Sam Bennett is a 20-year resident of Allentown, PA, where she moved shortly after graduating from the State University of New York in Oneonta. She created successful enterprises and then worked in corporate business management with Bell Atlantic, but in 1998, concerned about the future of Allentown, she moved into the non-profit sector. She founded an advocacy group for the local school district, led the reorganization of a major arts festival and established Properties of Merit, which is today a statewide initiative to reward homeowners for fixing up neighborhoods and making them safer.

Ms. Bennett was campaigning on this record of common sense solutions to real world problems in her community, but her good judgment and capability extends to Middle East policy as well. A signatory to the “Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq,” she has called Iraq “a war that is not working, is endangering our own national security and bankrupting our government, including dishonorable treatment shown to veterans.” Hailing from a military family, she argues that the current administration has failed the troops and is breaking the National Guard over a war that has distracted the U.S. from the main target in Afghanistan.

She believes in a much broader and more robust U.S. engagement with the world, and argues that the U.S. needs to reinvest in diplomacy after a “woeful” seven and a half years under President Bush. She also believes that the U.S. must work to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran but that diplomatic efforts must also be employed instead of shear saber rattling.

Ms. Bennett’s belief in diplomacy extends to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well. With deep connections to the Jewish community in her district, she believes that Israel’s security must be protected. At the same time she is committed to supporting a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians. She believes that the U.S. must continue to support military aid to Israel and find ways to ensure a stable Palestinian economy.

JStreetPAC was very pleased to endorse a candidate with such smart, level-headed positions on foreign affairs.

Learn more about and support other JStreetPAC endorsed candidates here.