NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Steve Spiegel,
professor from UCLA Center for Jewish Studies, spoke in Royce Hall
yesterday.
By Karen Albrecht
Daily Bruin Contributor
Congressman Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, and university faculty
addressed the significance of Joe Lieberman’s nomination for
Vice President in a forum on Jews in American Politics Tuesday
afternoon.
Mediated by UCLA political science professor Steven Spiegel, the
discussion was also joined by Marshall J. Breger, a law professor
at The Catholic University in Washington, D.C. The event was
co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish Studies at UCLA and the
Center for Policy Options at the University of Judaism.
Addressing an audience of about 80, the speakers discussed
Lieberman’s impact on the general condition of Jewish
political influence in the U.S., providing contrasting perspectives
about the future.
“We’ve been accepted in the American political
system; that’s what (the nomination of Lieberman)
means,” Breger said.
But Waxman said Jews should never feel entirely secure with the
apparent progress they have made in the political world.
“We can never know what may come in the future,” he
said.
The significance of religion in Lieberman’s nomination was
prevalent throughout the discussion.
Because Lieberman is a practicing Jew who takes his religion
seriously, he has, according to Waxman, inspired respect in the
public.
Breger also said Lieberman will help to gain Catholic support
for the Democrats since he represents a general spirituality in
public office rather than Jewish sentiments alone.
The frequency of Jews being elected to public offices has
increased significantly, according to Waxman. His own experience
supports this assertion.
“I was the first Jewish congressman ever in Southern
California,” he said.
In the past, he said, if a Jew was in a position of political
power when something went wrong, Jews feared their entire entire
culture in the United States would feel the repercussions of the
incident.
“Things are different now,” Waxman said. “Jews
now feel comfortable being involved in American politics and to be
political candidates.”
But some of the panelists said Lieberman is an aberration rather
than confirmation of the Jewish role in American politics.
While demonstrating an acceptance into American politics, the
Lieberman nomination is not indicative of the increasing power of
Jews in politics described by Waxman, Breger said.
“My theory is that Jews have reached their apogee and are
now in a decline,” he said, adding that many Jews are moving
away from the large electoral states in which they have significant
influence.
New York is a prime example of such a state where “it is
impossible to be anti-Israel,” Breger said.
Though the spread of the Jewish population throughout the
country promotes diversity, Breger said electoral leverage is more
valuable.
While Spiegel does interpret the widening geographic
distribution of American Jews as a loss of political influence, he
observed that the group has a political advantage due to a high
voter turnout at elections.
Jews comprise about 3 percent of the U.S. population, yet they
can swing elections in certain states, he said, adding there is a
tendency for Jews to vote democratic, and this may especially be
the case in the upcoming elections.
The current crisis in Israel promoted discussion regarding U.S.
foreign policy in the next week’s election.
Though the congressman and Breger agreed that the issue of the
conflict in Israel is not a defining factor in this election,
Waxman said Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s inexperience in
foreign policy is cause for concern.
Breger said Bush will be surrounded by people who have all had
strong relations and significant experience with Israel in the
past.
There is no indication, according to Breger, that Bush is
incapable of making rational decisions and judgments. Instead, what
should contribute to political alignment are views on the roles of
the state.
Despite low student turnout, Kenneth Reinhard, director of the
Center for Jewish Studies, said the event was a success.
“I only wish there had been more students here
today,” he said. “We need to work on publicizing our
programs.”
Nathan Kravetz, a retired professor at Hunter College in New
York, was concerned about the condition in Israel, but liked what
he heard.
“The program provided us with the sharp point of view of
Henry Breger as well as the contrasting day-to-day average
experiences of Congressman Waxman,” Kravetz said.