Issue Position: The Middle East

Issue Position

Recently, I listened to President Obama's major policy address on the Middle East, and I am very concerned.

I've been watching the so called "Arab Spring" unfold and I am reminded of the Russian saying, "Winter is very, very long and Spring is very short."
Our interest in a secure and stable Israel is more important than most Americans realize. The heightened political volatility in Israel's neighborhood has me really worried.

I've celebrated the spread of democracy around the world, and I feel a sense of hope for the kids in Cairo and Damascus marching for self-determination -- but I also worry for them as their leaders like President Assad are literally shooting them in the streets.

Not to say that some nations aren't "ready" for Western democracy, but all too often we've seen the risks in many societies more tied to blood and land than to Western democratic principles. Israel has championed democracy in the region, but the bumpy road to democracy among its neighbors will surely leave them less stable and less effective for some time to come.

And even with hopeful democratic signs in the Middle East, we must keep our eye on the spectre of an authoritarian Iran and its undue influence in the region...

I really fear that the historic transition now underway in the Middle East is threatening Israel's security.

Source