Only One Platform Recognizes Jerusalem As Current Capital Of Israel: The Democrats'

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The recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital has become a political football during the 2012 election, first snapped by Mitt Romney's campaign during the candidate's visit to Israel in July, and passed to the Democrats when they approved a platform which contained no mention of it. Now that that's fixed, though, the mainstream media seems to have missed the glaring fact that only the Democratic Party Platform recognizes Jerusalem as the current capital of Israel.

Here's what the Democratic Party National Platform says about Jerusalem, reportedly at the insistence of President Obama:

Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel. The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations. It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths.

It doesn't get any more direct than that. 'Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel.'

However, the Republican Party Platform takes a different view: (emphasis mine)

We support Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state with secure, defensible borders; and we envision two democratic states'Israel with Jerusalem as its capital and Palestine'living in peace and security.

Wow, Republicans 'envision' all of that? They regard Jerusalem's status as capital of Israel as a mere figment of their collective imagination, a fantasy to be realized when? When the Republican Party grows some balls?

The Democrats declare that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel now. The Republicans 'envision' it, perhaps at some future time, but maybe only in an episode of Sliders; they don't say. (Spikes football, does endzone dance, Tebows)

The media, rather than put this issue in proper context, has played the initial omission from the Democratic platform for maximum conflict. Democrats like Debbie Wasserman Schultz, meanwhile, have been claiming that it was a simple technical oversight, perhaps partially because of that media failure. The much more obvious explanation is that the platform committee wanted to bring the party's governing document in line with longstanding US government policy, given that their nominee is also the current head of that government.

You can agree or disagree with that decision, and wonder if the President knew about it beforehand, or if the Democrats were simply trying, on their own, to outmaneuver Mitt Romney by constructing a platform that the head of their party wouldn't have to distance himself from, or even that they just forgot, but it's irresponsible of the media to omit this crucial context.

There is a vast difference between being just a candidate for president, where you can shoot your mouth off about whatever you like, and being both a candidate and President of the United States, Commander in Chief, and America's chief diplomat, a difference which has been reflected in party platforms in the past, even on this very issue.

The 2000 Republican platform, adopted when George W. Bush was just a challenger to incumbent Vice President Al Gore, contained this language about Jerusalem:

The United States has a moral and legal obligation to maintain its Embassy and Ambassador in Jerusalem. Immediately upon taking office, the next Republican president will begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel's capital, Jerusalem.

As is plainly obvious, that never happened, and when then-President George W. Bush ran for reelection in 2004, the Jerusalem plank read like this:

Republicans continue to support moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel's capital, Jerusalem.

That's because in 2004, President Bush was obligated to support the official U.S. policy on Jerusalem, which was, and had been since Ronald Reagan, that 'The status of Jerusalem is an issue that should be resolved in final status negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.'

That change in the Republican Party platform in 2004 reflects a bipartisan schism between the legislative and executive branches that began in 1995 with the passage of the Jerusalem Embassy Act by overwhelming majorities in the House and Senate. President Clinton didn't sign the bill into law, but allowed it to become law by default because he, and every president since, believed that the act infringed on executive authority. President George W. Bush addressed the Jerusalem question, in a signing statement, this way:

Section 214, concerning Jerusalem, impermissibly interferes with the President's constitutional authority to conduct the Nation's foreign affairs and to supervise the unitary executive branch. Moreover, the purported direction in section 214 would, if construed as mandatory rather than advisory, impermissibly interfere with the President's constitutional authority to formulate the position of the United States, speak for the Nation in international affairs, and determine the terms on which recognition is given to foreign states. U.S. policy regarding Jerusalem has not changed.

Presidents Clinton, Bush 43, and Obama have all blocked the move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, citing national security concerns.

Perhaps it would have been wiser for the Democrats to have included language similar to that 2004 GOP platform, or their own 2004 platform ('Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths.'), but the hay being made over this just doesn't match the facts, and the news media have utterly failed at explaining this.

While we're keeping score, though, it was the Democrats who first recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in their party's platform, in 1972:

Recognize and support the established status of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, with free access to all its holy places provided to all faiths. As a symbol of this stand, the U.S. Embassy should be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

The Republicans, meanwhile, made nary a mention of Jerusalem in their party platform until 1980, and even then, did not recognize it as Israel's capital:

Republicans believe that Jerusalem should remain an undivided city with continued free and unimpeded access to all holy places by people of all faiths.

