Biden and Kerry: Israel and America Inextricably Linked

Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News Service

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In the wake of backlash over President Obama's decision to have diplomatic talks with Iran, high level Democrats are assuring the public that the U.S. commitment to Israel is as strong as ever.

But, "One enduring essential principle that will not change--United States support for Israel,” said Vice President Joe Biden to a standing ovation of more than 6,000 people at the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee's annual convention.

“The path we have been on in recent years has not produced peace and security for Israel and Palestinians, nor will they produce these results,” Biden said. “Because peace has not occurred, does not mean that it cannot occur."

U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who also spoke at the event, supports the Obama Administration’s policy with Israel. “You can count on Vice President Biden and President Obama in the future,” he said.

Kerry tried to calm fears about Obama’s decision to engage in open discussions with Iran because he believed that the previous administration’s strategy with the Middle Eastern country failed, and that a change is warranted. But, if diplomacy fails, hardline sanctions will be sure to follow, Kerry said.

Since December 2008, foreign criticism of Israel reached new levels. Israel decided to retaliate against Hamas by launching a full military incursion into the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Government maintains that the action was an attempt to halt hundreds of rockets that are launched over Israeli borders by militant groups in neighboring countries.

“I heard of (Israeli) children in the second grade who had spent literally everyday of their lives never 15 seconds from danger/ Fifteen seconds... No child should live that way,” said Kerry to the audience.

Kerry is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and pledged to do everything in his power “to ensure that the $30 billion in security assistance that Congress pledged to Israel is delivered in full.”

Kerry and Biden presented a challenge to Israel: that the country needs to work toward a workable, long lasting and sustainable peace.

Biden believes that any peace is a “show-me plan,” that each side must make efforts to demonstrate their dedication for the process to continue.

Biden said that the building of Israeli settlements must be stopped and that Palestinians must be given freedom of movement so the young people see hope, and do not join Hamas.

But peace must be sought from Paestinians and Israelis. “You cannot make peace out of one side of their mouth and preach hate out of another,” said Kerry, adding that Palestinian geography books should be realistic by including Israel on the map.

Knesset Member: Israel is racist

Random beatings of Palestinian-Israeli's not being investigated by police and recent mass lay-offs of train workers for employees who never served in the military, have resulted in a a Palestinian-Israeli member of Israel's parliament calling the country racist.

“Our main demand is equality, full equality in the framework of full citizenship of the Palestinian people,” said Jamal Zahalka, a member of the Israeli Knesset.

The Palestinian minority – 20 percent of Israel’s population – is often one that goes undocumented because the West is more concerned in the political outcome than the human cost, said Aida Touma-Sleiman, director of Women Against Violence, an organization that advocates Palestinian women’s rights.

“This kind of racism is slipping and going from the institutional level into the public level into the ordinary people,” said Touma-Sleiman, adding that the last 10 years have brought to power strong right-wing politicians in the government who have strong inclinations against unity between Palestinians and Israel.

“If Israel wants to establish a true democracy their is no way to escape the fact of dealing with the Palestinian minority within Israel,” said Touma-Sleiman.

New Israeli government brings hope for peace with Syria

Yoram Peri, head of the Chaim Herzog Institute for Media, Politics and Society at Tel Aviv University gave a lecture today at the Library of Congress titled, "A New Administration Israel and the U.S.: A New Hope for Peace?" He focused on the results of the recent Israeli election and what the likely repercussions will be concerning the peace process.

One outcome of this election is an apparent shift to the right in Israeli voting, with the right-wing and center parties gaining the most seats, and the left-wing party lagging behind. Peri believes that this is based on a philosophy started by Ariel Sharon, that the Israeli government's first priority should be security and tranquility within Israel, and peace talks should come as a secondary outcome. Therefore people vote for the parties that they believe will keep Israel's safety first. This shift, therefore, does not mean that Israelis do not want to pursue peace, as public opinion polls show more people than ever supporting a two-state solution with the Palestinians.


Peri was not optimistic that the new Israeli administration will be able to bring about peace with the Palestinians because of Hamas' control in Gaza, and the lack of national unity within the Palestinian territories. However, Peri believes that peace talks with Syria are highly likely within the next two years, and that this could change the dynamic of power in the entire Middle East. He views Syrians as a good candidate for peace negotiations because the border disputes are not tied to religion, and because the Syrian government presents a united front and can stand by their word. Peri believes that Syria wants to pursue peace with Israel so that they can improve their relation with the United States. He sees this as changing the relations of Syria and Iran, meaning that Syria will also no longer support Hamas. Peri called this possibility "the silver lining" in the prospects for peace in the upcoming years.

American voters show a resounding support for Israel

According to data released by the Israel Project, the majority of American voters support Israel.

The study, which was formulated by Stanley Greenberg, Ph.D Chairman and CEO of Greenburg, Quinlan, Rosner and Neil Newhouse, (partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies), American voters supported Israelis over the Palestinians by a margin of 57 to 8.

"When Americans are asked 'who do you blame for the current conflict in the Gaza strip, by a 56-18 margin Americans blame the Palestinians rather than Israel, with 8% blaming them both," said Neil Newhouse during a teleconference on Voter Attitudes on Israel's Operation in Gaza.

Newhouse went on to address the humanitarian crises in the Gaza Strip, and announced that regardless of who Americans blame for the overall conflict, Hamas leaders are blamed more than Israeli leaders by 66% to 17%.

"The bottom line is that there's enduring support for Israel. There's no evidence that the overall identification and support for Israel has diminished," concluded Greenberg.