Jewish Senator Joe Lieberman, who defected from the Democratic party, will accompany Republican candidate John McCain on his trip to Israel next week. McCain, who has clinched the Republican nomination, is working towards winning the Jewish vote in the November elections against the Democratic candidate to be chosen at the party convention this summer. The two major front-runners are Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
McCain has a strong track record supporting Israel, but his support for the war in Iraq and his association with the Christian right wing has made him suspect among Jewish liberals.