Israel ponders prospect of Jewish U.S. veep
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Thursday, August 10, 2000
TEL AVIV -- Israel is quietly asking whether the prospect of a Jewish
vice president is good for the state.
So far, no prominent Israeli is saying otherwise.
U.S. Vice President Al Gore has chosen Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a
Connecticut Democrat, as his running mate in his race against Republican
nominee George Bush. Lieberman is the first Jew nominated for one of the two
top spots in the United States.
Israeli newspapers on Tuesday reported with a trace of amazement how the
58-year-old Lieberman eats only kosher food and did not appear for his own
nomination because it was on the Jewish Sabbath. Instead, he sent his
pre-recorded acceptance speech by video cassette.
For Israeli officials, the question is whether a Jewish vice president
will work to improve U.S. relations with Israel and side with Jerusalem in
any political confrontation with the Arabs. Other questions are whether
Lieberman will influence Al Gore on Middle East issues.
Prime Minister Ehud Barak did not respond. But some of his aides
expressed satisfaction.
"It fills my heart with pride," Minister for Diaspora Affairs Michael
Melchior said. "It is a sign that American society is going through a
process of maturity, in that it has reached a point in which a Jew, that is
a conscious Jew, a religious Jew such as
Lieberman can be a candidate for so high a position."
Lieberman has strong ties with Israel. He regards himself as a Zionist
and has often visited Israel. Lieberman's wife is a member of a Zionist
organization.
Efraim Inbar, director of the BESA Center for Strategic Studies at
Bar-Ilan University, is a cousin of Lieberman.
"It's a fantastic appointment," former Foreign Ministry director-general
David Kimche said.
Zalman Shoval, two-time Israeli ambassador to Washington, said as vice
president, Lieberman would seek to change the tone of U.S. policy toward
Israel. Shoval, a member of the Likud party, said Lieberman is a "hawk" when
it comes to Israel's security.
Shoval said under a Gore-Lieberman White House, activists such as Peace
Now would have less influence. Clinton became an honorary member of Peace
Now and several of his leading staffers, including White House National
Security Adviser Samuel Berger, are said to be members of the organization,
which calls for Israeli territorial concessions for peace.
The former Israeli ambassador said a Gore White House would also tone
down Clinton's involvement in Israeli politics. Clinton was said to have
helped Barak's successful campaign for prime minister and over the last two
weeks sent senior aides to try to stop the defection of then-Foreign
Minister David Levy.
"I would say that if Gore and Lieberman are elected, which seems at this
stage difficult to predict, their White House would be less of a tool of
Peace Now than the Clinton White House," Shoval said. "The White House will
continue to be more friendly and less involved in Israel's domestic issues."
Lieberman is known for his pro-Israel record. After a spate of
terror bombings in Israel in 1997, he was the only Democrat to join five
Republicans
in brandingYasser Arafat as the ''villain'' of the peace process in a letter
to Clinton.
''I just hope that issues of Israeli relations don't become paramount
and
that the Democratic party and Mr. Gore will try to be even-handed in the
peace process,'' said Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian spokesperson.
Thursday, August 10, 2000
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