This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In "Mormon Mitt's meddling" (Forum, Aug. 10), Wayne Bickley speculates that Mitt Romney supports recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital because he's Mormon. Romney's motivation is easier to discern than an 1841 quotation by a Mormon apostle.
Romney is simply pandering to America's Jews in hopes of persuading some to oppose Barack Obama in November. His wholesale mouthing of Israel's agenda, something no previous American leader has done, is brazen prostitution, indicating an ineptness in foreign policy.
Consider what New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman wrote recently: "The three U.S. statesmen who have done the most to make Israel more secure and accepted in the region all told blunt truths to every Israeli or Arab leader:" President Jimmy Carter and Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and James Baker. "All of them knew that to make progress in this region you have to get in the face of both sides."
No way Romney is the person to do that. He's already thrown away being the "honest broker" between the two sides, a vital role America filled for decades.
Mike Johnston
Salt Lake City