Only Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter qualify among the last six presidents as leaders who 'recognize the cherished relationship the U.S. has with Israel and stands with our allies,' according to a new ad released by the Romney campaign.
In an attempt to bolster his support for Israel, Romney has signaled that if elected he will make a first term presidential visit to Israel, in a foreign policy shift that not even Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, or Barack Obama pursued.
In fact, Reagan didn't visit Israel in his second term, either, and George W. Bush only visited late in his second term.
'In almost four years as president, Barack Obama hasn't visited Israel,' Romeny's new ad thunders. 'We need a leader who recognizes the cherished relationship the U.S. has with Israel and stands with our allies.'
According to The Jewish Week, both Carter and Clinton visited Israel during their 'first four years as president' the ad acknowledges, and then Romney castigates Obama for following the example of Reagan and the two Bushes.
In a dramatic departure from decades of US foreign policy, the 30-second ad criticizes Obama for 'refusing to recognize” that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.'
To date no Republican or Democratic president has officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state, which means moving the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv.
Until the Israelis and Palestinians make peace and agree on the location and borders of their capitals, it has been considered premature at best and unwise at worst to pursue such a claim.
5 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.pilib04 | Aug 08, 2012, 09:52 PM EDT
The important thing to remember is President Obama's visit to Ireland, and most important, Moneygall. Is feidir linn.
seanomelb | Aug 07, 2012, 05:51 PM EDT
maybe Obama refused to visit a terrorist state.
sorxia02144 | Aug 07, 2012, 11:21 AM EDT
Dear Mittens, Many us think Obama is too pro-Israel, so if I were you, I'd shut up and stop promising to give them even MORE money than we already do. Let's fix our infrastructure instead of theirs. Theirs is fine. Ours is falling apart. Let's let them fight their own wars instead of us trying to pretend that their "enemies" have attacked us and want to take our freedom. We have so little at this point and we'd like to keep it. We'd also like to keep our sons and daughters safe from war. So let's let them send their own children off to die while killing someone else's children. Seriously.
rebel999 | Aug 07, 2012, 09:49 AM EDT
Romney is a foolish person and what he says about Presidents Carter and Clinton being more pro Israel than other presidents because they visited Israel only shows just how foolish he is. To have Romney in the White House running America should scare everyone around the world. Romney will get America and the world into many conflicts around the world. Romney will let Israel do what it wants towards the Palestinians. Bush let the Israelis do what they wanted towards the Palestinians. There was much conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis when Bush was president and there will be much conflict again with Romney. President Obama has gotten the Palestinians to stop their military attacks against Israel as he tries to bring Israeli and the Palestinians to the negotiating table to settle their disputes. President Obama has earned the respect of the Arab community. Romney will inflame the violence between Israel and the Palestinians and the Arabs. Romney wants to let Israel make Jerusalem their capital and wants to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. The Arab revolution will be fought in the West Bank and Israel if Romney becomes president. President Obama has earned the respect of the Arab world as he works to guide many Arab nations through the Arab revolutions that are sweeping many nations in the Middle East. President Obama is getting Iran to give up their nuclear bomb intentions peacefully through sanctions that are working. Iran is just itching for a war with Romney. Romney doesn’t even understand the Islamic movement in the Middle East. Romney looks at all Islamic movements in a negative way. Romney will only antagonize all of the Arab community with his narrow minded backward thinking pandering mentality. We don’t need Romney as our president because he doesn’t solve America’s problems, he makes them worse
Wexfordman | Aug 07, 2012, 09:07 AM EDT
This raises so many questions like why is this even a story, so Obama didn't go to israel, woop de do, Not a big deal. He won't recognise Jerusalem as israel's capital,like most of the memebers of the UN, who knows that if they do, it'll cause more trouble than good and end in blood plus, jerusalem is home to very high percentage of palestinians. If an US president is elected on whether or not He visted israel or specific foriegn policy to do with israel. It shows that israel's worries outway that of tax paying americans and that is a sad thing. Also lets not forget israel gets alot of hand outs from america which totals in the billions. Ask you selves what are you geting back. Such good friends they have been, like its not like they ever attacked americans oh wait now USS Liberity, or never spyed on you wait thats what Pollard is jail for. Its time for Americans to ask your selves is Israel worth all of it. All so those who will now go on attack and try to say Palestinians are terrorists and israel needs protecting, israel has one of the most powerful armed forces in the world alot of it payed for by American tax payers, they don't need protecting , they need someone to sit them down with Palestinans and find a solution that will accedptable to both and end the bloodshed. It must happen sooner rather than later b4 another generation is lost.