2012 U.S. elections

President Barack Obama at the AIPAC Policy Conference 2011. (photo: AIPAC)

It’s not about Israel, stupid

The American Jewish allegiance to the Democratic Party is not as strong as it once was, nor as invulnerable as it may appear in the wake of Obama’s victory. Republicans can undermine it, but only if they revamp their party and realize that Israel is not the only issue that American Jews care about. By…

By +972 Magazine November 9, 2012

Jewish nationalism lost in the election, Jewish humanism won

Jewish nationalism, in its belligerence and paranoia, is watching the world pass it by – and the overwhelming majority of Jews in America, Israel and elsewhere do not want that to happen to them. The split between humanistic Judaism and nationalistic Judaism goes back a very long time, but in recent years, the complete takeover…

By Larry Derfner November 9, 2012

Sheldon Adelson (7theye.org.il/CC BY NC SA 2.0)

Adelson’s paper declares: ‘America chose socialism’

Mr. Adelson, a friend and supporter of Prime Minister Netanyahu, poured almost 100 million dollars into six Republican campaigns, but saw only one of his candidates win. Sore losers: Israel Hayom, the free daily paper owned and published by American gambling billionaire Sheldon Adelson, didn’t try to hide its disappointment over the results of the U.S.…

By Noam Sheizaf November 8, 2012

Latest

Mitt Romney and PM Netanyahu during Romney visit to Israel July 29, 2012 (Avi Ochayon/GPO)

After Bibi’s bet on Romney, ‘peace camp’ can beat him

Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni can win the January 22 election. If there is one loser in the U.S. election outside the U.S., it is Benjamin Netanyahu – and all of Israel knows it. No one is fooled by his denials that he backed Romney and opposed Obama as demonstratively as he possibly could. The…

By Larry Derfner November 7, 2012

President Obama speaks at the University of Colorado (photo: Pete Souza)

Obama’s victory and Israel: Five takeaways

The president gets a second chance to challenge the status quo on the Palestinian issue. But will his personal dislike for Netanyahu translate to effective pressure on Israel? I wouldn’t bet on it. 1. Israel was mentioned 34 times in the final presidential debate, and in the end, it didn’t matter. The Republican strategy in…

By Noam Sheizaf November 6, 2012

Just today, forget about the Middle East and vote Obama

It’s true that there isn’t much difference between the two candidates on foreign policy, and it’s true we could use a little less American ambition globally. But if you’re letting foreign affairs discourage you from voting, you’re playing that same old imperial game, and you’re doing it at the expense of much more immediate and…

By Dimi Reider November 6, 2012

U.S. elections: No endorsement

President Obama’s record on the Palestinian issue is so bad that the winner of the upcoming elections is irrelevant. Four years ago, I traveled to the United States to cover the Democratic and Republican conventions. It was an inspiring experience, largely due to the unique feelings that accompanied the candidacy of (now) president Obama. Judging…

By Noam Sheizaf October 24, 2012

+972 bloggers discuss the U.S. foreign policy debate

U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican contender Mitt Romney faced off in Boca Raton, Florida in the third and final debate on Monday. The debate focused on foreign policy, with a major emphasis on the Middle East. +972 bloggers discuss the debate, the candidates, and their positions on the region.

By +972 Magazine October 22, 2012

Breiyda Franklin, a long-time Democrat, calling American Jews and encouraging them to vote for Romney from Jerusalem, Oct 16, 2012. (photo: DC)

WATCH: Israeli Democrats canvass American voters for Romney

The U.S. presidential race is entering its last two weeks. On Friday, President Barack Obama picked up a surprising endorsement from the Salt Lake Tribune, the official newspaper of the capital city of the predominantly Mormon state of Utah. Governor Mitt Romney, a Mormon, seemed like the natural choice, but as the Tribune noted, Romney…

By Roee Ruttenberg October 20, 2012

The second Romney-Obama presidential debate (photo: screenshot)

At the second presidential debate, undecided Jewish voters did not ask about Israel

The second presidential debate was held Tuesday night at Hofstra University in Hempstead, Long Island. The moderator, CNN’s Candy Crowley, chose questions that were submitted in advance by the rather small audience, all of whom were undecided voters. According to the CNN poll conducted immediately after the debate, 73 percent of respondents thought the president…

By Lisa Goldman October 16, 2012

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (photo: Avi Ochaion / Government Press Office)

Netanyahu announces early elections, expected to hold Knesset majority

The political parties, along with media, will sell a story of a tight battle, but the Likud-led majority is as stable as it was four years ago. A quick breakdown of the upcoming elections, expected to take place in roughly ninety days. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday evening his intention to hold early elections in roughly…

By Noam Sheizaf October 9, 2012

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak in a briefing to to press on Iran (photo: IDF Spokesperson / CC BY-NC 2.0)

A rift between Netanyahu and Barak? Not so fast

Political maneuvering scores headlines in Israel and abroad. The New York Times reported this morning on a “growing rift” between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The disagreements between the two regarding the strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and the government’s attitude towards the American administration have found their way into the public…

By Noam Sheizaf October 4, 2012

Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama in the Oval Office, March 2012 (photo: The White House / Flickr)

Bibi has no reason to fear an Obama victory

A second-term President Obama wouldn’t be beholden only to himself, but to the Democratic Party, which is scared stiff of taking on Israel. I would love to share the hope that if Obama wins on November 6 – and at this point, going by the polls, it would take satanic intervention for Romney to beat…

By Larry Derfner September 28, 2012