Romney Talks Economy and Iran in Call to Rabbis
Mitt Romney Image by Getty images
Mitt Romney discussed Iran, the economy and Medicare in a holiday call with rabbis and other Jewish leaders.
Mitt Romney Image by Getty images
The 20-minute call Thursday was organized by the Republican candidate’s presidential campaign.
Word went out through a number of Jewish list-serves and Romney did not directly mention President Obama in order not to compromise the nonprofit status of the rabbinical umbrellas that spread news of the call, which reached about 3,000 people.
In the call, moderated by Tevi Troy, a top Jewish adviser to the candidate, Romney outlined his five point plan for reviving the economy, which includes energy independence, tax reductions, enhancing education, reducing the deficit and improving trade relations with other countries.
He also reiterated his concerns about Iran, saying its suspected nuclear weapons program posed the greatest foreign threat to the United States, and that he would prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapons capability – a distinction from Obama’s policy, which is toprevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
“Jews are like other Americans,” Troy told JTA after the call. “Israel is important, but not the only issue.”
Romney fielded two questions, about Iran and about Medicare.
Responding to the Medicare question, he said his plan would not affect Americans 55 and over, and would offer greater choices to those under that age.
Romney wished the callers a sweet New Year.
Obama had a New Year’s call last week with 1,200 rabbis from all streams.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.
If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.
Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
