"The executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, Ira Forman, has accused Ralph Nader of having an "anti-Israel Middle East bias" based on a speech the Green party presidential candidate made last Sunday on the UC-Davis campus.

As reported on the "Progressive Community" website, NewsforChange," Nader laid the blame on Israel for the current round of violence in the Middle East, saying Israel was "killing innocent children" and that Palestinians have "a lot of reasons for their rage."

"When you look at the violence, where is the most of the violence? It's in the Palestinian territory," the news service quoted Nader as saying. "Who are the victims of the violence? Mostly Palestinian young men throwing rocks. Who are the forces that are producing most of the violence? The overwhelming excessive use of force is by the Israeli military.

"So if you want to really quell the violence, you say to the Israelis, 'Back off, these rocks are not reaching the Israeli borders.'"

The news service, noting that Nader's parents were immigrants from Lebanom, that he speaks fluent Arabic, and that he enjoys more support in the Arab-American community than does Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore, also quoted him as saying: 

"America should be pushing its ally to stop provoking the much-weaker Palestinians. ... Maybe if the U.S. is a bit more forceful, and answers questions like (those asked) Vice President Gore a little more candidly, instead of so cowardly...there will be an agreement reached, and in a few years both Palestinians and Israelis will wonder why it took 'em so long."

During his second televised debate with Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush, held Oct. 11, Gore responded to a question about the Israeli-Palestinian violence by saying: 

"The first priority has to be on ending the violence, dampening down the tensions that have arisen there. We need to call upon Syria to release the three Israeli soldiers who have been captured (near the Lebanese border). We need to insist that Arafat send out instructions to halt some of the provocative acts of violence that have been going on."

Gore also said: "Israel should feel absolutely secure about one thing. Our bonds with Israel are larger than agreements or disagreements on some details of diplomatic initiatives. They are historic. They are strong. And they are enduring. And our ability to serve as an honest broker is something that we need to shepherd."

In that same debate, Bush said: "I want everyone to know, should I be the president, Israel's going to be our friend. I'm going to stand by Israel."

Forman said there are many Jews who are sympathetic to Nader's environmentalist views but who are unaware of how pro-Palestinian Nader has been.

"We are tremendously proud of al Gore's rock-solid commitment to Israel and her security, especially now, in a time of crisis," the NJDC executive said. "As he has throughout 24 years of public service, Al Gore will continue to stand by Israel. And, Mr. Nader, that commitment is a matter of principle, not cowardice."

Forman said Nader's view concerning the Middle East, on the other hand, "is naive and severely distorted."