[h=3]By CAROL E. LEE And JAY SOLOMON[/h]CHARLOTTE, N.C.—After coming under fire for omitting language describing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Democrats at their national convention Wednesday swiftly reinserted the language in an attempt to defuse controversy on the eve of President Barack Obama's speech accepting his party's nomination.
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Convention delegates, by a voice vote, approved a resolution restoring language the party had put in its 2008 platform, as well as earlier ones, referring to Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state. But the vote was disputed. Three separate voice votes were called, and only after the third was the issue declared decided—and some delegates then booed.
The delegates also approved language reinserting a reference to God into the platform's language. The lack of such a reference also had opened the platform to attacks from conservative activists.
The convention's move came after extensive discussions Wednesday with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying group, and other Jewish organizations over the platform language, a congressional official said. It represented a rapid move to end a controversy that seemed to catch Democratic officials flat-footed.
Four years ago, the Democratic platform declared that "Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel." It added, "The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations." The platforms of both parties have consistently included similar language.
This year, though, the Democratic document—released this week—omitted any mention of the emotional issue of Jerusalem's status. It sought at the same time to emphasize Mr. Obama's friendship with Israel with such statements as "any Palestinian partner must recognize Israel's right to exist, reject violence, and adhere to existing agreements."
Democrats said the White House shares the policy position of previous administrations of both parties that Jerusalem's future is a matter to be negotiated in peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. They said that the platform language was designed to run parallel to that official diplomatic position, and that they feared platform language different from the official U.S. diplomatic position might lead foreign officials to think American policy had shifted.
Republican nominee Mitt Romney, though, jumped quickly on the change, issuing a written statement saying, "It is unfortunate that the entire Democratic Party has embraced President Obama's shameful refusal to acknowledge that Jerusalem is Israel's capital.
Democrats countered that Mr. Obama's commitment to Israel is solid, pointing to broad increases in security cooperation, and that Republicans were seeking to exploit what is usually a bipartisan allegiance to the Jewish state.
"The president's position has been completely consistent since 2008," Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
Israel has called Jerusalem its capital for more than 60 years, but the U.S. has throughout that time regarded it as a city whose status should be the subject of broader international negotiations aimed at resolving the long-simmering dispute between Israel and the Palestinians.
Party platforms regularly contain either references to Jerusalem as Israel's capital, or explicit statements that the party recognizes Jerusalem as the capital. Similarly, presidential candidates regularly promise to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Despite those statements, though, no administration in either party has ever moved the embassy, out of concerns about inflaming Arab sentiment and upsetting any Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
Write to Carol E. Lee at [email protected] and Jay Solomon at [email protected]
[h=3]Streaming Updates[/h]
Get the latest news, tweets, photos, video and more on the 2012 election, from the Journal's reporters in Washington and around the nation. Perfect for mobile phones, too.
Convention delegates, by a voice vote, approved a resolution restoring language the party had put in its 2008 platform, as well as earlier ones, referring to Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state. But the vote was disputed. Three separate voice votes were called, and only after the third was the issue declared decided—and some delegates then booed.
The delegates also approved language reinserting a reference to God into the platform's language. The lack of such a reference also had opened the platform to attacks from conservative activists.
The convention's move came after extensive discussions Wednesday with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying group, and other Jewish organizations over the platform language, a congressional official said. It represented a rapid move to end a controversy that seemed to catch Democratic officials flat-footed.
Four years ago, the Democratic platform declared that "Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel." It added, "The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations." The platforms of both parties have consistently included similar language.
This year, though, the Democratic document—released this week—omitted any mention of the emotional issue of Jerusalem's status. It sought at the same time to emphasize Mr. Obama's friendship with Israel with such statements as "any Palestinian partner must recognize Israel's right to exist, reject violence, and adhere to existing agreements."
Democrats said the White House shares the policy position of previous administrations of both parties that Jerusalem's future is a matter to be negotiated in peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. They said that the platform language was designed to run parallel to that official diplomatic position, and that they feared platform language different from the official U.S. diplomatic position might lead foreign officials to think American policy had shifted.
Republican nominee Mitt Romney, though, jumped quickly on the change, issuing a written statement saying, "It is unfortunate that the entire Democratic Party has embraced President Obama's shameful refusal to acknowledge that Jerusalem is Israel's capital.
Democrats countered that Mr. Obama's commitment to Israel is solid, pointing to broad increases in security cooperation, and that Republicans were seeking to exploit what is usually a bipartisan allegiance to the Jewish state.
"The president's position has been completely consistent since 2008," Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
Israel has called Jerusalem its capital for more than 60 years, but the U.S. has throughout that time regarded it as a city whose status should be the subject of broader international negotiations aimed at resolving the long-simmering dispute between Israel and the Palestinians.
Party platforms regularly contain either references to Jerusalem as Israel's capital, or explicit statements that the party recognizes Jerusalem as the capital. Similarly, presidential candidates regularly promise to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Despite those statements, though, no administration in either party has ever moved the embassy, out of concerns about inflaming Arab sentiment and upsetting any Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
Write to Carol E. Lee at [email protected] and Jay Solomon at [email protected]