On Friday, Jeff Greene mailed out a flyer that boasted of his bona fides in supporting Israel while criticizing Kendrick Meek on the always sensitive issue, leading members of Meek's camp to deride it as "unseemly, almost disgusting."
In the mailer, Greene calls himself "a champion for Israel" and criticizes President Obama for his "diplomatic snub" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back in March. The mailer bashes Meek for only offering "bland promises to Israel" and criticizes him for not speaking out against the Obama administration's proposal for selling F-15's to Saudi Arabia (Meek told the Palm Beach Post yesterday that he doesn't agree with the sale to Saudi Arabia and says the deal has not come before the House yet).
Jewish organizations like the National Jewish Democratic Council have come out in support of Meek, releasing a statement Sunday saying Jeff Greene doesn't get it:
U.S. Representative Kendrick Meek has a stellar record of support for Israel, and it is wrong for anyone—of either political party—to call that record into question. He has been a true friend for many years to the Jewish community, embracing the U.S.-Israel relationship and so many other issues of interest to American Jews.
That’s why it is so deeply disappointing to see Florida U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene and his campaign circulating materials and direct mail pieces politicizing support for Israel, and painting his Democratic primary opponent—Rep. Meek—as less than supportive of Israel. The fact is that Rep. Meek’s support for Israel and his excellent record on this issue is beyond question, and any political attacks in this campaign season that politicize support for Israel are simply wrong—regardless of the party affiliation of the campaign launching the attacks.
