Holocaust survivors: Reject lies about Obama

[Ian David]

Palm Beach Post Letters to the Editor

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

UPDATED: 10:11 a.m. October 29, 2008

As American citizens, Florida retirees and Holocaust survivors, we support Barack Obama for president. We are elected leaders of local and national Holocaust survivor groups who have testified before Congress about survivors' issues. However, we write in our individual capacities to say why we believe that Sen. Obama represents the best hope to lead America during these tough times.

Our highest priority is security and prosperity for America. During the Holocaust, we lost almost all of our loved ones to Hitler's atrocities and managed to survive the most barbaric conditions imaginable. American heroism and power rescued civilization in World War II and helped us rebuild our lives, raise our children and enjoy our grandchildren. Sixty years later, our belief in the world's greatest democracy is stronger than ever. We believe that Sen. Obama has the knowledge, judgment, and temperament to protect and lead our

Senator Obama will support Holocaust survivors' rights to dignity and justice if he becomes President, and will side with survivors against corporations and others who unjustly reaped financial gains at the expense of innocent victims. We trust him to lead the effort to secure a complete and transparent accounting of all Holocaust victims' property including insurance, real estate, and art, as well as adequate funding to provide for all survivors to live in dignity. He will also combat global anti-Semitism which has risen dramatically.

We also know that he will support and protect the state of Israel. We would never support any candidate who is not committed to Israel's strength and security.

Sen. Obama's record and public statements are clear. He has said consistently that Israel is America's strongest ally in the Middle East, and that "our first commitment in the region must be to Israel's security." He supports isolating the terrorist group Hamas, led congressional efforts to sanction Iran and supported Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah and Hamas rockets. Sen. Obama is committed to a deeper U.S.-Israel friendship and to Israel's security living in peace with its neighbors.

We are very troubled by the campaign of lies and innuendos being waged against Sen. Obama by John McCain's supporters. By now, everyone has heard rumors that Sen. Obama is a Muslim or "is supported by terrorists." These charges, and others like them, are not true and must be rejected.

Because of our history, Jews are protective of Israel and wary of anti-Semitism, even if they never experienced it directly. The slightest insinuation of anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sympathies justifiably creates an extra level of concern, as if to say, "If there is even a 1 percent chance that this is true, why should we take a chance?"

As Holocaust survivors, we feel obligated to speak out against these lies. Most egregious are the tactics, which implicitly invoke the possibility of another Holocaust for political gain. It is the ultimate act of cynicism to misstate facts, exploit fears and besmirch the reputation of Sen. Obama, whose record on issues of concern to the Jewish community is exemplary.

ALEX MOSKOVIC

Hobe Sound

JACK RUBIN

Boynton Beach

More:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/10/29/wednesdaywebletters.html






Sen. Barack Obama laying a wreath at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial museum.With him is Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev, center. getty images



Ronald Reagan lays a wreath on the grave of Nazi SS Concentration Camp prison guards in Bitburg, Germany.





http://jews4barack.com /

[damonm]

1. Mazel Tov! And a K&R to go with it!

[sabra]

2. thank you!

[BlooInBloo]

3. Awesome!

[AlCzervik]

4. Bonzo goes to bitburg then goes out for a cup of tea.

[FrenchieCat]

5. This is why the McCain campaign is lower than dirt......with their fear card!

The slightest insinuation of anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sympathies justifiably creates an extra level of concern, as if to say, "If there is even a 1 percent chance that this is true, why should we take a chance?"

[roguevalley]

9. to use this fear and these people for personal gain earns him

extra years in hell. he needs to be COMPLETELY shunned by decent people. I hope he loses Arizona.

[Thrill]

6. Jews aren't stupid. They can try their nonsense with the morons who voted for Bush

[sabra]

7. kick

[Wednesdays]

8. Even IF Obama were Muslim, it wouldn't follow he'd be anti-Semite

There are plenty of Muslims who aren't of the "Death to Israel" stripe, especially in this country.

We need to get over the whole religion thing when electing our representatives...otherwise, we'd never elect a Jewish person (for example) who'd be perfectly qualified to become president. I, for one, would like to see ALL barriers lifted within my lifetime. This year, we're about to elect an African-American for the first time. All people should be qualified: females, Hispanics, Asians, Jews, Muslims, gays...no one should be forbidden from the presidency merely because they come from a certain genetic lineage or religious background.