Reply #57: Amb. Dan Kurtzer, (U.S. ambassador to Israel from 2001- 05) should go with him to Israel - Article

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The New York Jewish Week Blog
Saturday, March 08, 2008

Kurtzer endorses Obama, Will Campaign for Democratic Frontrunner
Posted By James Besser

The Barack Obama campaign, continuing efforts to reassure Jewish voters before Tuesday's critical primaries in Texas and Ohio, picked up an important endorsement over the weekend: Amb. Dan Kurtzer, who served as U.S. ambassador to Israel from 2001 to 2005. The Elizabeth, New Jersey native also served as ambassador to Egypt and as dean of Yeshiva University, and resigned in November as commissioner of the new Israel Baseball League.

Kurtzer generated considerable attention on his appointment by President George W. Bush because he was the first Orthodox envoy to the Jewish state (before the Clinton administration, no Jews had served).
Although Kurtzer drew fire from groups such as the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) that regarded him as a primary architect of Oslo-era peace efforts, he was a popular and respected figure with most Jewish leaders.

Making the announcement in Columbus, Ohio -- where voters will go to the polls on Tuesday in a primary in which the Jewish community could play a big role -- Kurtzer said "The United States has suffered severe blows to our international credibility over the past seven years, which makes it harder to defend our own interests and protect key allies, like Israel. We desperately need a change of direction, and I believe Barack Obama is the candidate who can win in November and deliver on that promise of change."

Obama, he said, is the candidate who can "restore our reputation and influence, strengthen key alliances, end the war in Iraq, and effectively confront challenges like the one posed by Iran."

Ambassador Kurtzer, according to the announcement, "will travel and speak on behalf of Barack Obama, and advise the campaign on foreign policy."