The United States should support Israel in the interests of moral propriety and international democracy, Rep. Barney Frank '61 (D-Mass.) told a crowd of approximately 150 students at Harvard Law School Monday night.
Frank spoke and answered questions for more than an hour on the topic "Speaking Out for Israel: The Sense from Capitol Hill."
"It is very much in America's interest to be in support of a strong and secure Israel, free from threats to its existence," Frank said.
Frank said he believes that a low point was reached in U.S.-Israeli relations earlier this fall when President Bush refused to support a $10 billion loan guarantee to Israel for the purpose of absorbing the thousands of Soviet Jews entering the country.
The measure would have called for the United States to co-sign a loan for Israel, which would involve backing private sector loans at favorable interest rates, without pledging any direct federal money.
Israel has never defaulted on a loan, Frank said.
The representative from Massachusetts said Israel has lost popularity in America in recent months. He said that the public views all foreign policy issues in a negative light because of Bush's perceived neglect of domestic affairs.
"[Former President Ronald] Reagan and Bush have given internationalism a bad name. These past two presidents have neglected domestic issues in the name of internationalism," Frank said.
Frank said that many Americans are tired of America playing the role of "protector, banker and feeder of foreign nations."
"America does spend too much money on NATO, and in foreign aid to Japan and Pakistan," Frank said. "It doesn't, however, deal enough with Central America, helping with hunger in Africa and promoting peace and democracy in the Middle East."
Frank pointed out that another factor contributing to Israel's negative image is that the public looks at the current situation in the Middle East without historical perspective.
"If you would look now, all you would see is an occupying power, Israeli armed men putting down rebellion," he said.
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