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January 10, 2003/Shevat 7 5763, Vol. 55, No. 20
Lieberman's Middle East comments raise concerns
MATTHEW E. BERGER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON - When John F. Kennedy ran for president in 1960, some asked if a Catholic candidate would be beholden to the Catholic Church and the pope.
If Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) announces his candidacy for president, he may try to prove that he is not beholden to Israel or the American Jewish lobby.
Lieberman, who was the Democratic candidate for vice president in 2000, would be the first Jewish candidate with a viable shot at the White House.
But while it has become routine for presidential candidates to express support for Israel, analysts say Lieberman may need to measure his comments carefully to avoid accusations that he is a pawn of Jewish interests.
To win the confidence and support of some voters, Lieberman, an observant Jew, will need to prove that he would be serving the United States, not Israel, analysts say.
When Lieberman toured the Middle East late last month, he used the visit to take a stand on Mideast issues.
On several occasions, he empathized with the plight of the Palestinians, and expressed his support for Arab efforts to halt Israeli-Palestinian violence.
"There's strong support for the aspirations of the Palestinian people for independent statehood," Lieberman told reporters in Ramallah. "The question is whether there will be sufficient leadership here and in the world to bring this about sooner than later."
He also expressed support for a Saudi Arabian initiative that offers the prospect of peace with the Arab world if Israel gives up all the land it won in the 1967 Six-Day War, among other conditions. Israel and many American Jewish leaders oppose a full withdrawal, saying it would jeopardize Israel's security.
Lieberman has been a consistently strong supporter of Israel, sponsoring last spring's congressional resolution of solidarity with the Jewish state. He also has been a proponent of U.S. engagement to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Some American Jewish leaders therefore were shocked by Lieberman's recent comments. The leaders say the community now sees him differently, as another politician who will say whatever is needed to get elected.
"There's a lot of concern," said one senior Jewish leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "There is a real sense I get from people that he is flip-flopping and saying what is convenient."
Lieberman's aides say the senator was just repeating sentiments he has expressed in the past. Because he is not officially a presidential candidate, his comments should not be seen in a political light, the aides say.
But to those who follow the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lieberman sent a clear signal that he would offer independent views on the Middle East, free of obligations to any group.
"The way a pro-Israel and Jewish candidate runs for president is by demonstrating that he's fair," said M. J. Rosenberg, policy director of the Israel Policy Forum.
Some argue that Lieberman will speak only rarely about Israel, eager to avoid the perception that his religious beliefs dictate his perspective on world affairs. Instead, he will focus his foreign policy addresses on Iraq and the war against terrorism, issues on which he is seen as hawkish for a Democratic legislator.
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