Bush and Jews

President Bush spoke at the AIPAC conference last night and as the LA Times reports, received a rousing welcome. The speech that he gave was excellent, pointing out the common values, history, and current struggle of Israel and the US.

Our nation, and the nation of Israel, have much in common. We're both relatively young nations, born of struggle and sacrifice. We're both founded by immigrants escaping religious persecution in other lands. We have both built vibrant democracies, built on the rule of law and market economies. And we're both countries founded on certain basic beliefs: that God watches over the affairs of men, and values every life.

These ties have made us natural allies, and these ties will never be broken. In the past, however, there was one great difference in the experience of our two nations: The United States, through most of our history, has been protected by vast oceans to our east and west, and blessed with friendly neighbors to our north and south. Israel has faced a different situation as a small country in a tough neighborhood. The Israeli people have always had enemies at their borders and terrorists close at hand. Again and again, Israel has defended itself with skill and heroism. And as a result of the courage of the Israeli people, Israel has earned the respect of the American people.

On September the 11th, 2001, Americans saw that we are no longer protected by geography from the dangers of the world. We experienced the horror of being attacked in our homeland, on our streets, and in places of work. And from that experience came an even stronger determination, a fierce determination to defeat terrorism and to eliminate the threat it poses to free people everywhere.

Jews in the US have traditionally supported the Democratic Party, primarily because of the domestic policies of the Democrats. This year, however, it seems that more Jews than ever are supporting President Bush's re-election campaign. The reasons for this change in support has to do not just with Bush's strong support of Israel, but with his prosecution of the War on Terror. After so many years of terrorism against Israel, most American Jews saw the evil of the Islamofascists before most of the rest of the world saw it as such. And after the attacks on the US, this terror was brought even closer. Bush's strong response to these attacks, and his acknowledgement that the war that Israel is waging, and the one that the US is waging, are the same have convinced many American Jews that he, not Kerry, understands the dynamics of this new war.

Jewish support could be critical in this year's elections. While Jews only make up 4% of the electorate, their voter turnout is around 80% and is primarily urban. Even a slight shift in Jewish voting patterns could have a dramatic effect in key battleground states.