      @Soy, There’s some stuff on his site that concerns me. Agree he’d be better than the other two.

      Report Post » justangry  
    • soybomb315
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:09pm

      @Just
      i’m curious to know what those things are

      Report Post » soybomb315  
    • justangry
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 10:59pm

      @Soy, I haven’t looked at him too much so I may be getting some of his positions wrong. I think I‘m finding out that I’m a constitutionalist more than a libertarian. A few examples that give me concern are:

      His site says he wants to legalize drugs at the federal level. I’d prefer to hear him say he wants to decriminalize them at the federal level and let the states make their own laws.

      Open border with Mexico. I wouldn’t care about the Mexicans coming for a better life, but concerned about the Muslim extremist we’ve been ******* off lately. I still think we have some blowback coming.

      Abortion – I wasn‘t totally clear on what he was saying and haven’t went back, but would like to hear him say the Constitution gives the Federal government no authority to do anything about it. It‘s a state’s rights issue until the Constitution is amended.

      Gay Marriage – I don’t care if homosexuals get married either, but it‘s none of the Federal Gov’t’s business one way or another according to the Constitution.

      Civil Liberties – He wasn’t as adamant about the Post 9/11 legislation as I would have liked. Saying only he’d let some of the laws expire. You can’t sware to uphold the Constitution, but enforce blatantly unconstitutional laws even a day.

      That’s off the top of my head. I’ll go back and take a look further when I have time and check some other sources. It‘s not so much that I disagree with many of his ideas just how he’d accomplish it.

      Report Post » justangry  
    • soybomb315
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:21pm

      For drugs, abortion, and gay marriage – i havent heard him explain exactly how it would work but I think it is implied that when he says ‘legal’, he means from a federal point of view. I would like to hear him clarify that it would be up to the states to decide….It’s not like he gets coverage, so he has to make his points as short as possible.

      Constitionalist is definately the way to go rather than libertarianism. Too many anarchists have infiltrated it and they sometimes lose focus on the Constitution. I voted Constitution Party in 2008 (Pastor Chuck Baldwin). Chuck Baldwin was a great candidate and is still doing good things. This time, the Constitution Party seems to have nominated a dud – I cant see him getting ANY traction (former crossover democrat congressman and done little the last 10 years).

      The thing about Gary Johnson is that he was governor of a liberal state (New Mexico) around the same time as Mitt Romney in MA. During that time, Gary Johnson vetoed more bills than the other 49 governors combined. He forced NM to massively cut the budget and they ended up in great financial shape. Gary Johnson won re-election while Mitt Romney did not try to run for re-election. He started his own business and turned it into a huge company. I think Gary Johnson is the perfect contrast to Mitt Romney and I’ll be going full bore in my state (VA) after the RNC convention wraps up (assuming RP doesnt win or make significant reforms in the party).

      peace

      Report Post » soybomb315  
    • soybomb315
      Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:20am

      @just
      I posted a long reply last night but apparently theblaze decided not to show it.

      I’m sure this discussion will continue over the next few months

      Report Post » soybomb315  
    • justangry
      Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:53am

      Yeah Soy, I’ll keep an open mind, see what other RP supporters are doing etc. If there’s enough to establish a legitimate third party, I’ll vote that way just to get federal funding, etc. Anything to break up the one party system we currently have. RP is great at getting his message out to his supporters which I‘m sure he’ll do after the convention.

      Report Post » justangry  
  • rickc34
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 8:33am

    If Obama wins there will be no need for him to play nice with Jews living in the U.S. , the Nazi had ties to the Muslims in WWII, both have extreme hatred for all Jews. Israel will be without an ally in the U.S. with Obama in his second term.

    Report Post »  
  • Inlightofthings
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 8:32am

    The Jewish and the Catholics gave POTUS @ 65% of their votes in 2008. For the life of me I cannot figure out why that number would be over 30% in November. These groups have got to see what has transpired…?!?!?!

    Report Post »  
    • RightPolitically
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 9:25am

      Perhaps the number is 65% or so if you combine the Jewish and Catholic vote but stand alone, I’ll bet that over 80% is the real number of Jewish voters who pulled the lever for Obama. Maybe a guy like Ari Fleischer can explain that stupidity within the Jewish populous. I wish he would!

      Report Post » RightPolitically  
    • Inlightofthings
      Posted on July 11, 2012 at 2:36pm

      POTUS received 78% of the jewish vote, 64% of the Catholic. Recent polls show a significant trend toward Romney:
      “Specifically looking at Catholic likely voters who voted for Obama, at-risk votes are estimated to be 4,486,242, with 9.2% saying they would vote for Romney (1,895,643) and 12.6% undecided (2,590,599). Loss of support among this segment could be especially damaging to the president as Catholics in general were a key demographic that helped carry him to victory in 2008″. SF Chronicle

      Catholics make up 24% of the voting population. If it holds true and Jewish follow a similar route, Obama can not win. Also, ABC/WAPO poll shows Romney up 14% among independents, which is up 5 points from 2 months ago.

      Report Post »  
  • JUSTANOTHEROPINION
    Posted on July 11, 2012 at 8:28am

    If they are there for business this might get them involved, however, if they runout on there Country because of cowardness over politics then this will not mean a thing. So, I guess we will find out how many cowards versus how many patriots we have living in Israel. Let’s find out(hoping somebody will report).

    Report Post »  

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