WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Reform rabbinate passed a resolution backing the Obama administration’s Afghanistan policy.
The resolution passed Friday by the Central Conference of American Rabbis, which represents nearly 2,000 rabbis, supports the Obama administration’s efforts to "send the necessary combat and support units to Afghanistan to quell the resurgence of the Taliban," to "find, disrupt and destroy Al Qaeda wherever they may be found," create "the infrastructure necessary for the deployment of American military personnel," and "expand and train the Afghan military so that it can play a greater role in creating security in the nation," among other goals.
The resolution also reaffirms the CCAR’s 2001 statement that "military means alone will not defeat terrorism. A coordination of military, diplomatic, political, economic, religious and cultural means must also be utilized."
The call for a continued troop presence in Afghanistan contrasts with its 2006 call for a "clear exit strategy" with "specific goals for troop withdrawal" in Iraq, following on the heels of a similar Union of Reform Judaism resolution passed in 2005.
