83 years ago, Harvey was born to Lithuanian-Jewish immigrants in New York City. In 1973, Harvey moved to San Francisco and, in one of the gutsiest moves in American political history, ran for public office. Although, his bid for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors was unsuccessful, it would not be the last time Milk sought public office. In 1975 Milk supported California State Senator George Moscone in his successful run for Mayor of San Francisco. Because of his loyalty to Moscone, Milk was appointed to the city’s Board of Permit Appeals. While on that board Milk not only advocated for gay rights, but also seniors. After a failed attempt to run for State Assembly, in 1978 Milk once again ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisor and become the first openly gay man ever elected to a major public office in the United States. Milk used his position to vocally advocate for equal rights and fight against discrimination.

Milk tragically died on November 27, 1978 when Dan White shot and killed Mayor Moscone and Milk.

As the Anti-Defamation League notes:

”[Even though] Milk served less than a year in public office before he was brutally assassinated by another city supervisor…his life profoundly changed a city, state, nation and a global community. His courage, passion and sense of justice rocked a country and stirred the very core of a put-down and pushed-out community, bringing forward new hope and a new vision of freedom.”

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“The truth is that Jewish heritage, Jewish culture, Jewish values are such an essential part of who we are that it’s fair to say that Jewish heritage is American heritage.”

Vice President also described how Jewish values are woven into American history:

“So many notions that are embraced by this nation that particularly emanate from over 5,000 years of Jewish history, tradition and culture: independence, individualism, fairness, decency, justice, charity. These are all as you say, as I learned early on as a Catholic being educated by my friends, this tzedakah.”

This Tea Party ticket does not align with the views of most Jewish voters. Here are some highlights from Cuccinelli’s, Jackson’s, and Obenshain’s records:

On Equal Rights for Gays and Lesbians:

Cuccinelli on homosexuality: “Homosexual acts are wrong. They’re intrinsically wrong.”

Jackson also said: “New York’s decision to allow same-sex people to marry is another government sledgehammer used to shatter our Judeo-Christian culture. As a black American, proud of our civil rights progress, I speak for most black citizens when I say it is offensive that sexual preference has been elevated to the equivalent of a racial characteristic such as skin color. The two could not be more dissimilar. One is an outward characteristic. The other is sexual behavior. It denigrates the illustrious struggle for equality for Americans of African descent to associate us with the homosexual demand that society accept and approve their behavior.”

On Women’s Rights:

Cuccinelli compared a woman’s right to choose with the battle to end slavery: “Our experience as a country has demonstrated that on one issue just after another. Start right at the beginning, slavery. Today, abortion. You know, history has shown us what the right position was.”

Cuccinelli was also so vehemently opposed to the Affordable Care Act’s birth control mandate that he said going to jail would be an effective way to protest the clause. He said, “My local bishop said he told a group, ‘Well, you know, I told a group I’m ready to go to jail.’ And I told him, ‘Bishop ... you need to go to jail.”

Jackson equated Planned Parenthood with the Ku Klux Klan: “The Democrat Party has created an unholy alliance between certain so-called civil rights leaders and Planned Parenthood, which has killed unborn black babies by the tens of millions. Planned Parenthood has been far more lethal to black lives than the KKK ever was. And the Democrat Party and the black civil rights allies are partners in this genocide.”

Obenshain tried to criminalize miscarriages: In 2009, Obenshain introduced a bill that would have required women to report a miscarriage within 24 hours to the police or risk going to jail for a full year. Under the bill, “When a fetal death occurs without medical attendance upon the mother at or after the delivery or abortion, the mother or someone acting on her behalf shall, within 24 hours, report the fetal death, location of the remains, and identity of the mother to the local or state police or sheriff’s department of the city or county where the fetal death occurred ... Any person violating the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.”

On Obamacare:

Cuccinelli tried to sue the Federal Government over the Affordable Care Act: Five minutes after President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, Cuccinelli walked straight to Richmond’s federal courthouse to sue the Federal Government. Cuccinelli said in a press conference four months after filing the lawsuit, “It is not essentially about health care, it’s about liberty. If the government prevails in this suit and Congress can force Americans to buy health insurance in the name of regulating commerce, then congress will have been granted a virtually unlimited power to order you to buy anything.”

