JOE BIDEN: 'I am a Zionist'

run and get a barf bag...

Barack Obama's new running mate praises Israel
in 2007 interview with 'Shalom TV'

Biden in 2007 interview: I am a Zionist
By YITZHAK BENHORIN
Israel News Saturday, 23 August 2008

WASHINGTON — Senator Joe Biden, who was chosen by Democratic
presidential hopeful Barack Obama to be his running mate in the
upcoming US elections, has previously declared himself to be a
Zionist.

SENATOR JOE BIDEN: Pimping for Israel

Calling Israel "the single greatest strength America has in the
Middle East," he also revealed a Jewish connection in an interview
last year.

During the interview conducted by the Jewish Shalom TV Biden said,
"I am a Zionist. You don't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist." He
also revealed that his son is married to a Jewish woman, of the
Berger family from Delaware, and that he had participated in a
Passover Seder at their house.

He added that "probably my most poignant Seder memory is not with
the Bergers, but what happened right after I came back from meeting
Golda Meir (in 1973). I had predicted that something was going on in
Egypt. And I remember people talking about what it meant to them
if Israel were actually defeated."

'Greatest Middle East ally'

Biden presented himself as a friend to Israel, which he referred to
as "the US' greatest Middle East ally."

"Imagine our circumstance in the world were there no Israel. How
many battleships would there be? How many troops would be
stationed?" he asked.

He also called comments about Israel's connection to the war in Iraq
"insulting", explaining that "if tomorrow, peace broke out between
Israelis and Palestinians, does anybody think there wouldn't be a
full-blown war in Iraq?"

Regarding the terror attacks in Israel, Biden said the Sept. 11
attacks made American parents feel what Israeli parents have been
feeling.

"The difference between now and before 9/11," he said, "is that many
Americans can taste what it must feel like for every Israeli mother
and father when they send their kid out to school with their lunch
to put them on a bus, on a bicycle or to walk; and they pray to God
that cell phone doesn't ring."

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Haaretz on Joe Biden
October 5, 2006
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=755798

Joseph Biden, Democrat
Current position:
Senator for Delaware (elected 1972)

Curriculum vitae:
Graduate of Syracuse University College of Law
Adjunct Professor, Widener University School of Law (1991-present)

Memorable quotes:

"The bottom line here is, if regime change is the operative element
of this administration's policy [in Iran], you are never going to
get to the point where you end up with a diplomatic solution. There
may be no diplomatic solution, in the end. That's possible. We may
have crossed the line, or they may have crossed the line...while we
fool around with this, you're going to see Japan go nuclear, and
you're going to see China react to Japan going nuclear, and you're
going to see a chain of events set in motion that are going to be
significantly damaging to the next generation of Americans. And so,
it seems to me we should get off this wicket of suggesting that we
won't talk. I mean, what are we afraid of in talking?" (FOX News
Sunday with Chris Wallace, October 22, 2006)

The Democrats' support for Israel "comes from our gut, moves through
our heart, and ends up in our head. It's almost genetic." (October
5, 2006)

"There has never been progress in the Middle East without the United
States acting as a catalyst. The fact of the matter is that our good
offices are important. The fact as the matter is that I would not do
anything that I did not coordinate with the Israeli government. I
would not pretend to be anything other than we are. Arabs know where
we are and all they want to know is that we are going to, in fact,
be blanced and fair about it. I think we can still establish
that...My point is that we should have some very important person on
the ground there, ready to explore all the initiatives, any serious
person in the government thinks it might be worth considering. We
should be a catalyst here." (October 5, 2006)

"The single most important thing we could do for Israel right now is
to get a political settlement in Iraq. That changes the dynamic,
frees up resources for us, frees up our capability and changes the
whole game, but we don't seem to have anyone in this administration
that can connect the dots." (October 5, 2006)

"It seems to me what we have to do is continue to push to see if we
can hold this coalition together to increase gradual sanctions [on
Iran]. Without that, we don't have a whole lot of options
here...This is a test for the diplomacy. This is a test for the
United Nations. If it fails, then what we're going to have to do is
begin to come up with a serious containment policy, here." (August
27, 2006)

"Because of our lack of a prevention strategy, we're left with no
option here, in my view, but to support Israel in what is a totally
legitimate self-defense effort." (Washington, July 16, 2006)

"The outcome [of the Palestinian elections] reflects Palestinian
anger and frustration at the Palestinian Authority and Fatah for
their corruption, mismanagement, and failure to provide law and
order." (January 2006)

"Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with a party that calls for
its destruction, engages in terrorism and maintains an armed
militia. Hamas must choose: bullets or ballots." (January 2006)

Other information:

Acted as observer at the January 2006 Palestinian parliamentary
elections

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Biden on Shalom TV
(posted April 4, 2007) "Israel is the single greatest strength
America has in the Middle East"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAZmO80dLfE