Washington, D.C. (July 15, 2008) — Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) Executive Director Matt Brooks issued the followed statement today:
“In a press release issued yesterday by the Republican Jewish Coalition, we called on Senator Obama to drop anti-Israel Senator Chuck Hagel as a participant on Obama’s upcoming trip to Israel. Despite information from multiple sources, both in the US and abroad, that Hagel would be accompanying Obama to Israel – as well as on the additional stops of the trip, including Iraq and Afghanistan – we have now been made aware that Hagel will not be a part of the Israel leg of the trip. However, while Hagel is not going to Israel with Obama, it does not change the fact that we remain concerned about the ongoing outreach by Senator Obama to Senator Hagel,” said Brooks.
“We remain deeply troubled that Senator Obama has called Hagel one of the ‘good guys’ and that Hagel is often cited as a possible vice presidential candidate or as a future cabinet member in a possible Obama administration. That Obama is looking to Hagel for advice and counsel on foreign policy matters should be a real cause of concern to the American Jewish community and again highlights why Obama continues to have problems among Jewish voters,” said Brooks.
