Senator John Kerry's Voting Record on Israel

Senator Kerry’s Voting Record on Israel

by Nadene Goldfoot
Information fromJohn Kerry On Israel: Second To Several (Kerry’s voting record) Jewish Press: June 16, 2004, by Rick Richman, from Fair Opinion

It has been said that Kerry’s voting record of positive voting in favor of Israel was second to none. Here are the facts after being researched by a reporter for the Jewish Press.

There were 60 Senate bills, resolutions and other matters. The reporter disregarded the 17 measures that passed with 90 or more votes out of a possible 100. Everyone voted that way.

He discounted 18 measures that garnered between 82-89 votes. Then he looked at the pro-Israel positions that got 60 votes or less, the most controversial situations, where his vote would have mattered.

There were 10 of those votes in the list, and Kerry’s record was 6 pro-Israel votes out of 10. Kerry was basically, the reporter stated, a "60-40 guy."

On the Foreign aid Conference Report, Kerry was against the pro-Israel position. In 2000 he failed to join 60 co-sponsors of the "Middle East Peace Process Support Act" which called on the president not to recognize a unilaterally declared Palestinian state.

He failed to co-sponsor the pro-Israel "Peace Through Negotiations Act," which had 60 co-sponsors.

Kerry failed to join 55 senators signing the Grassley/Lautenberg letter in 1993. This was to the State Department and demanded that it included Hamas in the report on terrorism. It was inexcusable not to sign this if he was a big supporter of Israel. When Israel assassinated Hamas leader Sheikh Yassin, Kerry would not comment when repeatedly asked. A whole month after the assassination in 2004, he was again asked about his position. He did not directly answer the question. He went around the question saying that he believed Israel had every right to respond to any act of terror against it, and that Hamas was a terrorist organization. He suggested that Hamas only had to say it has given up violence and prepare to negotiate and Israel would pick up where things were left off at Taba. That was not saying that he supported their assassinating him, and this is exactly what the USA is willing to do to Osama bin Ladin.

He has been telling people that he has a 100% record of sustaining the special relationship with Israel. It’s actually been about 60%.