Election Forum Lets 'Candidates' Duke It Out Over Jewish Issues

Representatives of the three major presidential contenders -- Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and Republican John McCain -- traded barbs on Iran, Iraq and Israel during a Center City Primary Election Forum focusing on Jewish issues.

More than 100 people attended the program sponsored by the Jewish Exponent and the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. The debate came eight days before the primary, during a period of intense outreach to Jewish voters from both the Clinton and Obama campaigns, which are battling aggressively for every last vote in the commonwealth.

In fact, Obama himself was slated to meet with about 70 representatives of the Jewish community at Congregation Rodeph Shalom at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 16 -- after the paper's deadline. Meanwhile, Jewish supporters of Clinton have been hosting "Chai Time for Hillary" gatherings across the state.

Reps. Dan Frankel (left) and Josh Shapiro, along with Scott Feigelstein of the Republican Jewish Coalition, debate presidential politics.

Also, on Wednesday evening, the Democratic candidates were scheduled to square off for a nationally televised debate to be held at the National Constitution Center on Independence Mall.

Monday night's "surrogates" forum took place at Rodeph Shalom as well, at almost the same time as the actual candidates were speaking to Democratic ward leaders in South Philadelphia, hoping for an endorsement.

State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-District 23) represented Clinton, State Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-District 153) spoke for Obama, and Scott Feigelstein, executive director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition, advocated for McCain -- who already has the GOP nomination sewn up.

Forum moderator Jonathan Tobin, executive editor of the Jewish Exponent, pressed representatives on how their candidates would work to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and how they would respond if, in fact, that happens.

Answering first, Shapiro replied that Democratic front-runner Obama considers Iran a major threat and would use a combination of diplomatic, economic and, if required, military means to prevent Iran from threatening Israel or destabilizing the region.

"What makes Obama effectively able to deal with Iran is one word: judgment. This guy has judgment," said Shapiro, citing an oft-repeated campaign theme. Obama has said he showed better judgment than his opponents by opposing the Iraq war from the start.

Obama also has stated he's willing to meet with Iran's leaders, a promise that has irked some pro-Israel advocates.

Frankel echoed the Clinton campaign's penchant for highlighting her experience as a senator and first lady.

"She has had experiences where she has made some tough calls -- sometimes wrong, sometimes right. But at the end of the day, that is what creates the ability to understand the world and its complex nature," said Frankel.

"She recognizes she made an error," he continued, referring to her 2002 vote to authorize the use of force against former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. In fact, Clinton has resisted calls to apologize for that vote and has claimed she was misled by President George W. Bush.

Feigelstein, speaking on behalf of McCain, went on the offensive, questioning Obama's judgment. Specifically, he said Obama should not have solicited advice from Zbigniew Brzezinski -- who served as President Jimmy Carter's national security advisor and is considered a harsh critic of Israel and the Israel lobby in America -- as well as retired Gen. Merrill Anthony McPeak, former U.S. Air Force chief of staff.

Shapiro countered that Brzezinski had met with Obama twice but is not a policy adviser. McPeak, he said, does not influence Obama's Middle East policy.

For that, Shapiro said, Obama looks to Daniel Kurtzer, an Orthodox Jew who served as U.S. ambassador to Egypt and Israel under presidents Clinton and Bush. (On April 9, Kurtzer was joined by Shapiro and Eric Lynn, another Jewish Obama adviser, at the Philmont Country Club in Huntingdon Valley. More than 300 people attended that campaign event, which was meant to highlight Obama's positions on the Middle East.)

But Feigelstein retorted that Kurtzer is also problematic. Feigelstein cited a book about Arab-Israeli negotiations that Kurtzer co-wrote with U.S. Institute of Peace scholar Scott Lasensky before joining the Obama campaign. Feigelstein said that, in the book, Kurtzer advocates increased American pressure on Israel to dismantle settlements and make other concessions to Palestinians.

"Dan Kurtzer was brought in to give Sen. Obama some cover with the Jewish community, let's be honest about that," Feigelstein said.

Audience members had the chance to submit written questions, and a number of people wanted the surrogates to address previous criticisms leveled at the candidates -- specifically, Clinton's misstatement that, in 1996, she landed in Bosnia under sniper fire; McCain's refusal to distance himself from evangelical pastor John Hagee; and Obama's choice to remain a parishioner of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright for two decades.