Former ambassador to Israel calls Biden the best choice for Jewish Democrats

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro called former Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden the best choice for Jewish Democrats in an op-ed.

Shapiro endorsed Biden in a South Florida Sun Sentinel op-ed late last week, saying that the current coronavirus and stock market challenges exemplify “the importance of presidential leadership.”

“What we need in those moments, and the less acute but still critically important moments in between, is a man with Joe Biden’s unmatched experience, toughness, and decency,” Shapiro wrote.

Shapiro noted that Biden’s experience as vice president and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee “give him unique qualifications to walk into the Oval Office day one and make America respected again.”

The former ambassador also praised Biden’s relationships with Israeli prime ministers and view of Israel as “an essential security partner” to the U.S. 

He commended the former vice president for working on increasing economic partnership between the countries, speaking out against anti-Semitism and defending Israel against international institutions and the boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.

Shapiro said Biden develops deep trust with Israelis who meet with him.

“They know they are talking to a man who would put everything on the line to ensure Israel will always be a strong, secure, Jewish, and democratic state,” Shapiro wrote. 

“Large majorities of the Jewish community and nearly all Democrats agree: we must defeat President Trump,” he added. “To do so, we not only need the strongest possible nominee to lead us to victory, we need a mature, tested leader with the character and integrity to set our nation back on the right course.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Biden’s opponent in the Democratic presidential primary, has drawn criticism from some quarters over his remarks about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sanders, who is Jewish, most recently drew some backlash after slamming the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), saying it provided a platform for “bigotry.”