Mordechai Twersky, a former communal leader from the Bronx who once ran for the New York State Assembly, now lives in Israel. It’s a sure bet, however, that he will vote by absentee ballot in the New York Republican Presidential primary next year. Mr. Twersky is the founder of Giuliani Supporters in Israel, a grass-roots effort to mobilize support for the former NYC mayor from Israelis with US citizenship.

If Mr. Twersky, 43, has his way, every Israeli citizen or resident with the right to vote in the US, will "get off the TV sofa and use the means at his or her disposal to ensure that the next President of the US will not only support Israel, but will have a strong enough character and personality to express that support in unequivocal terms."

"As far as I am concerned, there is only one candidate who meets this criterion: Rudolph W. Giuliani," said Mr. Twersky.

There are thousands of eligible voters in Israel. No one doubts that, in a close election, every absentee ballot could count.

The Republicans and Democrats Abroad organizations have been active in Israel for many years, but Mr. Twersky said his was the first campaign that has ever been established in Israel to help a candidate win a party primary.

He has set up a website at giulianisupportsinisrael.org and plans to hold regular parlor meetings to convince as many eligible voters as possible that Mr. Giuliani is the best qualified candidate to meet the threats facing the United States, Israel, and the rest of the Free World.

"Rudolph Giuliani has set the standard for leadership," said Mr. Twersky, ticking off such issues as crime, terrorism, and friendship with the Jewish community and the State of Israel.

"He has backed up his statements with concrete action. Who can forget his reaction to the Crown Heights riots and the murder of Yankel Rosenbaum in 1991? Or how he evicted Yasir Arafat from a concert at Lincoln Center in 1995?" said Mr. Twersky.

He noted that, as mayor of New York, Mr. Giuliani rushed to Israel to show solidarity with the Jewish state during some of the most brutal Palestinian terror attacks. When Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, offered Mr. Giuliani a check for $10 million in relief aid along with the suggestion that the US "re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stand toward the Palestinian cause," Mr. Giuliani promptly—and very publicly—tore up the check.

Mr. Giuliani is now calling on the US to create a viable military option against Iran in order to make American economic sanctions stronger.

"For all these and reasons and more, I believe Giuliani is best suited to lead the US in the battle against the threats facing it and its lone Middle East ally, Israel," said Mr. Twersky. "Giuliani is a leader. He is a role model, the perfect example of a man who dared to fight crime—and won. He was there—literally—when the World Trade Center fell. He took to his heart the terrorists’ blow to the strength and security of America. With his own unique blend of stubbornness, sensitivity, and zero-tolerance, he truly understands the need and the obligation for a determined, unremitting fight against terrorism. Mr. Giuliani is the perfect example of a true leader, with executive capabilities and vast experience in coping with the kind of pressure and crises which overcome even the best of us."

Mr. Twersky said that when he immigrated to Israel in 1998, he believed he would be able to focus solely on democratic life in the Jewish state. He even ran unsuccessfully for the Knesset in the last election.

Now, however, prompted by the Iranian nuclear threat, increasing Palestinian terrorism, the rumbles of warfare once again from Hezbollah in Lebanon, and corruption in Israel’s political system, he no longer believes Israel can cope on its own with the political and security risks.

"The manifestations of corruption which shock Israeli citizens from one day to the next, along with the course of last summer’s war in Lebanon, have undermined my confidence. I now realize that—precisely as an American citizen—I have a role to play in ensuring that Israel has an external ‘anchor.’ As Iran builds its nuclear program, as the Palestinian Authority and Hezbollah prepare for military conflict with Israel, we will need a friend in the White House who will bring clarity and consistency to US foreign policy while safeguarding the American Homeland and preserving the safety and security of its lone Middle East ally," he said.

He did not deny that some of Mr. Giuliani’s positions on domestic social issues, particularly abortion and homosexuality, are at odds with the beliefs of most religious conservatives, including Mr. Twersky himself, who is a member of the Orthodox community. But, he said, those issues pale in comparison to the existential threat faced by the Free World.

"My top priority is to deal with threats to our existence—international terrorism and the Iranian nuclear threat," he said, pointing out that, according to a recent poll, nearly half of the Israeli public fears that Israel may not exist in 2048.

"So with all due deference to social issues, I prefer to concentrate on our existence," said Mr. Twersky.

He comes by those fears honestly. His parents, the late Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Twersky of the Bronx Park East Chotiner Jewish Center on Pelham Parkway, and his mother, Pearl Twersky, were Holocaust survivors who became deeply involved in the Bronx Jewish community.

