Senator McCain Addresses AJC Global Forum, Calls for Stepped-up American Leadership

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May 13, 2014, 08:27 ET

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Senator John McCain (R-AZ), addressing the AJC Global Form, made an impassioned plea for American leadership in the world and global engagement.

"Withdrawal from the world is a luxury we can't afford, not now, not ever," said the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, since "if America does not lead, others will, and they will most likely be those who seek to do us harm."

He was critical of the Obama administration's position on Iran's nuclear program, asserting that it was "intellectually dishonest" to claim that anyone opposed to current American policy was a warmonger.

"No responsible person is opposed to a diplomatic solution," he said, but it would be disastrous to get a "bad deal" that leaves Tehran with nuclear capacity, adding, "I fear that is where we are headed."

Senator McCain said he could "not recall another time in my life when our international challenges have been more complex and uncertain." Particularly in the Middle East, the old order has collapsed, and extremists, whom he described as "anti-Semitic and hostile to Israel and the U.S.," were on the rise.

The Senator acknowledged that "record numbers of Americans want to pull away from the world" due to the country's unfortunate experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, but that it was the responsibility of the country's leaders, both Republicans and Democrats, to act on the knowledge that "the expansion of freedom, democracy and prosperity not only makes our world more just, but also more secure."

Senator McCain stressed the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship, noting that the two countries share common values and democratic traditions, and are similarly threatened by Islamic extremism.

The situation in Ukraine also drew the senator's attention. "Shame on all of us," he said, if the U.S. does not send "military assistance" to the Ukrainian government as it confronts attempts by Russia to undermine its sovereignty.

Addressing the Global Forum opening session, attended by more than 2000 from across the U.S. and more than 70 other countries, McCain also spoke of his long-time relationship with AJC, noting that the organization "has always spoken with moral clarity" and that "no organization has done more for the freedom and justice of the Jewish people and the Jewish state than AJC."

He added that AJC's global advocacy "has played a critical role in advancing American leadership in the world, and you must continue to do so."

The Senator received AJC's Congressional Leadership Award in 2002.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee