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Mofaz. Firm views on Iran
Photo: Yaron Brener
Livni. A woman
Photo: Yaron Brener
Netanyahu. PR skills
Photo: Amit Magal

US Jews worried about Mofaz's English skills

Jewish community rates Israeli premiership candidates. Livni passes test due to special connection with Rice, Netanyahu praised for his PR abilities

Seymour Reich, one of the United State's most prominent Jewish leaders, fears that should Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz be elected Kadima chairman and become prime minister, his poor English would hinder the State of Israel's relations with America's Jewish community.

 

Reich, president of the Israel Policy Forum and a former chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, offers former Defense Minister Amir Peretz as an example.

 

"Peretz found it very difficult to explain his ideas and thoughts to the Jewish community," he said. "He couldn't overcome it, although he tried to very hard. I hope any new Israeli leader will be fluent in English and will be able to understand both the subtleties and phrases."

 

Senior Jewish community members have noted, however, that Mofaz is extremely popular in the White House due to his firm views on Iran.

 

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni also made the grade among the Jewish community, both for being a woman and for her special connection to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Livni was also praised for the improvement in her English skills, although her accent needs to be improved.

 

And as usual, in terms of Israeli PR, the highest grade was given to Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu.

 

There are those in the Jewish community, however, who refuse to forget Netanyahu's Washington campaign launched with Christian Evangelicals against the Clinton administration and the Oslo Accords. They also mentioned his failure to meet the commitments he made as part of the Wye Plantation agreement.

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.04.08, 14:13
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