Blakeman: Don’t call them ‘settlements’

Fresh from his third trip to Israel, Republican Congressional candidate Bruce Blakeman this week reiterated his emphatic support for Israel’s communities in Judea and Samaria.

“I don’t look at them as settlements,” he told The Jewish Star during an interview in the newspaper’s offices. “I look at them as communities, very vibrant communities.”

Blakeman said he did not think lasting peace was near for Israel and its neighbors and that, meanwhile, “America should support Israel’s decisions with respect to security and defense.”

A former presiding officer of the Nassau County legislature, Blakeman is facing Kathleen Rice, the county’s Democratic district attorney, in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a Democrat. The 4th CD covers much of Nassau’s south shore, including the Five Towns. A Newsday poll on Friday said Rice was far ahead.

More of Blakeman’s interview will be covered in next week’s Star. A Rice interview is scheduled for the following week.