Harris Jerusalem Post Interview

Aaron Keyak — August 5, 2009 – 4:07 pm | Democrats | Iran | Israel | Obama | Republicans | Stop the Smears Comments (1) Add a comment

Today, Jerusalem Post’s Shmuel Rosner posted a interview with David A. Harris, NJDC’s President. Here is a sampling of the some of the questions asked:

“Do you think the NJDC has a role in changing Democratic perceptions on Israel, or do you think this role should be reserved to other organizations? Why?

NJDC’s primary role is two-fold; to share information about the good and relevant work of our Democratic leaders in the House, Senate and White House with our members and other American Jews around the country, and to help educate our Democratic elected officials and other policy makers about key Jewish concerns - including Israel. So we certainly have a role when it comes to addressing policy toward Israel among Democratic office holders. We do work closely with our Democratic Party friends to bolster public opinion, but educating all Americans regarding support for Israel is a role that the entire American Jewish community pursues in a non-partisan way - engaging both sides of the aisle.”

“Why does one even need a NJDC when 4 out of 5 American Jews vote Democratic anyways?

NJDC is needed to keep open the two-way flow of information that I described above, and to help American Jews make informed choices. The American Jewish community does not vote overwhelmingly Democratic out of habit; they don’t merely do it because their parents did it, and because their parents did it before them, etc. American Jews vote Democratic because after achieving a key comfort level regarding Israel’s security within the Democratic Party, they see that the wide array of other policies they care about are accurately reflected in this party. Our role is to keep Jews engaged in the political process throughout, and to keep the information flowing. In addition, political parties in America today play an essential role. NJDC’s ability to play a vital role in the Democratic Party is a great asset to the American Jewish community.”

“With so many Jews voting Democrats and so many Jewish legislators - what other goal can someone in your position hope to achieve in the coming years?

While we are always looking to spread the Democratic message, we do not take a single Jewish vote for granted, and our work in the community continues unabated - regardless of the outcome of any single election. Our larger goals of working with officeholders - and the critical work within the Democratic Party - will be very much needed for many years to come.”

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