I read an interesting article recently, entitled “Democrats Have Abandoned Israel – Jews Should Abandon the Democrat Party,” by Andrew Stein, a former New York Democrat politician. His article pointed out the pervasive and glaring anti-Semitism that has now infected the Democrat Party. This strong anti-Israel hatred was first openly manifested when the issue of Jerusalem came up during the 2012 Democrat Convention. The members at the convention jeered and booed when support for Israel and Jerusalem were to be inserted into the Democrat Platform.
Witnessing this disgusting display on TV, I became livid and sickened by a party I was once affiliated with, which could express hostility to another democratic country. And not just any country. Israel is the symbol of Judaism and home to the largest number of Jews in the world. So, yes, if a political party or a person defames Israel, it is an attack on all Jews.
In his article, Mr. Stein identified three radical Democrat congressional representatives who were recently elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. All three have become messengers for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, and openly display their anti-Semitism. The BDS movement seeks to destroy Israel economically since wars have not accomplished this goal. Millennials and college students are often deceived by its false mission. They are told that BDS is about social justice or political activism. It is not. BDS has been connected to terrorists like Jabarin, a former senior member of PFLP, and to Hamas officials. In fact, As’ad AbuKalil, professor of political science, anarchist, and BDS leader at University of California, stated, “The real aim of BDS is to bring down the State of Israel.”
With the support of these three new congressional representatives, BDS has been given a significant boost. Their anti-Semitic remarks hauntingly remind us of the pernicious statements embedded in the Protocols of Zion, Nazi propaganda, and PLO exhortations. For example, Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, one of the new congresswomen, started her term by repeating the age-old canard that questions the loyalty of Jews to the U.S. She accused Israel of apartheid, and paints AIPAC as a corrupt but powerful lobbying group. Ms. Omar is a recent immigrant who came with the 80,000 Somalians allowed to enter the U.S. under the Obama administration without any vetting of their backgrounds or loyalties. Despite her questionable views, Speaker Nancy Pelosi placed her on the Foreign Relations Committee, where she will have access to classified information and be able to influence foreign affairs. So far, the many calls by Jewish groups to remove her from the Committee because of bias have been ignored.
Rashida Tlaib, the newly-elected representative from Michigan, is a former Palestinian who wore a Palestinian robe and hugged someone wrapped in a Palestinian flag during her acceptance speech. She, like Omar, strongly supports BDS. The third new representative is from Queens. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is associated with the Democrat Socialists of America and also supports BDS.
Those Jews who believe that Omar, Tlaib, and Cortez are merely criticizing Israel need to realize that, on the contrary, these officials are sowing the seeds of hatred towards all Jews. Their statements fulfill provisions of the U.S. State Department’s working definition of anti-Semitism: “Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel…than to the interests of their own nations,” and “Applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.”
So these three new representatives are definitely anti-Semitic and not just anti-Israel. But they are not the only worrisome politicians. Several well-known Democrat senators have revealed their true feelings in the last few months. In September 2018, President Trump reduced aid to the Palestinians because the PA refused to cease its practice of pay-to-slay, which incentivizes Palestinians to kill Israelis. Many applauded a president who felt the anguish of Jewish parents when their children were ruthlessly murdered and who demanded that the PA desist from its carnage of innocent Israelis.
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, however, – supported by many Maryland Jews – initiated a letter urging President Trump to continue assistance to the Palestinians, even if they use the money to reward the killing of Jews! Perhaps Chris Van Hollen wanted to show compassion for Palestinians. Unfortunately, he never expressed outrage about the many Jews slaughtered by the PA. This shameful letter of appeal was eagerly endorsed and signed by other Democrats, such as Bernie Sanders, Diane Feinstein, Brian Schatz, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, and Kamala Harris. The letter was also supported by J Street and the Left-wing group, Jewish Middle East Policy organization.
Recently, Senator Marco Rubio (R. Fla.) proposed anti-BDS legislation. The bill states that the federal and state governments have the right to penalize contractors or businesses that boycott Israel. Maryland’s Chris Van Hollen, Diane Feinstein, Tim Kane (Hillary’s vice-president candidate), and many Democrat presidential hopefuls, like Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Kirsten Gillibrand, along with 13 other Democrat senators voted against the anti-BDS legislation.
The latest example of distressing behavior by House Democrats is the failure to pass a resolution censuring Omar’s anti-Semitic statement. The version that was finally passed – condemning hatred of all kinds, including anti-Muslim bigotry – was so watered down that Omar actually considered it a victory. One unexpected outcome: The turmoil surrounding the resolution has exposed the fracture between the old-time pro-Israel Democrats and the young progressive upstarts who comprise the future face of the Democrat Party.
Given the outrageous actions of the Democrat Party congressmen, I recommend applying a two-pronged standard for choosing and voting for political candidates. First, do the candidate and his or her political party treat Israel fairly, and do they care about Israel’s survival? I am not impressed with candidates who vehemently condemn Nazism or fascism. I am a realist, and I judge not their words but their actions. Obama spoke in a glib manner but endangered Israel’s existence by removing sanctions against Iran and by (secretly) giving the mullahs over $150 billion to continue their nefarious nuclear and terror activities. Obama never denounced Iran for threatening Israel’s existence or demise. In fact, at the end of his second term, when he no longer needed Jewish votes, he stabbed Israel in the back at the UN. By contrast, President Trump kept his promise and moved the embassy to Jerusalem and recognized it as Israel’s capital. This action was promised by many presidents for many years but was never carried out until now.
The second prong is how closely the candidate or political party mirrors our moral beliefs. The Democrats are in the forefront of lifestyle choices that are not in accordance with our religious teachings. Moreover, the Democrat Party in New York just passed a late-term abortion law. It states that a mother can choose to kill her baby even one minute before birth. The cheers and applause that followed the approval of this reprehensible legislation were nauseating. And in the Senate, Democrats blocked a bill that would have protected infant survivors of abortion, thus condoning actual infanticide.
In the area of education, too, the Democrats vigorously oppose our communal interests. They fight school choice and vouchers, which would give relief to our Jewish schools and families (as well as being helpful to all Americans striving for better education). Without some sort of assistance, I fear that Jewish families may be sorely tempted to have fewer children in order to pay tuitions. In these areas and more, the Democrats are proponents of policies that can destroy this country that has given Jews safety, stability, and a vast number of professional opportunities.
To conclude, the Democrat Party reeks with the stench of anti-Semitism, which has grown to permeate the whole organization. Even worse, it is normalizing anti-Semitism, making it acceptable once again in polite and educated society. How is it that the majority of Jews vote for a party that professes a philosophy that is contrary to our interests and ideals as Jews? While some might argue that Jews should remain loyal to the Democrat Party so as to influence its policies and elected officials, in truth, this does not strengthen our influence because our allegiance is taken for granted. Currently, the Democrat Party espouses concepts that put our people and homeland – as well as the United States – in peril. We should not desert the mission that Hashem has given us. We should never abandon the Torah, Israel, or the Jewish people. It is time to abandon the Democrat Party, instead.
