Days After Returning From Israel Romney Forms Jewish American Coalition
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Mitt Romney at the Western Wall. Photo: Screenshot.
Days after returning from Israel where he declared Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital and donors pledged $1 million to his campaign for the White House, Mitt Romney has formed a Jewish American coalition to bolster his bid for the presidency.
“The Jewish community has made contributions to American society that stand in amazing disproportion to its numbers, and I am genuinely honored to have so many of its leading thinkers, diplomats, and political leaders support my campaign,” Romney said in a note to reporters on Wendesday. “Having just visited Israel at a critical juncture in the history of the Middle East, I am persuaded that now, more than ever, America needs to stand with Israel.”
Congressman Eric Cantor, the highest ranking Jewish member of Congress in U.S. history, will serve as one of the coalition’s honorary chairmen.
“Governor Romney understands that peace in the Middle East will only be achieved when Israel is secure within its borders and not the target of violence fueled by senseless hatred,” Cantor wrote in the coalition’s opening statement. “He will leave no stone unturned in the effort to keep Israel secure.”
Philip Rosen, a Manhattan lawyer and key Romney fundraiser who is listed on the National Advisory Board of the Coalition told The Algemeiner that “a primary purpose of the group would likely be holding events in different cities.” He added that it was possible that Romney himself would attend an event organized by the group, “or one of his sons or surrogates.”
Its main purpose he said is “to reach out to the Jewish community and help increase support for the Governor which in my mind has been escalating daily.”
Romney hopes to build on Senator John McCain’s Jewish support during the 2008 presidential race, who garnered 22% of the American-Jewish vote.
President Obama, who took 78% of the Jewish vote in 2008 signed a bill this week to enhance U.S.-Israeli security cooperation, and on Tuesday, approved new economic sanctions aimed at forcing Iran to agree to international demands regarding its nuclear program.
The full list of Honorary Chairmen and National Advisory Board members of the coalition is below:
Honorary Chairmen
Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA)
Former Governor Linda Lingle (R-HI)
Former Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Former Senator Rudy Boschwitz (R-MN)
Adam Hasner, Florida
National Advisory Board
Evan Feigenbaum
Tevi Troy
Dan Senor
Dov Zakheim
Roger Zakheim
Eliot Cohen
Ambassador Eric Edelman
Ambassador Mitchell Reiss
Aaron Friedberg
Leon Aron
Phil Rosen
Sander Gerber
Lew Eisenberg
Eric Tanenblatt
Nick Muzin
Jeremy Katz
Barry Mannis
Ben Ginsberg
Victor Chaltiel
Fred Zeidman
Bruce Bialosky
Richard Heideman
Hon. Phyllis Greenberg Heideman
Ambassador Ned Siegel
Ambassador Mel Sembler
Stanley Tate
Ted Cutler
Ambassador Sam Fox
Bobby Schostak
Alan Kaufman
Ed Levy
Jay and Ann Davis
Marty Kogon
David Flaum
Cheryl Halpern
Reuven Hahn
Steve Friedman
Michael Menis
Ambassador Cliff Sobel
8:51 am
Dear Friends,
Today this is the question with ‘topical interest’ in the World:
-Is Jerusalem the capital of the State of Israel, or not?
If you read the chapter ‘Jerusalem’ in my book “Why a Jew?” [9781616672300 ISBN], you can find ‘the Answer of History’…
Jerusalem
…But seeing the setting of the sun in Jerusalem, a man cannot even find one word to say.
He becomes speechless.
Here, present at this sight, man is left dumb.
Every unsuitable word could be considered blasphemous.
It is only possible to look and feel.
Jerusalem!
This city that has a special and singular mystical golden halo, and it is also called the ‘Centre of the World’.
Jerusalem defined her position in all that represents Jewish spirituality and Jewish ethics… thousands of years ago.
As it is brought forth in 2 Chronicles 5; 2:
“Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.”
References to the Jewish people’s ties to Jerusalem are not only found hundreds of times in the Bible, but also in the Oxford Reference Encyclopaedia (edition 1995, p.1689):
“David, king of Israel (c 1000-c 962 BCE) makes Jerusalem his capital.”
In our day, at the beginning the twenty-first century, Jerusalem is once again the capital of the State of Israel.
After I came to Israel, I was astounded to learn that there were politicians and even governments who refused to believe these sources whose accuracy as ‘classics’ had been proven a long time…
9:06 pm
To those Jewish friends who have told me they have to vote Democrat because they’ve always voted Democrat, I respond: That’s as logical as saying I have always smoked cigarettes, and that’s why I’m going to continue smoking cigarettes.”
8:15 pm
Will Romney commit, unequivocally, to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the embassy there?
9:36 pm
Will Israel offer a proper space for the building?