Their platform didn't recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital until 1996, twenty-four years after the Democrats, and even when they did, it was to make a promise that they then broke in record time.

The lesson here isn't that Republicans or Democrats are weak on Israel, or strong on Israel, it's that all of this posturing is meaningless, at best. The United States will always be the rock-solid buttress to the State of Israel (the Israelis know this), and any suggestion that one candidate or another doesn't share that unflinching support is cheap, wrong, and potentially dangerous. A candidate can run his mouth, but a President must act wisely, balancing that support with the need to remain credible as a mediator in this conflict.

• cover has been blown off
  dems are done
  no wonder the black reverends have not been talked to by the one
  godless commies

• How funny you are tommy. This gave me a real chuckle, but I recommend highly you take a break and get help. Have a nice day

• Yes Tommy, how does it reflect on democrats when their delegates are booing this and God?

• The Dems only recognized God and Jerusalem AFTER they figured out it was politically devastating to them.

  bye-bye Barry, remember the 'shellacking' you endured in 2010? It is going to be a repeat for you and your failed Presidency this November!

• Why are we now discussing Jerusalem? Why does this even matter?

• Where's the Right wing fact checkers and deniers? I'd like to see their faces now.

• It is funny how Tommy whines about context from the media, then fails to mention the booing by the delegates''lol

• Because of the Jewish vote in purpley swing states like Florida, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

• This is amazing!
  Two months ago, Jay Carney couldn't even tell reporters what the capital of Israel is but VOILA'Only One Platform Recognizes Jerusalem As Current Capital Of Israel: The Democrats' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGEn1TZtEmQ

  Dishonesty'Obama 2012

• Spin tommy'spin like the wind!

  Based on the vote yesterday tommy, seems like the liberals wanted God and Jerusalem out. You people outted yourselves.

• That is the most bold spin Tommy's ever attempted. Olbermann would be proud.

• Good job Tommy, now maybe some of these low information posters will shut up.

• They envision 2 states. Tommy lied and made up the rest.

• Tommy:

  You misread the Republican party platform. They didn't say they envisioned Jerusalem as Israel's capital. They definitively state Jerusalem as Israel's capital as a matter of fact. What they 'envision' was two states living in peace.

• Go figure lol

• 'and any suggestion that one candidate or another doesn't share that
  unflinching support is cheap, wrong, and potentially dangerous'

  But based on the Democratic National Convention'.it doesn't look like that support is 'unflinching' from one of the parties.

  What, exactly, is dangerous about pointing that out?

• Only one party boos God and Israel: The Democrats.
  Only one Preezy treats Netanyahu like crap: King Obama.
  Only one candidate visited Israel this year: Mitt Romney.

• More drama for the media.

  The media know Obama is going to win by a landslide so they've got to keep all you simple minded sheeple watching.

  I'm going surfing now'..in the ocean.

• Try a little harder Democrats, I'm sure you can just burn the bible up in a fraction of a second with your computers that seem to have replaced the Lord. Just sit on your phone or computer and let it become part of your body, then you can be a brainless welfare loser coasting through life like all the people who just don't want to make anything of themselves when they have everything handed to them.

  I gnashed my teeth and laughed at rick Santorum when he said taking care of social issues leads to a healthier economy, but I can't help but think that this will become a welfare state when no one wants to do a damn thing anymore because the government is now their god. What an idiot I was, you are nothing without god and that is the simple truth.

  The liberals already had 'God' in their platform, they just Call it Barack Obama's Trouser Snake bending over a government that is supposed to be by the people, of the people and for those people for this strange ideas that his crazy mother thought was pure brilliance when she was teaching her little boy how to really hate and destroy America, all because she needed to get revenge on white men for choices she made. Liberalism couldn't make me sicker, it is the worst disease on the planet.

• >>Liberalism couldn't make me sicker, it is the worst disease on the planet.<<

  A least you admit you are sick.

  That's a start.

• Wow, letting a country decide its own fate. What a concept.

