Political Insider: Grim Iraq Milestone, but Most Jewish Groups Stay Silent
Posted By James BesserPolitical Insider: Grim Iraq Milestone, but Most Jewish Groups Stay Silent
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This week newspapers across the country were busy noting the fact that the Iraq war has now cost 4000 American lives, not to mention the uncounted Iraqi dead.
But anti-war groups still can't get much traction in a nation that doesn't seem to regard the issue as a top priority, like philandering governors and ranting pastors. And Jewish groups, which have something to say about just about every important issue, continue to act as if Iraq is not one of them.
This week only the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism had anything to say about the war - which most analysts argue is a key factor in the nation's current economic woes and which many say has added new layers of danger to Israel's neighborhood. (Read the full RAC statement here )
"After five years of this war, the world is arguably less safe, hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis have been killed and Iraq's infrastructure remains unstable," said Mark Pelavin, the RAC's associate director. "And we are still not coming to grips with the economic costs of the war, which some now estimate to be more than $3 trillion, or $15 billion each month."
While President Bush's troop "surge" may have "sharply reduced" the number of deaths in some areas, Pelavin said, "military progress alone will not make the changes necessary for long term success in Iraq. We believe that a call for a phased withdrawal will help keep the kind of political pressure on Iraq's leaders that can lead to these necessary changes."
And what did other Jewish groups have to say about a war that continues to affect every one of their political priorities in myriad ways?
We're still waiting.