Pastor John Hagee took 15 minutes today during his trip to Israel to hold a conference call with reporters from JTA, the Jerusalem Post, the Associated Press and the New York Times. Hagee, responding to questions that were submitted ahead of time, defended himself against Rabbi Eric Yoffie of the Reform movement and other critics who accuse the mega-church leader of being anti-Catholic and bent on stopping Israeli peace moves.

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JTA’s Tom Tugend discusses reaction to the loss of the Israeli film “Beaufort” in the Foreign Film Oscar category and continued Jewish dominance of Hollywood.

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Managing Editor Ami Eden talks with a Democratic fund-raiser about what Nebraska — which holds its primary tomorrow — tells us about race, gender and the fight between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

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Former JTA staffer Matthew Berger says Giuliani is too much of a leader to take a Cabinet post if the GOP takes the White House. Berger has been following Rudy’s campaign for MSNBC.

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Obama’s foreign policy adviser, Tony Lake, was at NYU today, talking to students at the Bronfman Center about why he thinks the Democratic presidential hopeful is so great. But before he got into details, Lake, who served as national security adviser in the Clinton administration, described his own history of first being mistaken for, and then actually becoming, a Jew.

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What does the Winograd Commission’s final report on Israel’s 2006 war in Lebanon mean for Ehud Olmert’s future? JTA Jerusalem correspondent Leslie Susser speaks with JTA Associate Editor Uriel Heilman about the war, the report and Olmert’s political prognosis.

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Barack Obama just finished a conference call with Jewish reporters. He took four questions, the first from JTA’s own Ron Kampeas. But while questions dealt with the Middle East, and the recent controversy about Obama’s church, what the candidate really wanted to talk about was the smear campaign that has circulated by email among Jewish leaders in recent weeks.

The allegations — that Obama is a Muslim and took his oath of office on a Koran — have been thoroughly, and repeatedly, refuted. Still, Obama said he wanted folks to hear the refutation from the “horse’s mouth.”

Before the call broke up, Obama urged reporters to use their “megaphone” to let readers know “that there’s no substance there and that my strong and deep commitment and connection to the Jewish community should not be questioned.”

Asked why it was sufficient for him to denounce his church’s recent praise for Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan but not resign from the church itself, Obama repeated his condemnation of Farrakhan’s “reprehensible” anti-Semitic views. Then he added what sounds like a promise: “My church has never issued anti-Semitic statements, nor have I heard my pastor utter anything anti-Semitic. If I have, I would have left the church.”

Obama also took questions on the peace process, the situation in Gaza, and how he would deal with Iranian nukes.

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Arlen Specter, one of only two Jewish Republicans in the Senate, has held back from endorsing a candidate. In a brief interview with JTA Friday, he said the field was too muddled to make a decision so far in advance of the Pennsylvania primary in April. Oh, and by the way, if the Republicans end up brokering their nominee come convention time, Pennsylvania will have way more clout if Specter keeps quiet. Good thinking Arlen!

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Senator Joseph Lieberman, in South Florida this week to stump for John McCain, says he won’t accept a position in a McCain administration — including the VP slot.

Caveat emptor: There is quite a bit of background noise and unfortunately a fair amount of cellphone interference on this interview. After the first minute or so it’s less apparent, but we apologize nonetheless.

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Senator Norm Coleman addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition Friday morning in Boca Raton. Afterwards, he spoke with reporters about why he’s supporting Rudy Giuiliani for president.

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