• This could possibly be the last election where the parties even discuss a 2-state solution. By 2020 Gaza will be unlivable, East Jerusalem will be completely encircled and annexed, and the West Bank will be noncontiguous. All this talk may placate the older Jews in Florida who can't see past 1967, but they are losing young Jewish voters who actually do want peace.

• N'yeah, dirty Dems boo God, Santy and the Easter Bunny, too. Some of the greatest fictional characters created by man! Dems have no shame, n'yeah. How 'bout them gams on Betty Grable, though. N'yeah.

• Willard believes that the Angel Moroni will kill all the Jews on Judgment Day and that they will burn in Hell for all eternity, while the white race will enjoy eternal life on the planet Kolob.

• The RNC platform mentions Jerusalem only once. The single mention is written above. Jerusalem is 'envisioned', never acknowledged.

• If only Mitt was as outspoken on posthumous Mormon baptisms of Holocaust victims as he is on the DNC leaving Jerusalem out of it's platform.

• And only one platform (the Democrats) recognizes the true God ' Obama.

• And this is important how? Amazing. Like the average american gives a crap about whether Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel or not. This is why politics turns people off. This is so unimportant but now both parties have made it important. Just stupid.

• One thing's for sure: All Republicans despise all of the teachings of Jesus.

• Do you liberals even know the words he spoke? Hateful little devils would tell you that love is hate and hate is love and to get in the big pile of miscellaneous people and just start kissing everything. Sickness feels good at first because you are literally burning your soul out like a candle!

• As sure as the Earth rotates around the Sun, you are probably the dumbest poster at mediaite'..not trying to be mean, just letting you know

• Yeah, why would anything good and decent matter to a liberal, they only care about deviance.

• Many Republicans are not yet convinced the Earth rotates around the sun, and not the other way around.

• All Republicans despise all of the teachings of Jesus, from his lessons about greed to his lessons about tolerance. I just tell the truth.

• The reason you say that is because I simply tell the truth, and you have been trained to reject the truth.

• Yeah just keep calling people of faith 'low information' When your guy is up the creek without a paddle and all his predictions come false, you will really see low information then, libby.

• Repubicans also 'envision' the rainbow sparkle-ponies that will run in the streets in 30 years or so once Mittens and Eddie Munster get our federal budget back in balance.But first, they'll be needing some more of those whopping taxcuts now, up front'

• sorry offends but it is you that have been systematically trained to repeat DNC talking points, you never have a original thought, i dont say this to be mean, i say it just to let you know how stupid you are

• I never use talking points. Try to remember that you're a compulsive liar, so you don't even know when you're lying.

• People aren't foolish enough to vote based on this kind of stuff. Booing a fairy tale doesn't matter when you need health care or food or a job. Anyone who goes into the voting booth and casts a ballot for God is probably bitter and clinging'

• You can get a good 'feel' for the current pulse of the GOP by listening to the first few mins of Rush LimpNoodle's daily rant.
  Today, as you might expect, he was ranting about Booing GOD.
  not the economy, not the surging stock market, certainly not Clint Eastwood' it was about GOD.
  He didnt bring up Jerusalem much, altho God and Jerusalem were equaly important in yesterday's events. Why would he barely cover Jerusalem and harp on and on about God ?
  Could it be that most conservatives agree, no official US poitical party platform should include any language about other countries? Imagine the popped veins they'd have if Dems declared that Mexico City was the official capital of Mexico !!!
  I love listening to the first few mins of Rush, his desperation is comforting.

• thats all you do, you can't help it'..like i said i am not being mean, just letting you know how stupid you are

• And they despise the peacemakers. They systematically turn their backs on the poor.

  Republicans hate Jesus, any way you look at it. They only use his name to justify their evil.

• Nice try Tommy.

  See, the GOP didn't remove Jerusalem as the capital in their platform and then lie about a vote to reinstate truth.

  BTW, playing with context is a two way street.

  'President Obama says he regrets the 'syntax' of his 'you didn't build that' remark'

  Yeah, 'syntax' ' odd thought it was context.

• Republiklans tell us that not recognizing that Jerusalem is the Capitol of Israel in the party platform means that you hate the Jews and you're worse than Hitler.

  In their platform, republiklans do not recognize Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel.

  Therefore, republiklans are worse than Hitler.