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Jewish World Review Oct. 31, 2000 / 2 Mar-Cheshvan, 5761
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| Whose side is he on? |
http://www.jewishworldreview.com --
DEMOCRAT presidential contender Al Gore Sunday reversed his long held personal position on one of the thorniest issues being debated in the current Mideast crisis: America's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's sovereign capital. He also acknowledged his role in the United Nations' recent condemnation of the Jewish state.
Though most maps identify the City of David as the Jewish state's capital, the American government to date refuses to keep its embassy there, instead chosing Tel Aviv as its location.
Israel is the only country where the American embassy is not located in a capital city.
In a speech last March to the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, the most important group within American Jewry, Mr. Gore promised he would support moving the embassy.
Though framing such support within the context of "final status" peace talks, Mr. Gore qualified his statements by adding: "The outcome I think is hardly in doubt and my desires are the same as your desires."
But at an early Sunday morning meeting in Michigan at the Dearborn Hyatt Regency, Mr. Gore met with about 30 people of Arab American descent and declared his opposition to moving the U.S. Embassy.
The reaction was warm and welcoming, according to press accounts.
"It was excellent. He made my job easier," Jamana Judea, a Dearborn Heights city councilwoman of Palestinian descent told the Detroit Free Press of her efforts to sway Arab voters to the Gore-Lieberman ticket.
Michigan is a key battleground state, with 18 electoral votes. It is also the home of the country's largest Arab population.
As many as 85% of American Jews reactively vote Democratic, according most recent political surveys.
Conventional wisdom has the current presidential election as one of the closest in recent years, with "swing voters" and untapped contituencies likely to put the winning candidate over the top.
Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush continues to support relocating the American embassy to Jerusalem.
"In a blatant display of pandering, Al Gore changed his position on moving
the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem," said Bush spokesman Dan Bartlett.
"Al Gore is once again showing that he can't be counted on to take a principled stand."
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice president of the Conference, noted that Mr. Gore has "always said the embassy belongs in Jerusalem and the only question was timing."
Mr. Gore's remarks echo those of his running mate, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who, though co-sponsoring legislation that required America to move its embassy to Jerusalem by May 1999, told CNN's Larry King in August that he no longer held that position.
Mr. Gore likewise told the Arab-American group in Michigan that, according to the Wall Street Journal, it was he who encouraged the White House to abstain, instead of vetoing, the United Nations' recent resolution against Israel following the breakout of Palestinian
By Binyamin L. Jolkovsky
Binyamin L. Jolkovsky is editor in chief of JewishWorldReview.com. Comment by clicking here.
