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January 16, 2004/Tevet 22 5764, Vol. 56, No.17
Democratic hopefuls weigh inKerry, Edwards and Moseley Braun address Jewish community on Israel, church and state
JOHN KERRYFor 55 years, support of the State of Israel has been a central keystone of American foreign policy. We cannot neglect our indispensable role in the search for peace in the most volatile region of the world.But the Bush Administration's lurching from episodic involvement to recurrent disengagement has jeopardized the security of Israel, encouraged Palestinian extremists and undermined our own long-term national interests. In the first days of a Kerry administration, I will appoint a presidential ambassador to the peace process who will report directly to me and the Secretary of State. After my trip to the Middle East in early 2002, I publicly suggested that President Clinton would be a superb choice for this position, and I continue to believe that. I will also work to hold the Saudis accountable for their continued reluctance to aggressively root out terrorism in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia's support for Islamic extremism is well known. One would think that a president who threatens the world by announcing "you're either with us or you're with the terrorists'' would be particularly troubled by the actions of the Saudi regime. But then one would be underestimating the hypocrisy that has become the hallmark of the Bush Administration. Forging a stable and lasting peace in the Middle East is vital to American national security, to the security of Israel and other countries in the region, and to the aspirations of the Palestinian people for a viable Palestinian state. Israel's very survival in a hostile and dangerous region has always been predicated on the steadfast, unwavering and full support of the United States. In my administration, America's commitment to Israel will never waiver. I will vigorously protect the separation of church and state. I believe we can be people of faith while respecting the principles that are enshrined in our Constitution. Faith-based organizations make great contributions to social-service programs. However, I am wary of any direct fund-ing of religious organizations by the federal government without constitutional safeguards and protections, such as ensuring that government funding is not used for proselytizing. I do not support private school vouchers. I understand the frustration that some parents must feel. But I do not believe that providing government funding to private educational programs is the answer. It is critical to have an administration that honors the line of separation between church and state. Unfortunately, the Bush administration has worked aggressively to trample this line, putting one of our fundamental freedoms at risk. John Kerry is a Democratic senator representing Massachusetts. JOHN EDWARDSI will play an active role in promoting peace between Israel and the Palestinians and the Arab states - not just through words and promises, but through sustained, high-level engagement, including by appointing a senior envoy, answering directly to me, to move this process forward.I support a two-state solution, with the Jewish state of Israel and a legitimate, democratic and territorially viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace. All the specific differences between Israel and the Palestinians must be solved through dialogue and negotiation, not terrorism and violence. As long as the Palestinian leadership fails to end terror, Israel has a right to take measures to defend itself. Such defensive measures are not the cause of terrorism - they are the response to terrorism. Yet, these measures should not be a substitute for negotiations that can lead to a long-term settlement. To achieve peace, both sides recognize that they will have to make difficult choices. Faith is enormously important to me personally and to tens of millions of Americans. In addition, religious institutions do wonderful work and make important contributions to our society. In a manner consistent with the First Amendment, faith-based charities should be able to participate in delivering services. But they should also meet the same anti-discrimination standards as other charities receiving government support. We should be encouraging faith-based initiatives in a way that values the important work of these organizations and does not divide Americans. John Edwards represents North Carolina in the U.S. Senate.
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