Stop Sarah Palin at non-partisan Iran rally

Sarah Palin is scheduled to headline Monday’s rally in New York of Americans Jews concerned about the threat Iran poses to the United States and Israel.

Sarah Palin at a rally to unify American Jews on Iran? Really?

Palin stands diametrically opposed to the majority of American Jews on nearly all issues – including on Iran. With just a few days left before the rally, we have no time to lose.

Dealing with Iran is an issue of major concern in the American Jewish community, and we believe that the best to way to deal with the Iranian nuclear program and support for terror is smart, tough U.S. led diplomacy. But even if we disagree on the best way to deal with Iran, Sarah Palin is the wrong choice to speak at a unity rally.

She doesn’t represent the American Jewish community’s views on Israel or any other issues.

• Sarah Palin does not have the experience or the credibility to offer any real solutions to the Iran issue. In the little time she has been in the national spotlight, she has instead advocated for right-wing views on Iran that would not keep Israel or the U.S. safe. She disagrees with the consensus of five former U.S. Secretaries of State that the best way to address the Iranian nuclear program and support for terror is through tough, smart U.S. led diplomacy, not just saber rattling and tough talk. [1]
• Sarah Palin’s views on abortion, the environment, and just about every other issue are out of step with the American Jewish community.  [2]
• Sarah Palin’s church had a speaker from Jews for Jesus come to speak as recently as a month ago. [3]

This is an incredibly important time to make the case for the right way to deal with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and show a Jewish community united in the fact that we must deal with this real threat to the U.S., Israel’s security, and to the stability of the entire region.

The fact that Sarah Palin would be invited to speak to American Jews about anything, let alone an issue as important as Iran, is just ridiculous.

The majority of American Jews believe that ratcheting up tensions with Iran will not make Israel secure, protect U.S. interests, or address Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and support for terror. The right policy starts with tough, smart diplomacy not with saber-rattling and tough talk.

We need to make the case to others that there is broad support – from supporters of peace and security for Israel and the Middle East – for a sensible approach to addressing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its support for terror. Inviting a divisive national figure like Sarah Palin, who is so out of touch with the values of the American Jewish community as a whole, only undermines efforts to address the Iranian threat.

If we’re going to get Sarah Palin removed from the schedule of this important rally, there is no time to lose. After you’ve taken action, please forward this message as widely as possible.