John McCain has a strong chance of siphoning votes from Jewish Democrats who never voted for a Republican in their lives -- if his new running mate doesn't get in the way.

It's not because Sarah Palin backed Pat Buchanan for president, as Barack Obama's own campaign co-chairman in Florida, Democratic Rep. Robert Wexler, falsely claimed to scare off Jewish voters who see Buchanan as an anti-Semite.

Yes, Palin did wear a Buchanan pin when he campaigned in her hometown in 1999, but she later joined the state's team to help elect Steve Forbes. Nevertheless, Wexler two weeks ago called Palin's pick a ''direct affront to Jewish Americans'' and tarred Buchanan as a ''Nazi sympathizer'' in an over-the-top tirade that hurt his credibility on Jewish issues.

Palin puts Jewish votes in play for reasons that have nothing to do with campaign buttons.

Last month, her church hosted Jews for Jesus leader David Brickner, who suggested that terrorist attacks on Israelis were God's ''judgment'' against Jews who haven't accepted Christianity.

FAILED TO ACT

A campaign spokesman acknowledged Palin was in the audience but said she did not know Brickner would be speaking and does not share his views. But she could have walked out or raised questions later.

And back in June, Palin nodded in agreement when her former pastor said Alaska should be ready to minister to nonbelievers at the end of the world.

'I believe Alaska is one of the `refuge states' -- come on, you guys -- in the Last Days,'' said Pastor Ed Kalnin, who joined Palin on stage after she gave a speech. ``And hundreds of thousands of people are going to come to this state to seek refuge. And the church has to be ready to minister to them.''

Does Palin agree? Jewish voters should demand an explanation.

Consider that the Republican Jewish Coalition affirms her ''commitment to the Jewish community'' on the basis of a postcard-sized Israeli flag displayed in her capitol office. The headline on a YouTube video of an interview with Palin in which the flag is visible gushes, ''Sarah Palin has an Israeli flag in her office!'' Please.

The Republican Jewish Coalition also commends her ''strong working relationship'' with the Jews of Alaska. All 12 of them.

Actually, there are 4,500 to 5,000 Jews in the state, according to the Alaska Jewish Historical Museum. Jewish voters will be glad to know Palin gets along with less than 1 percent of the state's population, but that's not a strong test of her solidarity.

Still another reason Palin is a mensch,according to the RJC: She attended the reading of Alaska's resolution commemorating Israel's 60th anniversary. Again, hardly a feet-to-the-fire trial.

UNRESPONSIVE ANSWERS

Palin could have proved that she gets Israel's right to security in an interview this week with ABC's Charles Gibson. Instead, she proved only that she was well-coached.

When asked how the United States should respond if Israel felt it needed to strike at Iran's nuclear facilities, she said, ``I don't think that we should second-guess the measures that Israel has to take to defend themselves.''

Should the United States cooperate? `I don't think we can second-guess what Israel has to do to secure its nation.''

So it would be OK for Israel to strike? ``We cannot second-guess the steps that Israel has to take to defend itself.''

Americans who care about Israel have a right to know more.

Beth Reinhard is the political writer at The Miami Herald.

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