Distributed by IMRA with permission from Morton Klein
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FROM: Morton A. Klein, President, Zionist Organization of America

TO: ZOA National Board and Regions

The following statement is from Morton A. Klein, national president of the
Zionist Organization of America.

"The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) strongly opposes the
disinvitation of Vice-Presidential candidate Governor Sarah Palin to be one
of many speakers at a "stop Iran from gaining nuclear weapons rally." This
rally will also protest the presence of Iran's president Ahmadinejad at the
United Nations on Monday, September 22. This is an anti-Iran rally, not a
partisan political rally, as Democratic Senator Hilary Clinton was invited
as was vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden and later Democratic
Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida. Clinton withdrew and Biden apparently
couldn't attend.

"Under tremendous pressure from Jewish Democrats and liberal Jewish
groups, Palin's invitation was withdrawn with a decision made not to include
any politicians. Why are we excluding political leaders who have the real
power to act on this critical issue? The ZOA believes this was a serious
mistake.

"This was not a political rally for any party or individual. All Democrats
and Republicans are united against Ahmadinejad developing nuclear weapons
which he indicated he would use "to wipe Israel and America off the map."
We thought that one of the themes of Democrats this year was "promoting
unity" and "bringing people together." Well, here was an opportunity to do
just that on an issue we can all support and certain groups and interests
have caused us to fail. The ZOA is so disappointed by this unnecessary and
harmful outcome.

"At this rally, there would be no implied or explicit endorsement of any
candidate or party, only a unified condemnation of Ahmadinejad. No one was
going to speak about politics, only about loving America and Israel, and
fighting Iran, and standing up to evil.

"The ZOA deeply regrets that certain Jewish groups and individuals believed
the inadvertent benefit that would accrue to Sarah Palin outweighed the
enormous benefit that Israel and the United States would receive when a
Vice-Presidential candidate and others give visibility and power to this
life and death issue.

"It seems for these people politics and their personal political agenda were
more important than Israel and America's security. This wrong-headed action
of cancelling the appearance of major political leaders hurt Israel and the
United States. Ahmadinejad must be delighted that those who oppose his
policies are so divided they can't even stand on the same stage to condemn
him. I assure you, if we were holding a rally to condemn an
internationally-known racist, anti-Black leader, no one would dare disinvite
a speaker and no speaker would dare back out.

"The ZOA strongly urges that Sarah Palin be reinvited along with any other
key Democratic or Republican leaders.

"Otherwise, this will become a day of shame and humiliation for the Jewish
people instead of a day of Jewish pride, strength, courage, and will. On
this day, we should have put aside all other political interests and
together fight against this existential threat against Israel and major
threat to the United States and the entire western world."