The Jewish Press endorses Congressman Bob Turner for the Republican nomination for United States senator from New York. The Republican primary election on June 26 will choose who will run against the incumbent, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat seeking reelection. Several months ago, following the forced resignation of Rep. Anthony Weiner, Mr. Turner won the seat in a special election against Assemblyman David Weprin with overwhelming support from the Orthodox Jewish community. In significant part, that support was based on his being identified with those protesting President Obama’s Middle East policies.
While Sen. Gillibrand lately has been saying many of the right things about the U.S.-Israel relationship since being appointed by then-Gov. David Paterson to fill the seat vacated by Hillary Clinton, it was not always the case.
When questioned about her support for President Obama’s pressure on Israel over settlement construction, Ms. Gillibrand said,
I will certainly offer what I think is the best policy, regardless of what Netanyahu says he wants to do. I will always be an advocate for the solutions that I think will be most effective…. I think the president will use all the means and all tools in his toolbox to reach a solution for peace in the Middle East. And if he offers positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement, that will be a strategic decision for the administration and our secretary of state.
These are hardly encouraging words and we look forward to a campaign that pursues the issue. Of the three candidates running in the Republican primary, Congressman Turner seems best suited to bringing that about.