The Jerusalem Post, Internet Edition,
Jul. 15,
2004:
Cameron Kerry: Bush too soft on
Saudis
By HERB KEINON
Nobody, not even the campaign of presumptive
Democratic presidential contender John Kerry, can accuse US President
George W. Bush of not being an enormous friend of Israel.
So when vying for Jewish voters for whom
Israel is a key election issue, the Kerry campaign is opting to bash
Bush not for anything he has done toward Israel, but rather for what
he has not done regarding Saudi Arabia. At least this is the
impression one gets when talking with the presidential candidate's
brother and close adviser Cameron Kerry, currently visiting
Israel.
The Bush administration, Kerry said during a
phone interview conducted on his way from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, "has
not been aggressive enough toward Saudi Arabia." Kerry said his
brother criticizes Bush not over his policies concerning Israel, but
"for not doing enough in other areas that affect Israel."
The younger Kerry, who met Thursday with
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, said
that Bush has not waged an effective enough war on terrorism, has not
done enough to reduce American dependence on Middle East oil, and
"has been timid about challenging Saudi Arabia." Kerry, who met Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon briefly on Wednesday, said the US must do more
to get the Saudi government to stamp out hatred being taught in
religious schools and distributed through the press, and that more
pressure must be leveled on the Saudis to end financial support for
terror.
His comments were in line with the Kerry
campaign's recently released position paper on Israel entitled
"Strengthening Israel's Security and Bolstering the US-Israel Special
Relationship." Regarding Saudi Arabia, this paper states that "John
Kerry has forcefully spoken out against anti-Semitic statements by
Saudi government officials, saying it calls into question their
commitment to combating terrorism and pledging that as president he
will never permit these kinds of attacks to go unanswered." Regarding
Bush's strong support for Israel, Kerry said the administration's
policies toward Israel and the peace process have bipartisan
support.
"John has supported those policies, he has been a strong supporter
with a perfect record in support of Israel in the 19 years that he
has been a senator, and he will not walk away from Israel. President
Kerry would be a strong friend to Israel," Kerry said.
For those American Jews who choose their
candidate based on Israel, Kerry reiterated that his brother is a
"staunch supporter of Israel, and for people for whom that is a
critical part of their choice, there should at least be no difference
[between him and Bush]. And then we can move on to a lot of
other issues – economic, justice, church and state, security and
education issues – that are important to the American Jewish
community, and the reasons that American Jews have historically voted
for the Democratic Party."
John Kerry raised some eyebrows in the
Jewish community in October when, while speaking to an Arab American
audience, he called the security fence a "barrier to peace." He has
since changed his tone, referring in his position paper to the fence
as "a legitimate act of self-defense erected in response to the wave
of terror attacks against Israeli citizens." Asked to explain the
change, Cameron Kerry replied, "There is no change. He believes that
Israel has the right to protect its security, and that the fence is a
reasonable exercise of that right. The statement you are talking
about was made when discussing the route, and the Bush administration
also has had issues concerning the route, as has the Israeli Supreme
Court. And now those issues are being addressed."
Another issue that caused Kerry somewhat of a headache in the Jewish
community early in the campaign was his remark that he might appoint
former US secretary of state James Baker, remembered by many in
Israel for a couple of particularly harsh statements toward Israel,
as a special peace envoy.
Kerry said his brother had not made up his
mind whom to appoint for this position, but hinted it would not be
Baker.
"No candidate will be chosen for that
position who doesn't also command the respect of Israel, other
players and the American Jewish community," Kerry said.
Kerry, who converted to Judaism 21 years ago
before marrying his wife Kathy Weinman, termed his visit – his
first to Israel – "an emotional experience." Kerry, whose
paternal grandparents converted from Judaism to Catholicism in
19th-century Austria, visited Yad Vashem Thursday and found
information on his great-aunt and uncle who were murdered in the
Holocaust. His paternal grandmother's brother was killed in Terezin
in 1943, and his grandmother's sister was killed in Treblinka in
1942.
Asked if he thought his conversion to
Judaism would attract Jewish voters, or possibly chase away others
adverse to the idea of a president with such close Jewish family
ties, Kerry responded, "I have no idea. It's something that is
interesting to some people, but has not been an issue." Kerry, a
member of the Temple Israel Reform synagogue in a Boston suburb where
his wife is a member of the synagogue's board and its ritual
committee, said he views this trip as part of his "continuing process
of education" regarding being a Jew. This visit to Israel, he said,
is an important step in that education process.
Kerry said he is looking forward to coming
back to Israel with his two teenage daughters, who have not yet
visited the country.
Kerry is slated to tour the Golan on Friday,
and return to the US on Saturday. He was brought to Israel by an
affiliate of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, The
American Israel Education Fund, which sponsors trips to Israel for
key policy and opinion makers.
In addition to his wife, Kerry was
accompanied by Jay Footlik, who is the Kerry campaign's senior
adviser on Middle East and Jewish affairs.
