Rabbi Alexander Schindler, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.(UAHC), has called on Premier Menachem Begin of Israel to reprimand Israel Defense Minister Ezer Weizman for “publicly and unabashedly endorsing, President Carter for re-election.” Schindler said in a message to Begin that he was expressing “my dismay and that of many of my fellow Jews in the United States.”
The Reform leader was apparently referring to remarks Weizman made to reporters when he was in Washington a week ago for discussions of future U.S. military and economic assistance to Israel with President Carter and other top Administration officials. On emerging from a 50-minute meeting with Carter, Weizman said he hoped to see the President in the White House for another four years.
Similar remarks were attributed to him on other occasions during his visit. On returning to Israel, last week, Weizman responded to criticism there by saying that he spoke out of courtesy to the President who had just received him but made no endorsement.
Schindler said Weizman’s impetuous statement is not only an inadmissible intrusion into the American political process; it will also be seen as on attempt to influence, American friends of Israel – including the Jewish community — in their choice of President, This does injury to and jeopardizes support from — other Presidential candidates, many of whom have been strong advocates of Israel over many years, all of whom have now been publicly rejected by Israel’s Minister of Defense.”
Schindler pointed out that Israel has always enjoyed the support of both major parties in the U.S. and “all major aspirants for the Presidency.” He urged Begin “to make clear to the American people that your government will observe the wise and time-honored tradition that the leaders of one democratic state are expected to assume a stance of strict neutrality in the elections of another. “He said he would request the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, of which UAHC is a constituent member, to adopt a resolution along the lines of his message, urging strict neutrality in the Presidential elections.
The Reform leader said that he would hold the same position “no matter which candidate Mr. Weizman at any other Israeli Cabinet officer publicly supported to the Presidency. “Schindler, however, had attacked Carter earlier, following the resignation of Andrew Young as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
HAD CRITICIZED CARTER BEFORE
On November 12, while participating in a dialogue at the biennial convention of the United Synagogue of America, he accused Carter of exploiting the American Jewish community for political reasons and declared that he would not work for the re-election of Carter whose handling of the Young affair he claimed, was a form of “political anti-Semitism.”
Schindler added, “If Carter and (John) Connolly (as declared candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination) confront each other in the 1980 elections) I’ll commit suicide. “Connally had angered Jews by a speech in which he linked Middle East oil supplies to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Schindler’s message to Begin recalled similar criticism of former Premier Yitzhak Rabin who, when he was Ambassador to Washington in 1972, allegedly publicly endorsed President Nixon for re-election.
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