New York, August 5, 2000

http://www.forward.com/CURRENT/news.html

With Diversity on Dais, Republican Convention Gives Key Role to Jews

Moderating Force on Right Wing: Sembler, Javits Flying High Among the 'Eagles'

By RACHEL DONADIO
FORWARD STAFF

PHILADELPHIA -- Even as critics ridiculed the Republican Party's attempts to spotlight the participation of African-American, Asian and Hispanic delegates at its convention here, one minority was making more than a token appearance. Although Jews were little in evidence on the dais, a significant number were playing crucial roles behind the scenes.

The "who's who" of Jews in the camp of the Republican presidential nominee, Governor Bush of Texas, reaches far into the inner circle, including senior adviser and spokesman Ari Fleischer, policy director Joshua Bolten and foreign policy advisers Dov Zakheim, Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz, all former Reagan aides.

A former mayor of Indianapolis, Stephen Goldsmith, is Mr. Bush's top domestic policy adviser, while the campaign's counsel is lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg. Jews also hold top spots in the Republican National Committee and its platform committee: the RNC's campaign finance director is a former ambassador to Australia, Mel Sembler; its communications director is Clifford May and its platform committee is headed by Mitch Bainwol. Top fundraisers include Eric Javits, the chairman of an elite group called the Republican Eagles, and Cheryl Halpern of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

While Jews and the Republican Party have traditionally had frosty relations -- only 7% of Jews are registered as Republicans nationwide, compared to 70% as Democrats -- some say that could change. Some insiders, including Mr. May, pointed to the number of Jews serving as top Bush aides as a sign of growing national Jewish GOP support in a close election year, when the Jewish vote could make a difference. At the same time, some Jewish Republicans expressed concern about a platform and a ticket they find too far to the right.

"There are a lot of Jews involved in Governor Bush's campaign," Mr. Bolten, the policy director, said. "I think Governor Bush attracts people across the spectrum and there are a lot of Jews who share his approach to governing and foreign policy."

The former speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, told the Forward that the Jewish vote would be "significant" for the Bush-Cheney ticket. "It fits into Bush's goal of inclusion, his emphasis on immigration and other issues," Mr. Gingrich said.

"The Republican leadership recognizes, rightly or wrongly, that Jews are the key to raising millions for their political interests," said Internet enterpreneur Kalman Sporn, who at 29 is the youngest member of the Republican Eagles. "To sustain that support, they know they need to support Jewish concerns, and number one, the principal way that Republican leadership has demonstrated support for the Jews has been though its unyielding support for the state of Israel."

Democrats, however, downplayed the significance of the numbers of Jews in the GOP inner circle. "Of course we don't deny that there are Jewish Republicans and some working on the Bush campaign, but the fact remains that Jews have and will continue to vote overwhelmingly Democratic because of the issues," the deputy executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, David A. Harris, said. "It's not just out of tradition or a habit, but because the Democratic Party stands for reproductive rights, the separation of church and state and the whole host of domestic issues that American Jewry has rallied around," Mr. Harris said.

"Jews are becoming more conservative, but not necessarily more Republican," said the mid-Atlantic regional director of the American Jewish Committee, Murray Friedman. "Jews are still afraid of Republicans," he said, largely because of their perceived links to the Christian right. "Jews are anxious. The stronger we get in affluence, the more nervous we get. The continued importance of anti-Semitism knows no bounds," Mr. Friedman said.

Many Jews bristled when Mr. Bush recently proclaimed June 10 "Jesus Day" in Texas so that, according to a press release, "people of all religions [should] recognize Jesus Christ as an example of love, compassion, sacrifice and service." The American Jewish Congress urged Mr. Bush not to make such "sectarian pronouncements." Others are wary of Mr. Bush's strong support of the death penalty and anti-abortion stance.

Yet some counter that in the Christian right department, the Bush-Cheney ticket would be palatable for Jews. "For reasons that are hard to pin down, there's a higher comfort level here," said the president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Elliott Abrams, an undersecretary of state during the Reagan administration. "Neither Bush nor Cheney can be called an extremist. They both seem very normal."

Still, many Jewish Republicans acknowledge that they were once Democrats, and many continue to harbor liberal views on domestic issues such as abortion and gun control. Even as Republicans, they tend to lean to the moderate side of the GOP and are often critical of the Republican rank-and-file, observers said.

Dick Zimmer, a Jewish Republican candidate for Congress from central New Jersey and son of Democratic parents, said that he and Mr. Cheney, the vice presidential nominee, parted ways on the issues of guns, reproductive choice and sanctions against rogue nations. Mr. Cheney, like Mr. Bush, is against abortion. The vice presidential nominee also opposed a ban on cop killer bullets and would like to ease economic sanctions on Iran. "I disagree with Cheney on a lot of issues, but he's a man of great capability," Mr. Zimmer said.

"It hurts the party to be so pro-life and so adamantly opposed to hate crimes legislation or special privileges for historically disenfranchised Americans," Mr. Sporn said. "Whether we're talking about African-Americans or women or gays, I think the Republican Party needs to be more sensitive to people who've been disenfranchised."

"I'm concerned about the tilt toward the right rather than the center, as evidenced by the selection of Cheney," said a member of the Republican Jewish Coalition from Florida, Leonard Greenberg. He said the party would have "broadened the tent" if Mr. Bush had picked a more moderate running mate. "It's about how we present ourselves to the public," Mr. Greenberg said. "We Jews should take the [Republican] party seriously. Otherwise we lose our political influence. Otherwise the Democrats will take us for granted."

"What's frustrating about the Jewish community is that Republicans don't get a fair hearing," said a vice president of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Sheldon Kamins, who said he became a Republican 15 years ago. "Knowledge is a hallmark of our people, but the Jewish community won't engage in an honest debate. They're so dogmatic and closed-minded that they're doing themselves and the community a disservice."