Richard Gephardt
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"The United States has a special relationship
with Israel and the Jewish people. As president, Dick Gephardt will
continue to work tirelessly to foster that relationship and maintain
military and economic aid to Israel.
Gephardt will expand federal jurisdiction over hate
crimes at home, and he will work to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv
to Jerusalem. Gephardt will also re-engage the U.S. in the Middle East
peace process which will enhance the long-term security of Israel while
combating the intolerable acts of terror that have disrupted diplomacy
in the region."
Record on Israel and Related Issues
"We will stand with Israel. We will stand for
freedom. And we will stand for a future that brings peace and prosperity
to all the people of the Middle East."— Dick Gephardt
The United States has a special and longstanding relationship
with Israel and the Jewish people. As president, Dick Gephardt will
continue to work tirelessly to support that relationship and will continue
military and economic aid. Gephardt will expand federal jurisdiction
over hate crimes at home and work to move the American embassy from
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, to clearly affirm American support for a whole
Jerusalem at the center of the Israeli state.
Gephardt believes that the long-term security of Israel
will be enhanced if meaningful and lasting peace agreements can be reached
with the Palestinian people and its neighbors. President Gephardt will
re-engage the U.S. in the peace process while combating the intolerable
acts of terror that have disrupted diplomatic efforts.
Supporting Aid to Israel
Gephardt has steadfastly supported foreign aid to
Israel and fought for increases in this aid as urgent security and other
needs arose over the last two decades — including funds for loan
guarantees, security enhancements and peace initiatives. (New York
Times, 11/19/98)
Working Tirelessly to Support U.S.-Israel Relationship
"Israel is a beacon of democracy in the Middle
East."
—Dick Gephardt
When introduced at the American-Israel Public Affairs
Committee conference in 1999, Gephardt was praised as "a trusted
friend and ally of the pro-Israel community," and someone who has
"worked tirelessly to support the U.S.-Israel relationship from
your early days in the House." (AIPAC conference, 5/25/99)
Promoting Free Trade
"I believe with all my heart that if peace can
be achieved in the Middle East, it will unleash an economic revival
in the entire region."
—Dick Gephardt
As a Member of the House Ways and Means' Trade Subcommittee,
Gephardt was intimately involved in the negotiations and passage of
legislation to create U.S.-Israel economic cooperation through the United
States-Israel Free Trade Act.
In 1994, Gephardt called on the federal government
to explore free trade agreements with countries that sign peace agreements
with Israel, creating an important incentive for countries to take more
constructive policies toward Israel. This initiative contributed to
the eventual US-Jordan free trade agreement. (House vote #89, HR 2268,
5/7/85; Gephardt letter to Congressional colleagues, 7/26/94)
Supporting Funding for Israel's Military
Gephardt has consistently supported funding for the
joint U.S.- Israeli Arrow missile project, a system vital to Israel's
security, and has regularly called on our government to ensure that
Israel retains a qualitative military edge over hostile nations in the
region. Gephardt also endorsed the deployment of US Patriot anti-missile
systems to Israel during both the 1991 and current conflicts with Iraq.
(CQ House Vote 457, 10/10/02; CQ House Vote 413, 7/19/00)
Demonstrating Solidarity with Israel
Gephardt has traveled to Israel several times to demonstrate
solidarity with its people, consult directly with its leaders, and witness
their determined struggle against terrorism. He and then-Speaker Gingrich
led a Congressional delegation to Israel in 1998 to celebrate its 50th
anniversary. (Washington Post, 5/25/98)
Authorizing Diplomatic and Military Action on Iraq
Recognizing the threat posed by Iraq to the U.S. and
our allies in the region, Gephardt worked to forge a bipartisan policy
in 2002 authorizing the president to engage in diplomatic and military
means to address this threat. (House Joint Resolution 114, 10/10/02)
(Dick
Gephardt for President)
Gephardt at the Arab American Institute
The Middle East. If we don’t lead in the Middle
East, nobody’s going to lead. Bill Clinton tried to lead and he
tried to get the party in a place where they could solve this problem
that needs to be solved. He understood that if we sat on the sidelines
and just criticized everybody and had great things to say but didn’t
do anything we were never going to get anywhere. This president came
in and said, well, it’s really not our problem. You know, we’ve
done a lot with it but it’s not our problem, and when the parties
figure it all out we’ll be around to give a little help, but it’s
not our problem. Not our problem? And he walked away. (Arab
American Institute, October 18, 2003)
Gephardt at the Congressional Black Caucus/FOX News
debates:
PERKINS: Congressman Gephardt, here in metro Detroit,
we have one of the largest concentrations of Arab-Americans in this
country. By and large, they love America. They're willing to die for
this country.
But at the same time, some of them will tell you they do not see the
world as we see it. In fact, in the eyes of some, groups like Hamas
and Hezbollah are not terrorist groups, they are freedom fighters or
defenders.
My question to you, would you be willing to negotiate with groups now
labeled as terrorists if such an effort would end the suicide bombings
in Israel and also possibly resolve the Middle East crisis?
GEPHARDT: I don't think you can negotiate with terrorists, people who
have decided that violence is the way that they are going to settle
their problems. But let me say this to you. I think this administration
has failed in getting at the root causes of terrorism. I think they're
just dealing with the symptoms of terrorism, and I support those efforts.
You've got to stop someone from doing harm to the United States if they're
bound and determined to do it. But we've got to get at the root causes.
We've got to be a leader for peace in the Middle East. This administration
walked away from the Middle East after this president came in office,
said it wasn't our problem, we weren't going to really lead and do the
things that we had been doing. ...Let me say this, if we're going to
defeat terrorism, we've got to engage in countries across the world.
We've got to fight against poverty, we've got to fight against bad governance,
and we've got to say to people that are supporting terrorists, "This
behavior cannot stand."
We've got to stop the support for terrorism. We need peace in the world,
not terrorism. (Washington
Post, October 27, 2003)
On Bush's Middle East Policy
In the Middle East, it has always been imperative that our nation maintain
unflinching support for Israel’s security and an unwavering commitment
to reduce violence and promote steps toward peace. In contrast, this
administration has wavered between support and criticism for Israel,
which, combined with a distinct effort to disengage from any dialogue,
has frustrated the progress toward peace. (Foreign
Policy)
On the American Embassy in Israel
"I don't see anything inconsistent with moving
the embassy and getting a lasting peace agreement. That's what we voted
for." (Source: Forward)
On Ariel Sharon
BROKAW: My question was do you think that Ariel Sharon
is a man of peace?
And to add on to that, the president made the effort
with the road to peace, so-called, and attempting to get new leadership
out of the PLO. Do you think that that was not an honest effort on the
president's part?
GEPHARDT: Tom, I think the people in Israel, the great
majority want peace. They're willing to trade land for real peace. The
people in Palestine, the great majority want peace and they're willing
to give security for the land that they want for their state.
What's lacking in this equation is not the-you know,
not the right leaders on either side, it's not having an American president
who, like Bill Clinton and other American presidents, have gone out
of their way to lead these other places to peace. He did it in Ireland.
He tried to do it in the Middle East. Bosnia, Kosovo, we made great
progress.
We need to be engaged in the world, and we need a
president who will work with every country in this world to solve tough
international problems. (Source: DNC Debate, 11/24/03)
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