Obama’s address is an endorsement of our values

Haaretz -- U.S. Jewish democrats on Wednesday praised President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, saying that it was an endorsement of Jewish Values.

In a statement released by the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) in response to Tuesday’s speech, the NJDC said, "We thank President Barack Obama for the clear and positive vision he laid out this evening in his State of the Union address, an address that showcased a ringing endorsement of Jewish values.”

In stark contrast, the NJDC said that the “iron-clad” commitment to Israeli security, and the guarantee that the Obama administration was determined to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons expressed in the address, “speak volumes” about Obama’s record as President.

"On two foreign policy issues of special concern to the American Jewish community, Israel and Iran, President Obama's words tonight speak volumes,” the statement said.

Overall, they said, his speech reflected “the policy concerns of the vast majority of American Jews. We thank and congratulate the President for this positive, proactive approach to addressing those concerns in tonight's State of the Union Address."

Obama’s Republican rivals, meanwhile, did not wait for him to make the speech before expressing their criticism. Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney lashed out at his “failed policies” and called on voters to make it Obama’s last State of the Union address.

Speaker of the House John Boehner, who was sitting behind Obama along with Vice President Joe Biden during the speech, said in a statement that the President "has regrettably turned to blame and division."