On Climate Change:

Cuccinelli started an anti-climate change witch hunt in Virginia: In 2010, Cuccinelli demanded the University of Virginia turn over documents that former Professor Michael Man had used to receive grant money for global warming research. Cuccinelli said the request was part of an “open inquiry” into whether there were “knowing inconsistencies” as Mann was seeking taxpayer dollars. Three months later, Albemarle County Circuit Court Judge Paul M. Peatross Jr. ruled that Cuccinelli can investigate fraud in potential university grants, but he said that Cuccinelli’s subpoena failed to state a real “reason to believe” that Mann had committed fraud.

On President Obama’s Citizenship and Background:

Cuccinelli previously embraced the birther movement: In 2009, a conservative radio host asked Cuccinelli if he could legally challenge President Obama’s citizenship. He responded, “Well only if there is a conflict where we are suing the federal government for a law they’ve passed. So it’s possible. [...] Well, that’s a good question. Not one I’ve thought a lot about because it hasn’t been part of my campaign. Someone is going to have to come forward with nailed down testimony that he was born in place B, wherever that is. You know, the speculation is Kenya. And that doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility.” Cuccinelli has since walked backed his comments by saying, “I absolutely believe that President Obama was born in the United States. I don’t buy into the claims that he wasn’t. On the recording, I was asked a hypothetical legal question, and I gave a hypothetical legal answer in response.”

Jackson on President Obama’s foreign policy: “Obama clearly has Muslim sensibilities. He sees the world and Israel from a Muslim perspective. His construct of ‘The Muslim World’ is unique in modern diplomacy. It is said that only The Muslim Brotherhood and other radical elements of the religion use that concept. It is a call to unify Muslims around the world. It is rather odd to hear an American President use it. In doing so he reveals more about his thinking than he intends. The dramatic policy reversal of joining the unrelentingly ant-Semitic, anti-Israel and pro-Islamic UN Human Rights Council is in keeping with the President’s truest - albeit undeclared - sensibilities.”

After Jackson’s nomination, current Republican Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling spoke out against Jackson’s comments by telling Politico, “These kinds of comments are simply not appropriate, especially not from someone who wants to be a standard bearer for our party and hold the second highest elected office in our state. They feed the image of extremism, and that’s not where the Republican Party needs to be.”

“On behalf of NJDC’s Board, staff, and membership, I congratulate our former CEO Ira Forman on his appointment as Special Envoy and the head of the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Ira is a perfect fit for his new position and an exemplary Jewish leader. He will do an excellent job of combating anti-Semitism and defending American and Jewish interests around the world. We wish Ira the best as he serves our country and the Jewish people.”    

Secretary of State John Kerry said when announcing Forman’s appointment:

[T]oday I would like to announce that I have named Ira Forman to the position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Ira has long been a champion of fair treatment for all, and he has worked extensively to combat intolerance. On top of that, he’s also a great guy, and I look forward to supporting him in this vitally important mission. So welcome aboard, Ira.

“Senator Grassley’s Hitler comparison is absolutely inappropriate. Grassley’s remark unfortunately places him among the usual cranks spouting similar nonsense every day on Twitter and is unbefitting of a U.S. Senator. Grassley should apologize immediately for his tweet and realize the very real dangers of making such extreme comparisons.”

Senator Grassley tweeted:

US has no foreign policy. We shld remember what happened th last time we had no foreign policy. It was Sept 1939 Hitler started WWII Poland

- ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) May 18, 2013

Click here to read more. 

Senator Rand Paul may identify himself as a friend of Israel,  [Sen. Rand Paul aggressively courting evangelicals to win over GOP establishment May 12, 2013], but when it comes to being within the pro-Israel mainstream, his actions speak otherwise. 

