Will Jewish Vote Help Clinton?
by geo on Jan.25, 2008, under U.S. Politics
Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has mended fences with the Jewish community and is now favored by American Jews ahead of her Democratic rivals.Clinton’s embrace of the wife of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 1999 was featured on the cover of the New York Post and upset many pro-Israel supporters. But since taking office in the Senate, Clinton has taken a hawkish stance on Israeli security, helped win world recognition of the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross, and arued against anti-Semitism in Palestinian textbooks.
In a survey late last year by the American Jewish Committee, 58 percent of Jews said they view Clinton favorably, compared to 38 percent for both Barack Obama and John Edwards.
Her strength among Jewish voters could be important in the Feb. 5 primaries in New York, New Jersey, and California.
Obama, has been criticised for taking on Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, as his national security adviser. Brzezinski has clashed with pro-Israel groups since the 1970s. And Obama had to issue a statement strongly condemning the “anti-Semitic statements” made by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan after it was reported that Obama’s Chicago pastor had praised Farrakhan.


