Broward Republican Party forms Jewish Outreach Committee
Broward Republicans are launching a new effort to convince Jewish voters that the Republican Party is better for Israel than the Democrats.
But the Jewish Outreach Committee’s chairwoman said Israel is the top priority – and is more important than the Republican Party’s main objective, which is electing Republicans.
“We want to reach the Jewish community in Broward County in order to educate, inform and kind of get together and talk about the future of Israel,” said Julie Gerber, the panel’s chairwoman. “We’re very concerned and worried about Israel.”
Gerber said Israel of such paramount importance that she could imagine supporting a Democrat if she views the candidate as more supportive of Israel than the Republican.
She said she couldn’t say if she’d support or oppose the re-election of U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, a strong supporter if Israel who represents northwestern Broward. “I don’t know who I would support. It depends on who runs against him.”
Gerber, of Fort Lauderdale, said she became a Republican committeewoman a few months ago. She said she approached party Chairman Richard DeNapoli about setting up a Jewish Outreach Committee, and he was enthusiastic.
The committee’s held one meeting, attracting about a dozen people, Gerber said. Specific plans are still vague.
“The Republican Party has long stood with Israel and its people. We know how important it is to reach out to the Jewish Community in solidarity and support,” DeNapoli said in a statement announcing the new committee.
Gerber said, “It is so important now more than ever to openly discuss the real danger Israel is experiencing, especially in light of President [Barack] Obama’s recent comments about Israel having to go back to the indefensible 1967 borders.”
In a May 19 speech, the president said talks with Palestinians should begin with Israel's borders as they stood before the 1967 war, with land swaps to reflect population changes since then.
Republicans have sought to use comments to show the president isn’t sufficiently supportive of Israel. Democrats have said the policy he articulated is no different from U.S. government policy under several previous presidents of both parties.
“To suggest that the president did significant damage to his support in the Jewish community is a gross overstatement,” U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, said last week at a breakfast with reporters in Washington. Wasserman Schultz is chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.