Democrats in Israel irate over Hikind's support for Huckabee

Democrats living in Israel on Thursday criticized New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a party member, for endorsing Republican Mike Huckabee during a visit to Israel this week. One activist said the ties between Huckabee, a potential vice presidential nominee with Hikind, a former follower of Jewish extremist Meir Kahane, puzzled her.

At a Jerusalem press conference on Tuesday, Hikind and Huckabee exchanged praises, with the Democrat jokingly announcing he supported Huckabee for president. Huckabee replied he wished he enjoyed such support from more Republicans.

Stressing that she did not speak in her capacity as chairwoman of Democrats Abroad Israel but only as a private citizen, Joanne Yaron told Anglo File she didn't understand why Hikind persists in calling himself a Democrat and belonging to the Democratic Party. Although she admits "the Democratic Party is a big tent of ideas," she questions whether Hikind's ideas are "in the least bit in accord" with those of the party.

In Yaron's opinion, what makes Hikind "a rogue" is not his support of McCain, but his support for the "violent ideas of Meir Kahane." Yaron went on to question Huckabee's acceptance of Hikind's support in light of this. Yaron added she doubted Democrats Abroad or the Democratic Party would involve themselves with Hikind's support for Huckabee in any way, "though perhaps as a friendly gesture they could warn Mr. McCain of the dangers of Mr. Hikind's extreme ideas." She said, "I personally want the Democratic Party and its nominee Senator Barack Obama to have a worthy opponent - not a person who accepts support from such an unworthy source as Dov Hikind."

Hikind openly admits having had ties with the late American-Israeli Orthodox rabbi and founder of the ultra-rightist Kach party, which the Knesset successfully banned from politics by amending the Basic Law to bar parties promoting racist ideas. "I was involved with Rabbi Kahane and have no regrets," Hikind told Anglo File on Thursday. "I've always made it very clear. I got involved when the issues were anti-Semitism, Jewish poor- things that were in America."

The New York politician went to say that he did have objections when Kahane "did and said certain things in Israel." He accused Yaron of being "either ignorant or trying to sear me with a label, which is a clear McCarthy tactic."

Huckabee and Hikind visited Israel at the invitation of the Jerusalem Reclamation Project, a New York foundation working to move Jews into the Muslim Quarter. The chairman, Dr. Joseph Frager, who also attended the press conference, said the visit was particularly important because "Obama has moved the debate way to the left" and "out of the realm that even Kadima would understand."

Hinting at what some took to be conflicting statements by Obama on his position on Jerusalem, Hikind said at the press conference that although "everyone says Jerusalem shouldn't be divided," the former Arkansas governor was the only one "who really means it." In June, Obama declared his commitment to a unified Jerusalem, later clarifying he didn't rule out Palestinian sovereignty over parts of the city.

"I don't know where the governor's going, but he's going big places," Hikind said at the conference. "He's young; he's going to be around, playing a role, and talking this straight talk."

In explaining his support for Huckabee and other Republicans, Hikind told Anglo File: "I've been elected 13 times by a 90-percent Democrat community of 150,000 Jews and non-Jews. I'm running for reelection this year as a proud Democrat, but not a blind one. For me, it's about supporting people whom I think are best. I support Republicans and many Democrats."

Responding to criticism of his siding with Republicans, Hikind said, "When it comes to politics, crossing party lines is a greater sin than being a crook." But Hikind's cross-party support of a Huckabee "presidency" also received praise from an unlikely source. Tony Jassen of Israelis for Obama said he applauded Hikind's "willingness to look beyond party politics and support a candidate in whom he believes," despite rejecting Hikind's belief in the Christian right as a viable partner for Israel. Jassen, who noted he was speaking as a private citizen, added that although he disagreed with Hikind's political choice of endorsing Huckabee, he felt the move was in fact "emblematic of Senator Obama's call for unity."