Israel has become a wedge issue in US politics
Glick points out the overwhelming evidence of the Republican embrace of Israel and the Democrat turning away from Israel. She points out that the vast majority of the members of AIPAC are Democrats and thus are trying to paper over the difference. But the key issue is that this partisan divide on Israel has made Israel a key issue in the coming campaign with the Republicans and Israel on the winning side of the issue. Sarah Palin will continue to voice her support for Israel. Ted Belman
Republicans, Democrats and Israel
By Caroline B. Glick
Bipartisan support for Israel has been one of the greatest casualties of US President Barack Obama’s assault on the Jewish state. Today, as Republican support for Israel reaches new heights, support for Israel has become a minority position among Democrats.
[..]
AIPAC also has institutional reasons for papering over the erosion in Democratic support for Israel. First, most of its members are Democrats. Indeed, AIPAC’s new President Lee Rosenberg was one of Obama’s biggest fundraisers.
Then too, AIPAC is concerned at the prospect of its members abandoning it for J-Street. J-Street, the Jewish pro-Palestinian lobby is strongly supported by the Obama administration.
According to Congressional sources, AIPAC’s desire to hide the partisan divide has caused it to preemptively water down Republican initiatives to gain Democratic support or torpedo Republican proposals that the Democrats would oppose. For instance, an AIPAC lobbyist demanded that Gohmert abandon his efforts to advance his resolution on Iran. Sources close to the story say the AIPAC lobbyist told Gohmert that AIPAC opposes all Iran initiatives that go beyond support for sanctions.
And now of course, as Obama makes a mockery of AIPAC’s sanctions drive by watering them down to nothingness, AIPAC’s sanctions-only strategy lies in ruins. But again in the interest of promoting the fiction of bipartisan support for Israel, AIPAC can be expected to pretend this has not happened.
And many prominent Republican Congressmen are loath to call their bluff. Like the Israeli government itself, Republican House members express deep concern that blowing the lid off the Democrats will weaken Israel. As one member put it, “I don’t want to encourage the likes of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to attack Israel by exposing that the Democrats don’t support Israel.”
While this argument has its merits, the fact is that many Democrats remain staunch supporters of Israel. Representatives like Shelley Berkley, Nita Lowey, Steve Israel, Anthony Weiner, Jim Costa and many others have not taken stronger stands in support Israel because thanks to AIPAC, they haven’t been challenged to do so. If going into the November midterm elections House Republicans were to initiate an aggressively pro-Israel agenda as members like Lamborn, Franks, Gohmert, Cantor, Roskam, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and others are already doing, they would compel Democratic members to join them or risk being criticized for abandoning Israel by their Republican opponents in November’s elections.
And that’s the thing of it. While under Obama bipartisan support for Israel has eroded, popular support for Israel has grown. Indeed polls show a direct correlation between Democratic abandonment of Israel and popular abandonment of the Democrats. What this means is that the partisan divide on Israel is a good election issue for Republicans.
If as projected Republicans retake control over the House of Representatives in November, they will be in a position to limit Obama’s ability to adopt policies that weaken Israel. And due to the widespread expectation that Republicans will in fact take over the House, if the Republicans set out clear policy lines on Israel today, their declared policies will immediately impact Obama’s maneuver room on Israel. So too, a clear Republican policy on Israel will motivate pro-Israel Democrats to more stridently distance themselves from Obama on issues related to Israel.
Take the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s threat that he will unilaterally declare Palestinian independence in August 2011. To date, Obama has refused to say if he will recognize such a unilaterally declared Palestinian state. Fearing that he may recognize such a state, Israel has gone out of its way to appease Obama.
If House Republicans and Republican House candidates were to collectively pledge to cut off US funding for the PA in the aftermath of such a declaration, they could neutralize the threat. And if they pledged not to fund a US embassy in such a Palestinian state, they would make it impossible for Obama to continue holding his decision over Israel’s head.
As for Iran, if Republicans win the House, they will be in a position to use omnibus budgetary bills to force the administration to provide Israel with the military equipment necessary to win a war against Iran and its allies. This would limit Obama’s capacity to threaten Israel with an arms embargo in the increasingly likely event that the Iranian axis attacks the Jewish state.
In some House races, Democratic abandonment of Israel is already a key issue. For instance, in Illinois, the race between Republican challenger Joel Pollak and incumbent Democrat Jan Schakowsky has been dominated by Schakowsky’s close ties to J-Street and tepid support for Israel. And recent polling data indicate that once a long-shot candidate, Pollak is steadily closing in on Schakowsky’s lead.
