Hillary, Obama woo Jewish vote

Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are going head to head for the money and backing of Jewish voters, trying to woo them by asserting their support for Israel and concern about Iran.

The senators held dueling receptions at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference Monday night even though neither formally addressed one of the most influential lobbying groups in the nation.

“I need your help,” Mrs. Clinton told the hundreds packed into her dessert-and-coffee reception Monday night after an AIPAC gala dinner.

In her brief remarks, Mrs. Clinton said lawmakers must “try to figure out how to exercise leverage to prevent [Iran] from becoming a nuclear power” and that the U.S. should “exert pressure” on the Iranian government and make sure sanctions are both clear and enforced.

“Israel’s freedom, Israel’s democracy must be protected,” Mrs. Clinton told the cheering crowd.

A few doors down, AIPAC attendees flooded an Obama reception but quickly left after he finished speaking, rushing to hear what the former first lady had to say.

Several AIPAC attendees said Mr. Obama appeals to them because of his anti-war stance — he opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, while Mrs. Clinton voted to give President Bush war authority — but noted he remains an unknown entity on foreign relations compared with his top rival for the Democratic nomination for 2008.

Mr. Obama gave a major address earlier this month at the AIPAC policy conference in Chicago, outlining his positions on Israel.

“Our job is to never forget that the threat of violence is real. Our job is to renew the effort to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors while remaining vigilant against those who do not share this vision,” he said at the March 3 conference.

“Our job is to do more than lay out another road map; our job is to rebuild the road to real peace and lasting security throughout the region.”

“That effort begins with a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel, our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy,” Mr. Obama said.

But some at AIPAC this week grumbled about comments the Illinois senator made about Palestinians recently in Iowa.

“Nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people,” Mr. Obama said, according to the Des Moines Register. “If we could get some movement among Palestinian leadership, what I’d like to see is a loosening up of some of the restrictions on providing aid directly to the Palestinian people.”

In the same appearance, Mr. Obama insisted that Israel must remain an ally and said the U.S. has a “huge strategic stake in bringing about a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” between the two nations, according to the Register.

The threat of a nuclear Iran and the prolonged war in Iraq has many AIPAC members worried and makes Jewish voters even more important.

Story Continues →