The Democratic Party is No Longer the Pro-Israel Party

Ever since President Obama began his public assault on Israel, I have been waiting for Congressional supporters of Israel to speak out, especially the Democrats who received 78% of the Jewish vote in the most recent election.

But the silence of the Democratic Party has been deafening, none of the usual whining from Chuck Schumer about the POTUS trying to pressure Israel while allowing the Palestinians to get off scot-free, nothing from Gary Ackerman about POTUS linking the creation of Israel to the Holocaust, even nothing from Anthony "The Weenie" Weiner about Obama's bigoted statements saying only are not allowed to live in Jerusalem. One would think that someone like Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who never misses a pro-Israel dinner (or any dinner), would speak out about the latest Obama criticism, bashing Israel for wanting to take care of the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's tomb. Or you would expect my congressman Steve Israel to refuse the request of the White House to lend his name to a dinner sponsored by the anti-Israel group J-street.

You would expect all that, but none of it happened. As the far left progressive movement continues its stranglehold on the Democratic Party, the party faithful moves away from Israel to satisfy the progressives.

Progressive websites such as the Daily Kos and the Huffington Post contain some of the most vile Anti-Israel and Anti-Semitic rhetoric on the web.

For example during the controversy surrounding the Charles Freeman appointment last year the following was posted on Huffington post:

• "Its time we excised the AIPAC cancer from the American body politic," wrote one commenter.

• A second commenter shared that sentiment, writing, "Aren't people tired of Israel's power? Makes you wonder why the Jews have been kicked out of so many countries."

A third commenter who, predictably, denied he was anti-Semitic, launched into a generalized tirade against Jews:

• As long as we continue to allow Israel to run this country there will always be upheaval and wars. Murder, jealously and greed have been the trademarks of Israel from the beginning of time. I'm not anti-semetic, I'm just being truthful. It's all right there in the Old Testament of the Bible. They truly believe that everything should be rightfully theirs, the chosen ones. I pray that Obama gets more people to stand up against the AIPAC lobbyists.

The other major progressive blog in the US, the Daily Kos is constantly accusing Jews of running the US and pushing the country toward war.

For the most part, when conspiratorial charges of undue Jewish influence are leveled on Kos, they are thinly veiled by putting the word Zionist before the word Jew. In the several examples given, however, even this thin, disingenuous distinction between "Zionist Jews" and "regular Jews" breaks down. 

Kos blogger Poli Sci 000 posted a diary on Kos called "Apartheid Israel trying to start World War III." It refers to a "secret Jewish coalition raising funds in excess of $200 million to wage a propaganda war in America in an attempt to gain American support for another war against Iran." The post later refers to President Bush's former press secretary, Ari Fleischer, as Joseph Goebbels.

Kos blogger Felipe IV posts a title: "Zionist Jews are now a crowd in the Obama Cabinet," pasting an article from a website called cherada.com. The article complains that "Most of the officials who will integrate [sic] the cabinet of Obama are renowned operators of the Jewish Zionist Financial lobby of New York."

Another Kos blogger called qrswave has penned diaries about Israel with such headings as "Imagine a world without Israel." In that one he openly longs for a world where Israel does not exist and waxes eloquent on the peace and harmony that would result from the destruction of the Jewish state. Although qrswave has apparently lost his posting privileges, this and other posts he wrote are still on the site. So is his profile, which links to his own openly anti-Semitic blog, The Truth Will Set You Free.

One post on The Truth Will Set You Free quotes Charles Lindberg warning in 1941 that the Jews are the only ones pushing the United States toward war.Another post refers to The Diary of Anne Frankas "Zionist fairy tales."Still another argues that all U.S.-based Zionist organizations should be dismantled for treason and disloyal Zionist Jews banned and deported to Israel.

The Progressive anti-Jewish propaganda is having its effect on the Democratic Party. Certainly part of the effect is seen in the appointments and policies  of Progressive Democratic President Obama who has been the most anti-Israel president since Jimmy Carter.

Beyond the president himself, the trend in the Democratic party as been to move away from supporting the Jewish state. For example there is the "Gang of 54." A group of 54 members of the House of Representatives, all Democrats, who sent President Obama a letter urging President Obama to pressure Israel to loosen security measures implemented to counter the threat of terrorism coming from Hamas-controlled Gaza.


 The letter charged that “the blockade imposed by Israel... following Hamas' coup and particularly following Operation Cast Lead [imposed a] de facto collective punishment... of the residents of the Gaza Strip.”

Nowhere do the 'Gang of 54' point out that Gaza has been a terrorist hotbed since Israel pulled out of the territory over five years ago. Nor did they mention that the well-being of Gaza's population is solely the responsibility of Hamas who they elected in 2007 not Israel. Nor do they mention that the financial assistance given to Gaza by numerous European countries, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in aid pledged by the United States, has been used by Hamas either to further its terrorist activities rather than to provide for the needs of Gazans.

Those 54 Congressmen who signed the one-sided anti-Israel letter represent 21% of the Democrats in congress. Not one Republican signed the letter.

Two-weeks ago the Anti-Israel progressive group J-street, which was established by George Soros, ran its first congressional mission to Israel. Each member of the group was a Democrat.  They were U.S. Reps. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.), Bob Filner (D-Calif.), Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Ohio), and Donald Payne (D-N.J.).

Interestingly, earlier this week Gallup released a poll showing American support of Israel is at an all-time-high level

The chart only tells part of the story when you look at the support on a party basis:

Since 2001, however dramatic shift in partisan attitudes: a 25-point increase in sympathy for Israel among Republicans and an 18-point increase among independents. Support for Israel in the Democratic party is the lowest of any group, and is down slightly-3 points. The slight drop is shocking when you consider the growth of the other two groups and the considerable support the Jewish community gives the Democratic Party.

Putting it all together the Democratic party is no longer the pro-Israel party.  Facing a progressive movement and a President decidedly anti-Israel, even pro-Israel legislators are remaining quiet in fear of angering their progressive power base.

The Democratic Party's attitude is the opposite of former Secretary of State James Baker who once exclaimed F**K the Jews, they wont vote for us anyway.  The Progressive Democratic Party version is F**K the Jews, they WILL vote for us anyway.

Hopefully in 2010 we will be able to prove them wrong.