Blakeman: Support for Israel and opposing ‘radical Islam’ are key

The Jewish Star began its interview with Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for Congress in the 4th CD, with a question about his visit to Israel at the end of August. During this trip, he gathered his future in-laws at a Jerusalem restaurant where he proposed marriage to his girlfriend, a native of Israel. 

My first day there I met with political leaders; the next day I went to Shamron and met the president of the council there who pretty much oversees all of Samaria, I went to Ariel University, farms and vinyards, businesses, cultural centers, and then I had a tour of some of the military operations.

Q: Do you see the expansion in these territories as a problem?

A: I don’t look at them as settlements, I look at them as communities, very vibrant communities, mixed communities. There’s a perception that only the very ultra Orthodox religious live in those communities and that’s not true. I think people get a biased point of view about what’s going on there. What I found are communities just like anywhere else in Israel, or anywhere in a free democracy.

Q: Do you see any opportunity for a peace settlement between the peoples in the area?

A: My belief is that America should support Israel’s decisions with respect to security and defense. My personal feeling is that there is nobody there to make peace with. Fatah or the Palestinian Authority is controlled by Abas [and] in my view Abas does not have control sufficient to engage in any enduring and stable peace with Israel. Then you look at Gaza and at Hamas — they have no inclination to do it.

Q: Do you think there was a lost opportunity at some point over the many years that this conflict has gone on?