Mitt Romney’s Support of Israel Touted in Video
The Republican National Convention showed a video highlighting Mitt Romney’s commitment to Israel.
The one-and-a-half-minute video featured footage of Romney’s July visit to Israel and several excerpts from the candidate’s speech in Jerusalem.
“Mitt Romney believes America shares a deep and cherished relationship with Israel, and like the United States, Israel respects the rights of people of all religions and will preserve the holy places of Christians, Jews and Muslims,” the video’s narrator said.
The video was shown on Wednesday evening immediately after Sen. John McCain’s convention speech, which was mostly devoted to foreign policy.
The video concluded with footage of Romney saying in Jerusalem: “It’s a deeply moving experience to be in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.”
At the time, the White House’s deputy press secretary, Josh Earnest, said that Romney’s statement on Jerusalem was “a different position than this administration holds,” which he said was the same as those of Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan.
The Republican Jewish Coalition and Emergency Committee for Israel have created videos attacking the Obama administration’s position on Jerusalem. The convention video made no mention of President Obama.
No administration has recognized Israeli sovereignty in any part of Jerusalem, although Congress passed a law in 1995 recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Romney and his surrogates have said repeatedly that Romney would consider moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem only in consultation with Israel’s government.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO