The race for Congress: Ninth District candidates on the issues

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

1. Why vote for you?

Because I am going to be the values voice in Congress that shifts the national conversation away from distractions that have not helped the family, have failed to enhance our culture, and have not solved our economic malaise, in favor of a values renaissance that does. I’m going to tackle the insanely high divorce rate by making marital counseling tax deductible. I’m going to introduce legislation to create a national year of service so our students are in college three years, thereby lessening student debt and increasing altruism, sacrifice, and service. I am going to make the case for the strongest America-Israel relationship as I have on TV, radio, and in print for over two decades. I will bring universal Jewish values to the political discourse that allows us to move away from the social sexual obsession that has deeply divided America for more than a generation. Finally, I will enact financial policies that protect the needy, but give everyone the incentive to reclaim their dignity through self-sufficiency, independence, and self-reliance, and pay down the toxic national debt.

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2 & 3. Iran

I have no confidence in the assurances of mullahs and Ahmadinejad who steal elections, deny the Holocaust, and slaughter their own people. The never-ending U.N. negotiations have done nothing but give Iran more time to build bombs. We have to draw a red line in the sand which gives Iran an imminent deadline by which they must open all of their nuclear facilities to U.N. and IAEA inspection, failing which they face assured military consequences. A nuclear Iran is a threat to world peace, with Israel and the United States their principal targets. President Barack Obama has said he is taking no options off the table. This must not be a bluff, lest American credibility be compromised.

4. Vouchers

Parents today who wish simply to give their children a values and/or religious-based education are penalized in the Ninth District with exorbitant property taxes and unaffordable tuition. This is serving as a natural contraceptive in the Jewish community where families are having fewer children because they can’t afford tuition fees. We are a community that relies fully on our birthrate for growth as we are a non-proselytizing faith. But beyond the Jewish community, all parents – and not just wealthy parents like the Obamas – have a right to choose the educational environment into which their children are immersed. Democratic politicians who are against school choice but who would never send their own children to public schools should be held to account. Vouchers are a must. I also believe that parochial schools, charter schools, and vouchers will not hurt, but enhance, public schools by making them more competitive and accountable. I also believe in bringing values-based courses to public schools so children are not only learning mathematics and geography, but those principles which made America great and are responsible for American altruism and exceptionalism.

5. How would you balance
the concerns of your Jewish
and your Muslim constituents
when they conflict?

At the University of Oxford, where I served as rabbi for 11 years, I brought together large numbers of Jewish and Muslim students from all over the world for lectures, debates, meals, educational seminars, and religious events. I did this while being a constant champion of Israel, and earned the Islamic students’ respect for the affirmation of my Jewish identity, just as I encouraged them to proudly affirm a peaceful Islamic identity. I believe that Judaism and Islam share a great deal in common, including theology, history, and values. The conflict between the Jewish community and Islam is with Islamic extremists and never the mainstream. I would resolve potential conflicts by reminding each community that we must always be true to our respective values, giving credit where it is due and criticism where it is warranted.

6. Annexing the west bank

I believe that any Israel-related initiative that takes the focus off Iran at this point is, however well-intentioned, distracting and misguided. Israel faces an existential threat from a nuclear Iran that has consistently committed publicly to Israel’s annihilation and extermination. This is not the time to discuss any substantial new initiatives that take the focus off Iran, something the hate-filled mullahs wish for. As for Israel’s ongoing negotiations with the Palestinians, Judaism is a religion that always promotes peace. But that presupposes a real negotiating partner that accepts your right to live, exist, and prosper. The continued inclusion of Hamas, a terrorist organization whose charter calls for the elimination of Israel, shows the lack of seriousness on the Palestinian side.

7. Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program

Of course the world’s richest nation must always provide a safety net for the needy – it is unacceptable that any American should go to bed hungry. But it’s equally unacceptable that the number of Americans relying on SNAP – a/k/a food stamps – has reached 50 million, including 14.2 million added during Obama’s three years in office. (See USA Today at http://usat.ly/L2xRCU for details.). All people want food, clothing, and shelter. But they also want dignity, which accrues through self-reliance and self-sufficiency. Government’s role is to incentivize people to become self-providing, which Maimonides says is the highest form of charity because it weans people off the indignity of charity. People want jobs rather than aid, the dignity of work as opposed to being wards of the state. Government should always assist those in difficult circumstances but it should seek to empower, rather than debilitate, its own citizenry.

8. Jewish issues

A. The economy and corrupt values that have led to financial decline.

B. Israel’s security and safety.

C. School vouchers and school choice.

9. Most important issues

A. The economy and corrupt values that have led to financial decline.

B. Jobs.

C. National debt, taxation, and government spending.

10. Partisanship

Partisanship is undermining our country because parties often look to score points rather than solve problems. I have spent my life bringing vastly disparate people together, regardless of economic background, religion, ethnicity, or way of life. I would do the same in politics by giving credit – whenever and wherever it is due, to political friend and foe alike – and offering respectful criticism where it is warranted, regardless of political affiliation. My values and principles will always come first.