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Hagel Reassures Jewish Leaders On Iran Position
Nominee for defense secretary says he's on board with Obama's posture
on Iran, need to maintain Israel's military edge.
By JTA
January 23, 2013 "Jerusalem Post" -- WASHINGTON - In a meeting with
Jewish leaders, Chuck Hagel, US President Obama's defense secretary
nominee, affirmed his commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a
nuclear weapon and to maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge.
"[Sen. Hagel] discussed his commitment to the US-Israel relationship,
including his determination to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear
weapon, to maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge, and to
sustaining the Obama administration's unprecedented security
cooperation with Israel," a statement Tuesday from Hagel's office
said. "He appreciated the opportunity to have a constructive, informed
and wide-ranging discussion."
A four-sentence statement Monday issued by the Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations described the
January 18 meeting as "an important opportunity for a serious and
thorough discussion of key issues of importance to all of us."
The statement, which also noted the presence at the meeting of US Vice
President Joe Biden as well as the leaders of the Anti-Defamation
League, the American Jewish Committee and the American Israel Public
Affairs Committee, did not further elaborate.
The meeting came days after after Hagel, a former Republican senator
from Nebraska, conferred with top Jewish Democrats and apologized for
a 2006 comment in which he described the "Jewish lobby" as
"intimidating" and reassured them that despite his past skepticism of
some sanctions on Iran and wariness of a military strike to keep it
from obtaining a nuclear weapon, he was now on board with President
Obama's postures on those issues.
Hagel, in those conversations with Jewish Democrats, also said he was
a strong supporter of the US-Israel relationship although and
elaborated on the context of his past criticisms of Israel.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
© The Jerusalem Post
From: Baghdasarian
Nominee for defense secretary says he's on board with Obama's posture
on Iran, need to maintain Israel's military edge.
By JTA
January 23, 2013 "Jerusalem Post" -- WASHINGTON - In a meeting with
Jewish leaders, Chuck Hagel, US President Obama's defense secretary
nominee, affirmed his commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a
nuclear weapon and to maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge.
"[Sen. Hagel] discussed his commitment to the US-Israel relationship,
including his determination to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear
weapon, to maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge, and to
sustaining the Obama administration's unprecedented security
cooperation with Israel," a statement Tuesday from Hagel's office
said. "He appreciated the opportunity to have a constructive, informed
and wide-ranging discussion."
A four-sentence statement Monday issued by the Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations described the
January 18 meeting as "an important opportunity for a serious and
thorough discussion of key issues of importance to all of us."
The statement, which also noted the presence at the meeting of US Vice
President Joe Biden as well as the leaders of the Anti-Defamation
League, the American Jewish Committee and the American Israel Public
Affairs Committee, did not further elaborate.
The meeting came days after after Hagel, a former Republican senator
from Nebraska, conferred with top Jewish Democrats and apologized for
a 2006 comment in which he described the "Jewish lobby" as
"intimidating" and reassured them that despite his past skepticism of
some sanctions on Iran and wariness of a military strike to keep it
from obtaining a nuclear weapon, he was now on board with President
Obama's postures on those issues.
Hagel, in those conversations with Jewish Democrats, also said he was
a strong supporter of the US-Israel relationship although and
elaborated on the context of his past criticisms of Israel.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
© The Jerusalem Post
From: Baghdasarian