I vote based on America's best interest, and support Israel with my private time. However, the US stance on Israel does affect America's interest. The same terrorist organizations that attack Israel have hijacked and targetted Americans over the years. If America pressured Israel to turn a blind eye to terrorist attacks, it would turn Israel into a safe haven for planning attacks against other countries. Fortunately, most candidates in both parties recognize this.

I don't know Larry Kaufman; I don't know why living like Episcopalians even comes into this discussion.
Perhaps the association is meaningful to some, but when it comes down to who to vote for, that does not seem to be a valid point. Maybe proving one can live like "goyim" means one should think like them as well... in any case, the mistake is compounded when one fills in the rest of the blanks.
There is a huge difference in how the 2 candidates think and will behave in a critical decision process. Israel has been under attack for all the years since 1948. Few presidents have given her the wholehearted support she needs. Many heave turned blind eyes and deaf ears to the attempts of more numerous aggressors to annihilate her.
And you try to tell us just vote and "you won't have to appologise to Israel?"
Dear Lord... have your children become so blind?

How can you think that the 2 candidates are equivalent on their stands on Israel? An overwhelming majority of Israelis support Obama because they have been put in more danger than they have been for years by the 8 years of the Bush administration and the policies which McCain endorses. And don't get me started on Palin - she is a millenialist who can't wait for the Apocalypse and would be honored to have a part in the "2nd coming"- which of course includes the destruction of Jerusalem. As Jews, we are in grave danger from the Republican ticket - more perhaps than we ever have been before. The best way to protect and empower Israel is to disempower the oil oligarchy. Only the democrats will get us away from our dependence on oil.

I couldn't agree more with the stand that Jewish Americans should never vote on the basis of one issue: Support for Israel. I can't even remember an election since 1947 that there has been a candidate for the presidency who has not openly expressed a support of Israel, and has followed his words with deeds. Jewish Americans (not American Jews) people that I know are urging others to vote Republican only because of the Israel issue, trying to convey an untrue message that their candidate is more in favor of Israel than the other. This is a scare tactic which is dishonest.

American Jews must let it be known that US support of Israel is parimount to its survival. We do this in part by voting for those individuals who have not waivered to this end in the past. Obama has no past and there are too many conflicting stories that show otherwise. No way he gets my vote in this regard.

As I do so often, Larry, I totally agree with you. I too am passionate about Israel but unless America gets steered in the right direction I fear that the non-Jewish Americans, and some Jews as well, will become more insular, more isolationist. Both candidates are decent men, but I feel that my fellow South Sider will best serve the needs of all Americans and that Israel will be better served as well.

There are vital national issues which deserve serious consideration when selecting a President and Vice-President. We have an economy in recession, which appears to be part of a global recession that may be difficult to end. Each year we are transferring $700 billion overseas in payment for foreign oil to regimes, many of which are hostile to us, to democracy, and to the West. Global warming threatens to cause irreversible damage, with weird and violent weather changes, massive permanent flooding of coastal cities and low lands displacing millions, droughts, increased hurricanes and tornadoes, long term loss of farm land, as well as crop failures, and rapid extinction of many species of plants and animals. We are engaged in two wars, one of which is not going well. Nuclear proliferation is a growing threat. Pakistan, a nuclear power with Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other extremists, is unstable. We have a huge and growing deficit. Baby boomers are retiring just after suffering a major loss to their 401(k)'s, their investments, their home equity, and to many pensions from companies which may not afford to pay their commitments. Health care costs have far outpaced inflation, creating personal and competitive problems. There is genocide that we have identified, but failed to stop. Our education system needs an upgrade, and protection from those who would gut sciences for the sake of their creationist theories. At least two Supreme Court Justices are likely to be appointed within the next four years, which could markedly change the balance on the high court.

Now in the face of all that, is anyone seriously suggesting that we should be one issue voters, making our choice solely on the basis of which ticket we feel has the best position regarding Israel? We have two tickets of candidates who are quite favorable to Jews and to Israel. Israeli's can't even agree on who is the very best. So, let's step back and take a comprehensive approach to the selection of our next President based on who will be best for America as President, Commander-in-Chief, and leader of the free world.

Rock_Rega expresses surprise at the depth of Reform support for Israel. That may be in part because he made Aliyah in 1976, a year before the formation of the Association of Reform Zionists of America -- which can be classified as the moment at which the North American Reform movement officially enlisted itself in the Zionist movement.

But his impression of the movement as radical left-wing is just plain wrong -- as I have said before, we have to do a better job of communicating our brand to the world, especially the Jewish world. While we are certainly a big tent, politically as well as religiously, my impression is that our dominant political coloration could probably best be described as liberal left-of-center.

I am sorry that Mr. Bigman took offense at my hearing more vitriol from one side than from the other,which I stated without opining as to which was the guiltier party. As a McCain-Palin voter, perhaps he can tell us which of the fifty American states are American and which are not. So far as I know, Alaska is the only one with a secessionist movement.

I am sorry that "Jack" did not identify himself so that we can turn to him when we need "position papers" more compelling than those we get from AIPAC and the RAC. He should share with us more of what he knows and they don't.

Herbert Kotlowitz was one among many who were duped by the diredited story from the UK. While it was reprehensible for a school in the UK to remove the Holocaust from its textbooks because it was offensive to Muslims, a single school is not "the UK." But I believe he misread my statement about concern for Israel, which had two components:
1. The welfare of Israel must stand alongside the welfare of America and of the world in guiding us as to how we vote. It should not be our sole criterion for choosing a candidate.
2. The experts assure us that both of the candidates are trustworthy and reliable on Israel issues. This frees us to choose a candidate on the basis of the economy, the Supreme Court, healthcare, and the other issues on which the two candidates and the two parties differ.

But the best news is that this discussion can come to an end in 48 hours. And then we can start arguing about Tzipi, Bibi, and Ehud.

Larry,

You're right - in a couple of days it will be over.

I respect your comments - how should I vote -Tzipi, Bibi or (our) Barak - which of them is best for the US?

Thanks, Rock_Rega, for asking my opinion on which Israeli candidate is best for the U.S.

I tried to be circumspect in not directly stating my personal preference between our candidates, only to pass along the conclusions reached by organizations more knowledgeable than I. But since I don't vote in Israel, and doubt that very many Israelis follow this blog, I'll allow myself to be a little more openly partisan.

The Israeli candidate who is best for the U.S. is also the one who is best for Israel -- the one who is most likely to achieve peace. Here I think we know only who is least likely to achieve peace, because he is least willing to make concessions.

As between Kadima and Labor, I have been genetically programmed to favor Labor. I grew up in Habonim, and when my mother, z"l, made aliyah, she worked for Naamat in the Histadrut building. With that background, it's difficult for me to admit that, based on what I know now, I'd be inclined to favor Kadima.

What I would most like to see is a coalition or unity government made up totally of the secular parties with the willingness to move away from kow-towing to the Charedim -- remaining a Jewish state, but with a more open definition of who is a Jew, who is a rabbi, who is in the army, even-handedness in supporting synagogues,etc

I hope you'll give us an Israeli viewpoint on your upcoming elections -- but rather than contnuing the discussion by commenting here, I urge you to post your response as a new blog entry, sent to rjblog@urj.org.