No "Buyer's Remorse" For Voting For Obama
by Alan M.
Dershowitz
July 29, 2012 at 3:00 am
July 29, 2012 at 3:00 am
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Republicans are
trying to woo away Jews who voted for Barack Obama in 2008, hoping they have
experienced "buyer's remorse." I, for one, have experienced no such
remorse. I have gotten from President Obama pretty much what I expected when I
voted for him: a pragmatic, centrist liberal who has managed—with some
necessary compromises—to bring us the first important healthcare legislation in
recent history, appointed excellent justices to the Supreme Court, supported
women's rights, eliminated the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy,
maintained the wall of separation between church and state, kept up an
effective war against terrorism and generally made me proud to be an American
who cast my vote for him.
Even with regard to his policy toward Israel,
which has generated much of the impetus for this "buyer's remorse"
campaign, President Obama has kept his promises. During the last campaign, I
and others urged candidate Obama to go to Israel and visit Sderot, which was
being shelled by rockets from Hamas-controlled Gaza. He then went to Sderot and
while standing in front of the lethal rockets that had inflicted so much
damage—physical and psychological—to so many children and adults, this is what
the candidate said:
"I don't think any country would find it
acceptable to have missiles raining down on the heads of their citizens. The
first job of any nation state is to protect its citizens…If somebody was sending
rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I'm going to do
everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the
same."
And when the Israeli Defense Forces finally had
to respond to the rocket terror with Operation Cast Lead, President Obama
supported Israel's actions and his administration condemned the Goldstone
Report as deeply flawed and biased against Israel.
Now, Republican presidential candidate Mitt
Romney is visiting Israel. I'm glad he is, because support for Israel must
always remain bipartisan. No presidential election should ever become a
referendum on support for Israel. Certainly the upcoming election will not be,
because both candidates strongly support Israel's security. Each candidate must
earn the vote of each citizen based on the totality of their records, and must
not take the support of any group for granted.
The Obama Administration has worked hand in
hand with Israel in developing the Iran Dome, David's Sling and Arrow Defense
capabilities. It has approved the sale of F-35 stealth fighters to the Israeli
Air Force. It has conducted large, joint military exercises and has coordinated
intelligence operations with Israeli secret services. That is why I was not
surprised when Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that he could:
"hardly remember a better period
of…American support and cooperation and similar strategic understanding…than
what he have right now."
The greatest threat Israel faces today is from
Iran, a nation ruled by anti-Semitic, Holocaust denying, terrorist-inciting
Mullahs, who would sacrifice millions of their own citizens to destroy
"the little Satan," which is how they refer to Israel (the United
States being "the big Satan.") There are some, in both parties, who
wrongly believe that a policy of "containment"—that is, allowing Iran
to develop nuclear weapons but containing their use by the threat of
tit-for-tat reprisal—is the right strategy. President Obama has explicitly
rejected this benighted approach and has instead announced that his policy is
to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, even if it takes military
actions to do so. In the meantime, he has ratcheted up sanctions and diplomatic
pressure while explicitly keeping the military option on the table.
Several months ago, President Obama invited me
to the Oval Office to discuss his Iran strategy. He looked me in the eye and
said, "I don't bluff." His actions with regard to Osama bin Laden and
the Somali pirates who endangered Americans and threatened to kill them demonstrated
his willingness to use force when warranted. So does his increased use of
drones to target terrorists who are beyond the reach of capture. I believe
President Obama when he says that Iran will not be allowed to develop nuclear
weapons on his watch.
President Obama also understands that no
sovereign nation can ever outsource the protection of its own citizens against
a nuclear Holocaust. If Israel were to decide—as a last resort, after
exhausting all diplomatic, economic and intelligence options—that it had no
choice but to take military action against Iran's nuclear programs, I am
confident that the Obama Administration would not condemn that action (as the
Reagan Administration condemned Israel's correct decision to destroy Iraq's
nuclear reactor in 1981!) These are President Obama's own words on this
important issue:
Iran's leaders should have no doubt about the
resolve of the United States – just as they should not doubt Israel's sovereign
right to make its own decisions about what is required to meet its security
needs.
The issue of Israeli security must be
distinguished from the issue of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank.
Israel's settlement policy is deeply controversial within Israel and among
Jewish supporters of Israel in the United States. Both Republican and
Democratic administrations have been critical of some Israeli decisions
regarding the settlements. I have sometimes agreed and sometimes disagreed with
these criticisms. Reasonable supporters of Israel will have different views on
the settlements and on how best to move toward a two-state solution that
assures Israel's security.
When I decide who to vote for as President, I
ask myself who will be best for America and for the world. An important
component of my answer involves my assessment of the candidate's willingness
and ability to protect Israel's security, since I strongly believe that a
strong Israel serves the interests of the United States and of world peace. I
am confident that President Obama will keep his promise "always [to] have
Israel's back" in the face of the continuing threats posed by Israel's
enemies.
Related Topics: Alan M.
Dershowitz
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