For candidates hoping to capture Maryland?s 3rd District congressional seat, a trip to Israel has become an unofficial requirement for a serious campaign.
The three leading Democratic fundraisers in the race ? Peter Beilenson, John Sarbanes and state Sen. Paula Hollinger ? have all been to Israel at least once, and Gary Applebaum, who leads the small Republican field in fundraising, has also made the trip. Most of the candidates paid for their trips themselves.
Sarbanes filed his official candidacy paperwork Friday, just hours before boarding a plane for a weeklong trip to Israel and Cyprus. He spent time in the turbulent Middle Eastern country more than 20 years ago as a student.
“It?s important for voters because they want to know your perspective on the Middle East, and I don?t think you can really understand the closeness and intimacy of the place unless you?ve been there, unless you?ve been there to talk to these people who are living with these tensions,” he said.
In addition to the fact-finding agenda important to many of the candidates? foreign-policy platforms, the journey to Israel has offered some the opportunity to connect with their own Jewish roots.
Beilenson returned last week from his first trip to Israel. Dawn O?Neill, Beilenson?s campaign manager, said the candidate?s family had been deeply involved in helping Russian Jews immigrate to Israel and his cousin had founded a hospital that is now part of the Rabin Medical Center.
Republican Gary Applebaum traveled to Israel in April with his parents to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. The trip also came around the time he announced his candidacy for the 3rd District seat.
Applebaum is a Republican running in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans almost 2 to 1, but where Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich won in the last election.
“Politically, the 3rd District has the bulk of the metropolitan Baltimore Jewish population,” he said. “And they are the part of the population that turns out to vote.”
But Hollinger says a trip to Israel won?t be on her schedule between now and November. Instead, she?s traveled to China on a legislative exchange visit and has accepted an invitation to speak about long-term health care at a conference in Japan.
“I went to Israel long ago,” she said. “I didn?t wait until I decided to run for Congress. I?ve been an integral part of the Jewish community here, and I don?t feel I have to prove myself to the Jewish community.”