Supporting Israel means supporting foreign aid to Israel. However, Senator Paul has repeatedly called for cutting or ending American aid to Israel: he did so at least three times in 2011 and twice in 2013. How does working to cut Israel’s aid support the Jewish state. 

Supporting Israel means working to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran and rejecting a containment strategy. However, Senator Paul refuses to rule out containing a nuclear-armed Iran. He was also the only no vote on a Senate Resolution that explicitly ruled out containing a nuclear-armed Iran. His openness to containment is a naïve position and with potentially dangerous consequences for American and Israeli security. 

Pro-Israel Republicans need to be challenging Senator Paul on his record, not whitewashing it. 

Aaron Keyak

Executive Director
National Jewish Democratic Council
1701 K Street Suite 301
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 216-9060
aaron@njdc.org

Let me start with security. Under President Obama, the security relationship between America and Israel has never been stronger. As he told Israelis in Jerusalem, you are not alone. You can see that in the incredible cooperation between our security establishments; in our investment in the Iron Dome system that’s saved Israeli civilians from Hamas rockets; and in the largest program yet to help Israel keep its qualitative military edge so that it can defend itself-by itself…

Under President Obama’s leadership, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1929, imposing the toughest sanctions ever against Iran. Iran’s currency has lost more than 50 percent of its value. Its inflation has skyrocketed to close to 40 percent. And Iran’s oil exports are down 1 million barrels per day from an average of 2.5 million barrels per day this time last year-a 40 percent decrease.

Now, pressure combined with strong and principled diplomacy is our preferred path to compel Iran’s government to forsake its pursuit of nuclear weapons. But the time for diplomacy is not unlimited, and President Obama has been clear. This is not a danger that can be contained. America will do what it takes to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

My colleagues and I not only fight for Israel’s security. We also fight nearly every day for Israel’s legitimacy.

Click here to read her full remarks

In a speech at the Washington Institute on Thursday night, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel reaffirmed the close relationship between the United States and Israel:

Israel is America’s closest friend and ally in the Middle East. During a series of meetings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with a former Washington Institute fellow, Minister of Defense Ya’alon, President Peres, and Prime Minister Netanyahu, I conveyed our continued commitment to enhancing defense cooperation - which has reached unprecedented levels in recent years.

Secretary Hagel made it clear that Israel has the full right to defend itself and that collaboration between the United States and Israel is as strong as ever:

One of the core principles of U.S.-Israel security cooperation is America’s commitment to maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge - it s capacity to defeat any threat or combination of threats from state or non-state actors. As I emphasized during the trip, Israel is a sovereign nation and has the right to defend itself.

The Department of Defense works closely with the Ministry of Defense to develop and field the versatile range of advanced capabilities Israel needs to defend its people and its interests. One current example, among many, is our close cooperation on rocket and missile defense efforts - including Iron Do me, Arrow, and David’s Sling.

Beyond rocket and missile defense cooperation, DoD has been working for more than a year to increase Israel’s ability to confront and respond to a range of other threats. These efforts culminated in our announcement last month that the United States has agreed to release a package of advanced new capabilities, including anti-radiation missiles and more effective radars for its fleet of fighter jets, KC-135 refueling aircraft and the V-22 Osprey. Along with Israel’s status as the only Middle Eastern nation participating in the Joint Strike Fighter program, this new capabilities package will significantly upgrade their qualitative military edge.

Secretary Hagel also made it clear that Obama administration is committed to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and stressed that no option is off the table to do so:

The United States will continue to lead diplomatic efforts and international economic sanctions to pressure Iran into abandoning the pursuit of a nuclear weapon, and meeting their international obligations. There is a presidential election next month in Iran, and no one can predict with certainty if that might affect the future direction of Iranian policies. As you all know, President Obama has made clear that our policy is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and he has taken no option off the table to ensure that outcome. I stressed that point during my discussions in the Gulf

Click here read the full speech that Secretary Hagel delivered at the Washington Institution.

This poll is further proof that the more Israelis get to know President Obama, the more their confidence in him increases. 

Click here for Pew’s full report, which surveyed 504 Israeli Jews. (pdf)