Dean spoke Tuesday to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations about his trip to Israel last month. Participants said Dean stressed the need for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to take stronger action against terrorist groups, and praised the Israeli government for its recent Gaza Strip withdrawal.

Dean condemned church groups that participate in campaigns to divest from Israel and suggested he would get involved personally in combating them. He also spoke out against Bush administration policy in Iraq, suggesting it has crippled the United States' ability to deal with Iran's nuclear-weapon threat, which he said poses a greater risk to Israel.