Former Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner has added his name to the growing chorus of Republican leaders slamming the Democratic Party for its new policy on Israel.
The policy removes from the 2012 edition of its platform language which more explicitly signaled support for the Jewish state of Israel and condemnation of its terrorist enemies.
The new platform removes language recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state; omits all mention of Palestinian refugees, whereas prior platforms expressly called for their settlement in a future Palestinian state and not in Israel; and has omitted all references to the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas (which has governed the Gaza portion of the Palestinian Territories since 2006) and all language committing the United States to maintaining Israels qualitative military edge in the region.
"I find the changes to the DNC's platform deeply troubling," Hasner said in a statement Tuesday. "Now, at one of the most chaotic times in Israel's history, we need to stand shoulder to shoulder with our closest ally in the Middle East."
Hasner, a Republican from Boca Raton, is running for Florida's 22nd Congressional District against Democrat Lois Frankel, the former mayor of West Palm Beach, in one of the most-watched races of the 2012 election season. Both candidates are Jewish.
In the same statement, Hasner called on Frankel to distance herself from her partys new platform.
"Last week my opponent Lois Frankel said Israel is a bipartisan issue," Hasner said in his release, referring to comments made by Frankel to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I'm asking Mayor Frankel to stand with me in denouncing the DNC's newest platform plank and show her commitment to supporting Jerusalem as the capital of Israel."
According to the Sun-Sentinel, Frankel has said "Israel is our most important ally in the Middle East," and has promised to work in Congress across party lines to "fight for the safety and security of Israel" and attempts by foreign governments to delegitimize the Jewish state.
In a telephone interview with Sunshine State News, Hasner insisted on the need for the United States to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel, the Middle Easts only liberal democracy.
Israel is by far our greatest ally in the region, said Hasner. With Iran on the clear path to obtaining a nuclear weapon, where the U.S. stands vis-vis Israel is very important to our national security and to the stability of the region.
These changes in the Democratic platform show that there clearly is a difference of opinion between Republicans and Democrats over how the United States should treat its relationship with the state of Israel, Hasner continued.Hamas is a terrorist organization. And the changes in the Democratic platform seem to indicate a willingness to negotiate with this organization. I dont believe thats the right path for us. I dont see how you can advocate negotiations with Hamas and at the same time declare that you will be vigilant against terrorism.
Hasner said the new platform language represents an about-face from decades of bipartisan foreign policy consensus.
Unfortunately, it seems that this is another step in a long path that is moving this administration and the Democratic Party away from the bipartisan support for Israel, which has been the tradition of our countrys foreign policy under both Democratic and Republican presidents, Hasner charged, citing the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which Congress passed in 1995 with a veto-proof bipartisan majority. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama have refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Act, charging that it represents an intrusion by Congress into the presidents exclusive constitutional authority over foreign policy.
Hasner reiterated the challenge he issued to his opponent earlier in the day.
Im calling on Ms. Frankel to denounce the Democratic Party platform, he said. If Ms. Frankel really believes this is a bipartisan issue, she will agree with me that her partys platform is wrong, and she should at the very least recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Hasner would not venture to speculate as to why the Democratic Partys Middle East foreign policy is moving in the direction he says it is.
Youre going to have ask that of Ms. Frankel, or someone else in the Democratic Party, he directed. Its not my job to speculate; its my job to argue on policy.
Frankel did not return the News' phone calls by early Tuesday evening.
Reach Eric Giunta at egiunta@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
