Posted By James Besser
Jewish Right Losing Key Congressional Advocate / James Besser in Washington
Opponents of land-for-peace agreements between Israel and the Palestinians are losing one of their best friends in Congress.
But in fact, Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ), a 24-year House who announced last week that he will retire at the end of his current term for health reasons, had already pulled back as the most visible congressional supporters of groups like the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).
The reason, according to several pro-Israel activists: a reluctance to criticize the policies of the current Republican administration.
Still, Morton Klein, the ZOA president, lamented Saxton’s impending departure.
“He understood that the Palestinians weren’t serious about peace, and said so with conviction and aplomb,” Klein said. “His presence will be sorely missed.”
But not to worry; ZOA has found another strong advocate in Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV.) a former AIPAC activist who has of late taken a much harder line on Mideast negotiations.