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I waited before replying to the next questions because in all honesty, my
answer will have to criticize the former president,
and I didn't want to speak ill of him while he was undergoing surgery.
It looks like he's recovering well and I wish him a refu'ah shlema.
> 4. Which of the issues about Bush quoted in your message are about new Bush
> policies and which are carryovers from Bill Clinton and his predecessors?
During the upcoming election we should be comparing Kerry and Bush, not Bush
and Clinton but since you asked, let's walk through the list. (See
http://www.loebtree.com/kerry/israel.html
for details on the points in the
original message which I am alluding to.)
Re: Moving the Embassy to Western Jerusalem
Congress with Kerry's support has mandated this move since 1995. Clinton
criticized Bush Sr. for not implementing this move, but failed to move the
embassy himself. I see this as a failing on Clinton's part, and credited
Governor Bush for pointing this out and pledging to move the embassy to W.
Jerusalem the day he took office. Unfortunately this has not happened. Kerry
has criticized Clinton and Bush in turn for not moving the embassy. Someone
once asked me why we should believe Kerry when Bush and Clinton failed to
live up to their promises. Obviously there are no guarantees in life
especially in politics, but while Bush and Clinton were State Governors with
no official track record on Israel, Kerry has a 20 year 100% pro-Israel
voting record according to AIPAC.
Re: Response to Assassination of Hamas Leaders.
Re: No Response to Attack on US vehicle in Gaza.
This was on Bush's watch.
Re: Applying same standards to terrorists in Israel and Elsewhere.
Clinton did not have a good record here, but neither does Bush. In fact, the
Koby Mandell Justice for American Victims of Terror Act was passed with
Kerry's support in response to the Bush admininistrations inaction in face
of Koby Mandell's murder on May 8, 2001. ZOA and AIPAC have criticized the
Bush administration for delaying full implementation of this law.
Re: Penalizing Israel financial for defense fence.
The fence wasn't being considered during Clinton's administration, so that
doesn't apply. However, the loan guarantees and other support for Israel
increased during the Clinton administration. They are being reduced during
the Bush administration due to the fence related sanctions. Kerry opposes
using this funding to coerce Israel.
Re: Iraq and Iran
Clinton's program of sanctions and inspections was apparently successful in
keeping WMD out of Saddam's hands while keeping him as a strategic
counterweight to Iran's anti-Zionist ambitions.
Re: Saudi Arabia
I think both Clinton and Bush should have been tougher on Saudi Arabia.
It is too easy for Bush to blame his failings on past administrations. He
was elected in part on his promise to move the Embassy the day he took
office. You say that this is just a continuation of the Clinton policy. I
suspect that if Bush is reelected (chas v'shalom) come 2008 the American
Embassy will still be in Tel Aviv and Bush supporters will still be blaming
Clinton for that.
Once you are elected president, it is up to you to decide what policies to
continue and what policies to terminate. You must take credit and
responsibility for what you do.
If Kerry is elected, I feel that US Policy will increase its current level
of support for Israel.
Daniel E. LOEB,
eMail: daniel.loeb at verizon.net
