I am deeply concerned that without peace and a two-state solution the Jewish and democratic nature of Israel is in danger. That's why I have opposed Israel's settlement policy since 1973 and that's why I have favored a two-state solution since 1967.

I think that peace will require two states a Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state.

What I took back because of my exposure to the Jewish music of the 30s and the 40s in my upbringing with my father was that kind of theatrical songwriting. It was always a part of my character. This desire to make people laugh.

My dad was Jewish. My mom is not. So I was not raised anything.

My mom is a very warm typical sort of Jewish-mother type. And my dad has a somewhat um different personality.

My mother smokes me out. We'll get these long periods of me thinking I'm too busy to call her up or e-mail her and she'll send me something. My mom's a real whiner. I love her to death but she always sends me these 'woe is me' things. I think she might be Jewish. I'm not sure. She's Baptist-Jewish which is a double whammy.

Miami Beach - that's where I grew up in a middle-class Jewish family led by my maternal grandfather. Me my great-grandmother - a Holocaust survivor who was my roommate - my grandparents my mom and her brother all shared a four-bedroom house.

I must admit even though I'm the product of two Jewish parents I think the Irish temper got in there somewhere so I'm going to check Mom's genealogy.

I showed that privacy was an implicit right in Jewish law probably going back to the second or third century when it was elaborated on in a legal way.

It simply cannot be disputed that for decades the Palestinian leadership was more interested in there not being a Jewish state than in there being a Palestinian state.