The upcoming presidential election in the US promises to be among the most
hard-fought political battles in the country’s history.
While internal
issues will be the focus of the campaigns by both US President Barack Obama and
former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, foreign policy will also play a major
role for many voters, including Americans living in Israel.
The Jerusalem
Post – along with IVoteIsrael and the Association of Americans and Canadians in
Israel – is doing its part to inform American voters in Israel about the two
candidates and their policies regarding the Jewish state, by holding a series of
debates between representatives of Democrats Abroad Israel and Republicans
Abroad Israel.
“Between the Iranian threat, the situation in the region
and the Israeli-Palestinian stalemate, the next US administration is going to
play a pivotal role in shaping Israel’s response to future developments,” said
Elie Pieprz, the national director of IVoteIsrael, an organization promoting
voter registration among Americans living in Israel.
“And it is of the
utmost importance that US voters in Israel make an informed decision when they
cast their ballot in November.”
The first debate takes place Thursday at
the AACI building in Jerusalem at 8 p.m. Moderated by Post Managing
Editor David Brinn, the debate will be between Sheldon Schorer, the counsel and
past chairman of Democrats Abroad Israel, and L. Marc Zell, the co-chairman of
Republicans Abroad Israel.
Post Editor-in-Chief Steve Linde will moderate
a debate on Monday, July 23, at 8 p.m. at Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv,
featuring Zell and Democrats Abroad vice chair and spokesman Hillel Schenker.
A
third debate will be held Thursday, July 26, in Beit Shemesh at Netach Menashe
Beit Knesset at 8 p.m., moderated by
Post political correspondent Gil Hoffman,
and featuring Zell and Schorer.