http://blogs. jta.org/politics /article/ 2008/11/13/ 1000960/ders
Dershowitz: I helped keep Carter silent
By Eric Fingerhut ·
November 13, 2008
Why didn't Jimmy Carter speak from the podium at the Democratic
National Convention? Alan Dershowitz said he had something to do with
it.
In an interview with Shalom TV, the Harvard Law School professor says
he "pushed" Barack Obama "very hard to make that decision,"
Dershowitz said in an interview with Shalom TV. "Barack Obama had to
make a choice between his Jewish supporters and his anti-Israel
supporters like Jimmy Carter, and he did not choose Jimmy Carter. And
that was an embarrassment for Jimmy Carter and a show of disrespect."
"It was a good decision, a wise decision, a moral decision,"
Dershowitz added.
Carter did appear in the convention hall after a video of the former
president helping with Katrina relief was shown at the Denver
gathering. But he did not make any remarks from the podium.
In the interview, Dershowitz also said he believes that Obama's
support in the pro-Palestinian community could make it easier to
advance the peace process.
"The fact that there are some in the pro-Palestinian community who
like him may be a positive thing -- that he can reach out to both
communities and be an honest broker who, without compromising
Israel's security, can facilitate a kind of peace that will be both
in the best interests of Israel and the best interests of the
Palestinian people," Dershowitz said. "I have a high level of
confidence, not perfect confidence but a high level of confidence,
that he will do the right thing."
Here's Shalom TV's press release on the interview:
DERSHOWITZ HELPED KEEP CARTER FROM SPEAKING AT DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
Rates Obama's relations with the Jewish community as "near-perfect"
and sees Obama's standing in pro-Palestinian community as his chance
to be an "honest broker"
Disturbed by Jewish racism during election
Would decline any offer to join Obama administration
November 14, 2008 (Fort Lee, NJ) -- In an exclusive Shalom TV
interview, Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz revealed that he was
among those who convinced Barack Obama to keep Jimmy Carter from
addressing the Democratic National Convention.
"I pushed him very hard to make that decision," Dershowitz explained
in a conversation with Mark S. Golub on American Jewry's national
cable television network. "Barack Obama had to make a choice between
his Jewish supporters and his anti-Israel supporters like Jimmy
Carter, and he did not choose Jimmy Carter. And that was an
embarrassment for Jimmy Carter and a show of disrespect. And I'm very
glad he made that decision. It was a good decision, a wise decision,
a moral decision."
Speaking to fears among some American and Israeli Jews that Obama
will be less supportive of the State of Israel than President Bush,
Dershowitz predicted that Obama "will try to energize the peace
process." Moreover, Dershowitz sees Obama's support in the pro-
Palestinian community as an opportunity for the president-elect to
move the peace process forward.
"The fact there are some in the Pro-Palestinian community who like
him may be a positive thing--that he can reach out to both
communities and be an honest broker who, without compromising
Israel's security, can facilitate a kind of peace that will be both
in the best interests of Israel and the best interests of the
Palestinian people. I have a high level of confidence-- not perfect
confidence-- but a high level of confidence that he will do the right
thing."
Dershowitz also acknowledged that he received thousands of emails
from Jews opposing Obama during the election campaign. While some
emails where thoughtful and expressed legitimate concerns, Dershowitz
is convinced that many were from "extreme right-wing Jews" and that
some were "out-and-out racist."
"As a Jew I was appalled by some of the racism that I saw in some of
the emails that I got," Dershowitz said. Dershowitz believes that
Obama's election will be positive for Black-Jewish relations. "I
think nothing could be better for Black-Jewish relations than the
election of Barack Obama," he observed. "Barack Obama has expressed
appreciation for the Jewish community and the role that we played in
the Civil Rights Movement, and that's a good thing because some
within the African-American community are very quick to forget that.
So far, his relations with the Jewish community have been near-
perfect."
Could Dershowitz be part of an Obama administration, perhaps as
Attorney General? Dershowitz responded with a categorical, "no."
Dershowitz also said he declined a request to represent Obama on the
campaign trail, explaining, "I said I couldn't do that because I want
to keep my own independent views independent. I don't want to be a
surrogate for anybody."
Shalom TV, America's national Jewish cable network, is available in
more than twenty million homes nationwide.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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