Exposing the Democrats’ abandonment of Israel will be an unpleasant affair. But it won’t add to the dangers arrayed against Israel. Israel’s enemies are already aware of Obama’s animus towards the Jewish state. Demonstrating that the Democrats on Capitol Hill are following his lead on Israel will not add or detract from Iran’s willingness to attack Israel either directly or through its Arab proxies, or both.
Moreover, forcing Democrats to account for their behavior will have a salutary long-term effect on their party and on the US as a whole. Support for Israel is a benchmark for support for US allies generally. Obama’s abandonment of Israel has gone hand in hand with the cold shoulder he has given Colombia, Honduras, Britain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Japan, South Korea and other key US allies worldwide. In the long-term, it will be catastrophic if one of the US’s two political parties maintains this strategically disastrous policy.
By using support for Israel as a wedge issue in the upcoming elections Republicans will do more than simply constrain Obama’s ability to harm the Jewish state. They will be setting a course for a Democratic return to strategic sanity in the years to come. And nothing will guarantee the return of bipartisan support for Israel more effectively and securely than that.
The conservative political movement is usually catalyzed by the conservative punditocracy.
Mark Levin has been highly critical of Obama’s animus towards Israel, as have Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
It is imperative for these leading voices to refine their critique, focusing on the complicity of Congressional Democrats in the abandonment of Israel. Specifically, John Kerry and Carl Levin refused to discuss the Iranian peril with the Israeli prime minister, insisting instead upon promoting the Palestinian agenda.
What would ignite the entire process is a public declaration of grievances by Netanyahu.
Tragically, Likud has just endorsed his strategy of recoiling into the fetal position.
Ayn your right on. I said a number of times the PM needs to come to America and not meet with that jerk in the while house (I should define that since there are a number of them – barry hussein obama).
He is very popular with Americans and he needs to publicly denounce the administrations hostile actions towards Israel.
I am sure he would be a welcomed guest on the Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly and a few moderate media outlets.
This administration continues to support terrorist neighbors while criticizing Israel.
Let’s be frank, the Palestinians are only interested in killing Jews, disrupting Israel while expanding their occupation of Israel.
Once and for all Jerusalem cannot be and will not be a divided city. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel the one and only state in Israel and the Holy Land.
Time to move the Palestinian and other Arabs (the rock and stone throwers, land scavengers and agitators) to Jordan where they can establish their state or asylum.
ron,
That is the best idea I have read yet on this site.
Netanyahu should do an hour each on Limbaugh and Hannity and Levin.
Explain everything that has happened since Obama became president.
It would be the perfect message delivered in the perfect forums.
No need to have the message filtered by the Israel-hating media.
Tell it straight to the public, and in the process personally involve the most important opinion makers of the GOP.
For devising such a good approach, you receive the ultimate reward: Papaya chutney.
National Enquirer Claims Obama Cheated On Michelle
Our vigilant lamestream media is already on the case.
Ayn, he is a scumbag and he is a lying sack of XXXX.
I just got a call from my oldest. He went turkey hunting this AM an as usual I worry about him being alone in the mountain woods and he called a little while ago to let me know around 7:15 AM he called in a bird and got his turkey and was on his way home. Was in the woods since 5 AM. He called the girls and they were excited.
Not sure how they will respond to a dead turkey. I’ll take a ride over and check it out myself.
You know it makes me think how you never stop worrying. Years ago when the guy were in the teens they would tell me I don’t have to worry about them anymore. Sure. I told these knuckle heads it’s not like a faucet, something you turn on and off at will. I’ll worry about you guys and likewise your children (now we have added the granddaughters to the worry list). It doesn’t end.
Have you ever steamed a turkey?
Raised its elevation in a big pot and then steamed it in water that you have seasoned?
It cooks faster and stays moister.
No, but I bet it is good. Somewhat like cooking the bird in peanut oil. Keeps the bird moist tender.
When I got to Mark’s house he was cutting out the breast. He then cut out the wing bones. His hunting friend from where he hunted (now lives in Virginia) makes turkey calls from these bones.
Mark use to bow hunt but now settles for turkey hunt and fishing. Had a lot of hobbies, told him with a family they have to come first, wife and children are No. 1 hobby, the most important.
