Worcester Jewish Delegates Applaud Rahm Emanuel Speech in Washington
JEWISH CONFERENCE
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Jessica Leving
Boston University Washington News Service
Nov. 10, 2009
WASHINGTON—One day after President Barack Obama’s private Washington meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Worcester delegates at a conference of the Jewish Federations of North America applauded a speech by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel that stressed the United States’ continued support for Israel as a “beacon of democracy” in the Middle East.
Mr. Emanuel was standing in for Mr. Obama, who canceled his scheduled remarks to attend a memorial service at Fort Hood, Texas.
“The speech reflected [President Obama’s] commitment to peace in the Middle East while also ensuring that Israel remains a Jewish state with established borders and security, along with the opportunity for a Palestinian state,” said Howard Fixler, president of the Worcester-based Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts.
In a speech that was deeply personal and made many references to his own Jewish upbringing and close connection to Israel, Mr. Emanuel defended the Obama administration’s policies in the Middle East against accusations of diminished support for the Jewish state.
“That is not the case, and never will be,” he said, to resounding applause.
Malka Phillips, 23, a Worcester native who attended the conference as a representative of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards for Excellence in Jewish Education, said though she did not vote for Mr. Obama, “I think that the goals of our administration [in the Middle East] are excellent. The exact details of negotiations, well, you’re obviously going to have various viewpoints.”
Mr. Emanuel emphasized the administration’s continued support for Israel and called the United States that country’s “one true friend,” adding that the President’s outreach to the Arab world should not be seen as antagonism toward Israel.
“It is only through dialogue that we can achieve lasting peace,” he said.
Howard Borer, the central Massachusetts Jewish Federation’s executive director, said he supports Mr. Obama’s efforts in the Middle East.
“One has to reach out to the Arab countries in order to create that environment of mutual respect,” he said.
“If we can be friends with everyone, that’s great,” Ms. Phillips added. “If we can’t, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
Mr. Emanuel did not express an opinion about the right of Jewish settlements to exist in Palestinian territories, which has been a key point of conflict in recent Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. But, he said, “no one should allow the issue of settlements to distract from the goal of a lasting peace between Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab world.”
Mr. Borer said he thinks Mr. Obama understands the settlements situation “much more clearly” now that he has focused on the issue for several months. “I think he now realizes that Israel has done probably more than it’s ever done to curtail the settlements and minimize their internal growth,” he said.
Though Mr. Borer said he was disappointed not to see Mr. Obama in person, as planned, he said, “There is 100 percent unanimity that we support that he is where he is supposed to be.”
Outside the hotel where the four-day conference took place, three or four protesters each day carried signs proclaiming “God hates Israel” and “God hates Obama.”
Ms. Phillips said the presence of such protesters brings the need for peace in the Middle East to the forefront.
“Anything that would foster more of a positive feeling between the Arab and Jewish communities is a good step,” she said, “especially with the news of terror planning in Massachusetts against American malls…. It’s very frightening to realize that people that live in your neighborhood want to kill you. Nowhere in America can you say, ‘This is only happening in Israel.’ It’s very close to home.”
The Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts is a non-profit, non-denominational umbrella organization that works to enhance the quality and size of the Jewish community in the area, Mr. Fixler said. The Jewish Federations of North America, formerly known as the United Jewish Communities, represents 157 local federations nationwide, according to its Web site.
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