"As the scion of a rabbinic family and son of Holocaust survivors, I am deeply worried about the future existence of Israel. As I see it, the struggle against terrorism and the Iranian nuclear threat have profound implications for global stability, the safety of the American homeland, and the safety of Israel. When these threats against Israel and the US are so pronounced, one must not sit idly by, but should be propelled to action," he said.

Mr. Twersky said he founded Giuliani Supporters in Israel first to mobilize support for Mr. Giuliani from American voters living, working, or studying in Israel and second to strengthen Mr. Giuliani’s popularity among Israelis.

"American Jews value Israeli public opinion," he said.

Mr. Twersky said the response to his campaign and the website have been "overwhelmingly positive."

"People want to get involved on behalf of Giuliani Supporters in Israel. They realize what’s at stake. Clearly, we’ve tapped into their concerns," he said.

The counsel in Israel for Democrats Abroad, Sheldon Schorer, did not think Mr. Giuliani was any more pro-Israel than the Democratic front runners, New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Illinois Senator Barack Obama. "I am sure the voters will see that as well," said Mr. Schorer.

One problem Mr. Giuliani may have in Israel is his close friendship with beleaguered Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. As mayors of New York and Jerusalem, respectively, Messrs Giuliani and Olmert forged a close personal and political alliance. In recent media interviews, Mr. Olmert has hinted broadly that he is supporting Mr. Giuliani.

Mr. Schorer called Mr. Olmert’s hints "highly inappropriate," and Mr. Twersky called the prime minister "extremely irresponsible."

"It is highly appropriate for Americans in Israel to be involved in American politics, but it is highly inappropriate for the Israeli government to express a preference for one personality or another who could lead the American people. It’s their job to work with whoever Americans choose to lead America," said Mr. Schorer.

Mr. Twersky said he did not think Mr. Olmert’s support or lack thereof would influence the Israeli public’s perception of Mr. Giuliani.

"What counts in the minds of Israelis is Giuliani’s leadership after 9-11 and his unwavering support for Israel," he said.

Mr. Twersky, however, took issue with Mr. Schorer’s assessment of the Democratic front runners’ support for Israel. "Please, don’t make me laugh," he said, recalling that, in 1998, "before Hillary became a staunchly pro-Israel senator from New York," she expressed support for Yasir Arafat’s threatened unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood.

In November 1999, at the dedication of a US-funded health program in Gaza, Mrs. Clinton exchanged kisses with Mr. Arafat’s wife, Suha, right after the Palestinian First Lady delivered a speech in Arabic claiming that Israel had deliberately subjected Palestinians to "poisonous gas."

Although Mrs. Clinton had been wearing headphones to receive a simultaneous translation of Mrs. Arafat’s inflammatory speech, Mrs. Clinton did not apologize for her embrace of Mrs. Arafat until almost 24 hours later. Some of her supporters said she did not receive an accurate translation of the speech until much later; others said she had not been paying attention.

During her Senate campaign, Mrs. Clinton said the kiss was just a "formality" akin to a handshake. She said that had she not kissed Mrs. Arafat, it would have caused a diplomatic incident. However, Mrs. Clinton said, she believed going to the event altogether had been a mistake.

Asked about Mr. Obama, Mr. Twersky said the Illinois Senator had "no proven record regarding Israel." "His statements are in the context of a Presidential election and part of an effort to curry favor among Jewish voters," said Mr. Twersky.

During the recent Democratic candidates’ debate, Mr. Obama was asked to name America’s "three most important allies around the world." When he named the European Union, Afghanistan, and Japan, the moderator noted that he had omitted Israel and asked the candidate to explain his quote that "no one is suffering more than the Palestinian people."

Mr. Obama said what he meant is that "nobody has suffered more than the Palestinian people from the failure of the Palestinian leadership to recognize Israel, renounce violence, and get serious about negotiating peace and security for the region." Mr. Obama then said that "Israel has been one of our most important allies around the world."

Most polls show Mr. Giuliani is still the front runner among Republican candidates. Polls also show him running ahead of virtually all potential Democratic candidates as well. He has a 62 percent favorability rating, and 49 percent of all voters categorize him as "politically moderate" rather than "right wing."

After the California debate among all announced Republican candidates, a SurveyUSA poll found that 30 percent of those in California who watched the debate decided Mr. Giuliani was "the winner." The second and third places went to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (12 percent) and Arizona Senator John McCain (11 percent).

According to a Quinnipiac Poll, Mr. Giuliani would beat Mrs. Clinton 49-40 percent and Mr. Obama 44 to 41 percent.

In New Jersey, a Strategic Vision poll showed Mr. Giuliani in the lead among his Republican opponents. When 800 likely Republican voters were asked whom they would support for the Republican nomination in 2008, 49 percent said Mr. Giuliani. Mr. McCain received 15 percent, and everyone else was in the single digits.