The anti-Semites are becoming less inhibited. First Jones. Now Mearsheimer.
http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/7250292/article-April-30–2010?instance=most_commented
I’ve been saying for a while that Netanyahu should take advantage of US public support to turn the Israeli issue into a US political issue which would weaken Obama. However, it may not be wise for Netanyahu’s direct involvement. If he is made the face of criticism of US Israel policy, he will create a vulnerability and possibly weaken the effort by giving leftists a target of personal attack. The movement for Israel in the US would be better served as a mass movement without a face. This is the strength of the Tea Party—diverse and independent groups and individuals united under principled belief and for a common purpose. A movement for Israel should be grassroots and undefinable other than by principles and rights it stands for.
When we accuse such “critics of Israeli policies” of being anti-Semites, we are immediately dismissed as paranoid and making false accusations of anti-Semitism in order to stifle criticism of Israel. But eventually these “critics” of Israel reveal their true Jew-hating selves.
Translation: “Righteous Jews” being self-hating Jews who share the muslim desire to wipe Israel from the map. john mearsheimer is a skunk.
They are so blinded by hate of Jews they are in denial when it comes to the Palestinians, Hamas, Hezbullah, and the rest of the Arab terrorist Egyptians, Jordanians, Syrians, Saudis and Iranians. I don’t recall any Israeli suicide bomber blowing up any Arabs or Israel sending rockets into the Arab world indiscriminately hoping to kill innocent civilians and children.
Mearsheimer is an asshole.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0510/Report_details_US_threat_to_Israel_on_UN.html?showall
The election is in November.
If ever there was an opportune time for Israel to tough-shit Obama, this is it.
The Israelis should repeatedly provoke BO to condemn them prior to the election.
He wants to provide a fig leaf for liberal Jews to justify yet again supporting the Democratic Party despite its anti-Israel policies.
Israel should drag both Obama and his pseudo-Jewish gerbils out of the closet.
Right now.
Of course, Netanyahu is too busy groveling.
This really should be “Checkmate”.
Review the names on Mearsheimer’s list.
Chomsky and Finkelstein openly support Hezbollah.
Cohen admires Ahmadinejad.
The others never met an anti-Semite they didn’t like.
Mearsheimer has exposed himself as being a degenerate anti-Semite.
But few will choose to notice.
Obama is working behind the curtains because his ME policy is a political disaster once it goes public mainstream. I agree, I too haven’t seen a better opportunity to drag him through the mud of his on doing regarding Israel. All it would take is for the Israeli PM and high officials to start shouting from the house tops. Instead, they are acting like politicians. Drop the diplomacy, and they could get things going in the right direction, or at very least, expose Obama for what he really is. Once people realize who Obama really is, he’s toast.
Steven Plaut:
“A Jewish liberal is someone who thinks that Mexicans with no US visa have the right to move to East Los Angeles but Jews must be prevented from moving to East Jerusalem.”
Randy I agree and I know Ayn likewise. Now is the time for the PM and high officials to shout from the roof tops. Americans need to know the truth and the liberal left wing media and the anti-Semitics will not cover it.
I will would like to see PM Netanyahu visit, Neil Cavuto, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin and any fair and balance media out there.
He needs to tell it like it is and Americans will know this bastard BHO and the 3 stooges (Clinton, Beiden & Mitchell [the Arab]) are no good, nothing but a bunch of anti-Semitic bastards.
Speaking of “deviant cults”…
From NRO.com:
These bastards are not normal, no they are not civilized. When will the so called civilized Muslims speak out against these radicals.
It is a definitional matter, ron.
If civilized Muslims existed, by definition they would have already spoken out.
Byron York
Ten Dumbest Things Said About Arizona’s Immigration Law
Liberalism is a psychological disorder.
Like lycanthropy.
Being a werewolf.
But much worse.
Because werewolves only go apeshit during a full moon.
I don’t know about Beck. I don’t think he is sympathetic towards Israel.
Laura I may be wrong but I do recall him speaking well of Israel and decry the actions of this administrations behavior toward our trusted friend and ally Israel.
Bottom line is PM Netanyahu needs to speak openly in the US. He is very popular with Americans and the truth needs to be known.
Glen Beck is a mixed bag/hit or miss. “Actor” is the best description.
not a good idea. even worse to be on Fox unless it is Chris Wallace on Sunday morning if you want to be taken seriously by independents and open-minded Democrats.
better for Caroline Glick to make the most of her scheduled visit to Chicago in September.
and, let American politicians and candidates make the point.