So I'm frankly shocked and disappointed when I read in JTA News that Lieberman seems to be buying into this theory himself. As the article reports, it appears that Lieberman has been trying to prove that he's not going to agree with the Israeli lobby on every issue. In fact, he pandered to -- of all groups! -- the Saudis in his recent visit to the Middle East. He met with hateful Palestinian propagandist (aka Information Minister) Yasser Abed Rabbo as well.
As JTA reporter Matthew Berger writes:
Lieberman has been a constently strong supporter of Israel, sponsoring last spring’s congressional resolution of solidarity with the Jewish state. He also has been a proponent of U.S. engagement to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Some American Jewish leaders therefore were shocked by Lieberman’s recent comments. The leaders say the community now sees him differently, as another politician who will say whatever is needed to get elected.
“There’s a lot of concern,” said one senior Jewish leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “There is a real sense I get from people that he is flip-flopping and saying what is convenient.”
I was a big fan of Lieberman long before he was chosen as Gore's vice-presidential running mate. I met him once at my elementary school, and saw him once at the Georgetown synagogue Kesher Israel. By all accounts, he's a genuine mensch. He stood out from many Democrats with his support for school vouchers to help the poor, and was willing to publicly discuss his faith -- anathema to many Democrats. I didn't have many qualms with his flip-flop as Gore's VP nominee; after all, it would be awkward to publicly disagree with your running mate. But I find it very disconcerting that, as his own candidate, he seems to lost some of his principle
Frankly, I'm a lot more comfortable with the heavily pro-Israel foreign policy team that Bush has established, with Rice, Rummy, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, Feith and now Elliot Abrams. The Democrats don't really have many potential Pentagon and national security team appointments that would seem to favor democracy and be principled with their support of Israel in Middle East policy. Leon Feurth? Sandy Berger? Jimmy Carter? Anyone?
<< Home