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Last update - 04:44 02/08/2009
U.S. congressman Cantor: There's a place for Jews in GOP
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz U.S. Correspondent
Tags: Eric Cantor, U.S. 
Ahead of Israel visit, sole Jewish Republican lawmaker urges unity against 'alarming' Obama policies.

Though American Jews make up around 2 percent of the population, they have always enjoyed ample representation in Congress, where they account for around 8 percent of legislators. Only one of them is a Republican, but Rep. Eric Cantor, who will visit Israel this month, says Jews belong in the Republican Party.

"I'm a firm believer there is a big place for the American Jewish Community in the Republican Party," says Cantor, 46, a Virginian seen as one of his party's great promises.

He says he decided to head the delegation of congressmen to visit Israel this month to counteract the "alarming" line that the U.S. administration under President Barack Obama has adopted toward Israel.
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"Now it is so important for us to work together as Republicans, members of Congress - the House and Senate - to enhance the U.S.-Israel relationship, especially given where this administration seems to be heading," he says.

"I'm very alarmed," Cantor adds when asked about the state of this relationship. "I think it starts with the White House. That's why I'm feeling very strongly about going to Israel next week. To communicate to Benjamin Netanyahu's government where Congress is."

Most congressmen support Israel and "feel very strongly that a priority for focus" should be Iran's nuclear drive, Cantor says. The visit also aims to show that Washington's opposition to natural growth in the settlements "is not a monolithic position," Cantor says.

"Many of us in the House feel that natural growth is something that should be allowed to occur, especially when we look at Jerusalem, the issue of construction in East Jerusalem."

Cantor was first voted into Congress in the 2000 elections and is now the House's minority whip. He has become a harsh critic of Obama's foreign and domestic policies.

"In my opinion the letter from the Bush administration was very indicative on the realities on the ground in Israel," he says when Jerusalem is brought up. "There are certain areas which are going to remain Israel, one of them being East Jerusalem. I believe very strongly in united Jerusalem. I think the majority of members of this body and the Senate believe so as well."

This photogenic and eloquent speaker has come out hard against Obama's financial incentive program. After Congress passed the program, Cantor slammed it as failing to deliver on promises to create more jobs. He also lambasted Obama's ideas on health reform.

Cantor and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin are seen as the young guns of the Republican Party. They are seen by many party members as politicians capable of rescuing the party after its defeat in the 2008 presidential election, forging a new path.

A new path is seen by some as vital as the American media exposes juicy affairs involving Republican governors and as the Obama administration points a finger at former vice president Dick Cheney.

"My sense is that we need the Sarah Palins, Dick Cheneys, Rush Limbaughs, the Colin Powells," Cantor says. "We need all of them."

Cantor says he perceives his role as "not only to represent people that are like me, but also to try and put in place policies that can affect their lives for the better. And I believe very strongly that policies of economic freedom, free markets, limited government, entrepreneurship, individual responsibility - those are the things that have to undergird our solutions."

Besides Republicans, the party should be talking "to like-minded Democrats, independents, to try and influence the policy discussions that are going on," he adds.

By the 2012 election, he says, Republicans will hopefully have stopped "this incredibly expansive government, this overwhelming incurrence of debt on the backs of the American people. And hopefully we'll see the economy rebounded and people back to work.

"I think certainly the policies of this administration have begun to take their toll on this president's popularity, and President Obama is a likable figure and leader. His policies, frankly, do not match to that."

According to Cantor, Obama had failed to implement bipartisan policy as he promised. "We stand ready to continue to work with this president ... but there seems to be unfortunately an insistence that Congress adhere to the president's way - or no way," he says.

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      1.   Who`s Cantor working for? 05:50  |  David 02/08/09
      2.   #1, Cantor Speaks & Works for America! 08:13  |  David 02/08/09
      3.   We need Palins - it says it all 09:31  |  Greg 02/08/09
      4.   cantor 09:45  |  lu 02/08/09
      5.   OBAMA 11:28  |  arye 02/08/09
      6.   Cantor is a nobody 12:06  |  David 02/08/09
      7.   Cantor reporting to Natanyahu 13:33  |  Ram 02/08/09
      8.   Cantor, another shill for Israel 14:35  |  JH 02/08/09
      9.   From A Canor Constituent 15:05  |  BDF 02/08/09
      10.   RAM Since when is a visit "reporting to"?where does the article 15:12  |  PETER SM 02/08/09
      11.   oh yes 16:43  |  edgar 02/08/09
      12.   Someone who wants mors "Palins and Limbaughs", etc. 16:56  |  Anke 02/08/09
      13.   Cantor is 100% correct 17:08  |  Shepherd 02/08/09
      14.   Response to #3 Greg 17:16  |  Kipperraes 02/08/09
      15.   A real democrat could never vote Republican 17:27  |  American 02/08/09
      16.   Cantor is AIPAC`s errand boy 17:49  |  Ray Gordon 02/08/09
      17.   Jewish Republicans... 18:06  |  Haim 02/08/09
      18.   Cantor is singing off key: real Jews don`t vote Republican 18:19  |  Profco 02/08/09
      19.   will cantor stand up to the relious right? 18:32  |  Susan 02/08/09
      20.   Liberal Republicans are o.k. 18:32  |  Anonymous 02/08/09
      21.   The reason for expanded government 18:38  |  Anonymous 02/08/09
      22.   Most Jews voted Democratic 18:50  |  Anonymous 02/08/09
      23.   Rosner`s Israel Panel 18:53  |  Anonymous 02/08/09
      24.   Jewish social conservatives 18:59  |  Anonymous 02/08/09
      25.   Just Bow to Limbaugh 20:06  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/08/09
      26.   RE: 1 - Yes Reporting That... 20:29  |  Eli Wapniarski 02/08/09
      27.   RE: 1 - Third Time 22:57  |  Eli Wapniarski 02/08/09
      28.   Jews in GOP 23:12  |  Nechama 02/08/09
      29.   GOP yes, RJC no. 23:59  |  Eric 02/08/09
      30.   26 Eli Wapniarski - Missing Bush Triumphs 00:52  |  Mark of Lewiston 03/08/09
      31.   Jews always shoot selves in foot 02:57  |  Gully Foyle 03/08/09
      32.   The Democratic Party Reality 03:27  |  Christopher 03/08/09
      33.   26 Eli Wapniarski - Missing Bush Triumphs 09:50  |  Mark of Lewiston 03/08/09
      34.   RE: 33 - Think Again 08:35  |  Eli Wapniarski 04/08/09
      35.   RE: 34 Correction 15:44  |  Eli Wapniarski 04/08/09
      36.   Mr Eli Wapniarsk 16:47  |  Stephen 09/08/09
      37.   Smart Jews Vote Republican! 07:14  |  Yaffa 30/09/09
      38.   Why do Jew in America vote for Liberal Democrats? 19:20  |  Chrs 01/10/09
      39.   Why do Jew in America vote for Liberal Democrats? 19:27  |  Chris Lloyd 01/10/09
      40.   There`s a place for Jews in GOP 06:46  |  Andy 08/10/09
      41.   Eric Cantor 21:09  |  Larry 24/10/09
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