John Bolton: Israel's Man at the UN

As international criticism of Israel mounts, President Bush has asked Congress to approve his renomination of Bolton-a longtime State Department diplomat who has over three decades sought to debilitate the United Nations and who has earned a reputation as a defender of an aggressive Israel. The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) calls Bolton "one of Israel's truest friends in the world."

Last summer the Senate rejected the nomination of Bolton, a right-wing ideologue fiercely opposed to all international laws and institutions that constrain U.S. power. Overriding congressional concerns that Bolton would be an ineffective UN ambassador because of his long history of criticizing the United Nations, Bush appointed Bolton to the post during the August 2005 congressional recess.

A year into his term, which expires in January 2007, Bolton has energized his supporters, won over some critics, and pleased the president with his own brand of cowboy diplomacy. With congressional support running high for Israel's war against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territory of Gaza, the White House has resubmitted Bolton's nomination.

Bolton received strong support from major Jewish organizations during last year's confirmation hearings, and these same organizations are gearing up to mount a strong pro-Bolton lobbying campaign this time around. Among the Jewish groups that supported Bolton during the first hearings were the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), B'nai B'rith International, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA).

In midst of the confirmation fight, Tom Casey, director of the State Department's press office, said: "I don't think you'll find anyone in this administration who is a stronger friend of Israel." Weighing in on the Bolton nomination, an AIPAC spokesperson noted that "John Bolton has stood for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship."

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