Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz defends Obama to NY Jews

[Ian David]

Dershowitz defends Obama to NY Jews
By ALLISON HOFFMAN, JPOST CORRESPONDENT IN NEW YORK

Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz took the stage at the New York premiere of his new documentary, The Case for Israel, prepared to defend the Jewish state against accusations of apartheid made by former US president Jimmy Carter.

Instead, Dershowitz found himself defending a possible Democratic Obama administration to conservative Jews who argued that anyone who was worried about Israel should be for Republican John McCain.

<snip>

Dershowitz was undeterred. He reminded the audience that Israel had been willing to engage with Arab states, including Iran, and argued that Obama would be a better friend than McCain because of his ability to engage European Quartet members and, potentially, Arab leaders in the peace process.

Moreover, Dershowitz added, the results of next Tuesday's election ultimately won't change American policy on Israel.

"Israel's fate will not turn on who is elected president, because we are one of the few countries in the world where Israel is not a divisive issue - not because of the Israel lobby, but because we all support Israel," Dershowitz said.

At 71, Dershowitz hardly cowers from debate, but he's spent most of the past two years arguing down ardently pro-Palestinian demonstrators who question Israel's legitimacy - some of whom appear in the new documentary shouting invective at the professor as police close in a protective circle around him.

More:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225199591133&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull