Debbie Schultz 'Glad to hear' candidates would negotiate nuclear deal

"Our nominee will be pro-Israel, will be someone who supports Israel remaining a Jewish and democratic state."

By OMRI NAHMIAS
U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz introduces U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at a field office for Schultz in Davie, Florida, US, August 9, 2016. (photo credit: REUTERS/CHRIS KEANE)
U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz introduces U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at a field office for Schultz in Davie, Florida, US, August 9, 2016.
(photo credit: REUTERS/CHRIS KEANE)
WASHINGTON – Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said she couldn’t see a scenario in which the Democratic Party will nominate a candidate who is not pro-Israel.
Speaking in a conference call organized by the Jewish Democratic Council of America on Friday, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman said the Democratic nominee will be pro-Israel and it will be someone who supports Israel remaining a Jewish and democratic state.
“I think our candidates – to get the Jewish community support – will be opposed to the BDS movement. I don’t see a situation in which we have a candidate who is our nominee that is different than the Jewish community would like on any of those issues.”
Asked about the first night of the first Democratic debate, in which all candidates except for Sen. Cory Booker expressed support in rejoining the Iran nuclear deal, Wasserman Schultz said: “As someone who voted for the Iran agreement and who spent a tremendous amount of time, probably the most, in-depth decision-making process I’ve ever gone through as a member of Congress – I was glad to hear our candidates say that they would try to negotiate the US way back into the nuclear agreement. We led that effort; it was working.”
The Florida congresswoman added that “it was obvious” for her that Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren “really stood out” at the first two nights of the debate.
“They both had an opportunity to shine, and they took advantage of it. They spoke with passion, they spoke with empathy, they spoke with moral clarity and they brought ideas to the table.”
She said the format made it harder for some candidates to express themselves in the best way.
“For example, holding Joe Biden to 30 seconds [will never] give him the opportunity to shine because he has so much vast experience, and the depth to which he is able to communicate is limited in that type of format,” Wasserman Schultz said. “It’s going to be really important for [current DNC chairman] Tom Perez and the DNC to mix up the format as they move forward on these debates because it’s hard to be substantive in any significant way in 30 to 45 seconds.
“I was pretty disappointed that there was no deep dive into foreign policy,” she continued. “With foreign policy not coming up in a very significant way, I think they have to make adjustments in future debates.”