The Israel Lobby never sleeps. Who can keep up with them? Notice that J Street endorsed a Kucinich statement during the Gaza war. And Kucinich was on the host committee of J Street’s Gala. But AIPAC doesn’t like him a bit, and neither does Ted Deutch, who spoke at AIPAC and has ambitions for Robert Wexler’s old seat. Palm Beach Post:
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich lasted less than 24 hours as headliner for the Palm Beach County Democratic Party’s annual fundraising dinner after some of the party’s elected officials blasted the Ohio Democrat’s stance on Israel and threatened to skip the event….
State Rep. Kevin Rader, D-Delray Beach, said Friday he was withdrawing his pledge to buy a $1,500 table for the dinner and would encourage other Democrats to boycott the event because of Kucinich’s record on Israel.
State Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, who’s running for the seat that U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler is vacating, called Kucinich "someone whose position on Israel stands in total opposition to the conscience of this community."
County Commissioner Burt Aaronson called the selection of Kucinich "an absolute horror" and said he would refuse to share the podium with him.
… In January, he was one of only five House members to vote against a resolution condemning Hamas rocket attacks on Israel and reaffirming Israel’s "right to act in self-defense to protect its citizens against Hamas’s unceasing aggression."
Kucinich said Friday in an e-mail to county Democratic Chairman Mark Alan Siegel that he supports the Jewish state and its right to defend itself and said his critics are "falsely characterizing me as ‘anti-Israel.’ "
But Kucinich said he did not want the controversy surrounding him to hinder the party’s ability to raise money, so he would "humbly withdraw."
Siegel said the decision to invite Kucinich was made by a "leadership circle" of about 20 people and no one raised concerns about Kucinich’s record on Israel.
Siegel heard those concerns Friday.
"People feel he’s anti-Israel. I don’t read it that way, but the leadership of AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and other elements of the Jewish community do and I don’t want to get into an argument with them," said Siegel, who is Jewish.
I think he really meant that Kucinich is offensive to their lack of a conscience.
Nice point, Craig.
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The truth is like a handful of sand, it slips through your fingers the more tightly you hold it and constrain it – it always gets out eventually … israel is clearly entering an era of desperation (which makes them even more dangerous than usual) and the truth is their biggest enemy. Kucinich is percieved as a danger to them because he speaks the truth about what is going on. The more israel seeks to shut down communication of the truth the more glaring is their complicity in committing the crimes.
Well put. People are beginning to understand the Israeli story is full of holes. They are doing so much damage control over Gaza, they must wonder if it’s worth it to achieve their greater state.
If BDS is successful, they will think twice about another Lebanon or Gaza invasion.
But how can you get into an argument with something that does not exist?
It’s time to realize that the Democratic Party offends the conscience of the community. Nothing made this more clear than when they turned on Jimmy Carter like a pack of wild dogs for telling the truth.
The Democrats and the Israel lobby are one, a union made by bribery.
Is anyone in Florida aware of THIS?
link to commondreams.org
It’s a must watch for any American who hasn’t the faintest idea as to what is happening in the occupied territories.
They don’t care. All the Democrats care about are the $1500 tables.
We need a Jews for Kucinich PAC.
Mondoweiss should start a PAC.
Its not the first time that Kucinich’s invitation to speak has been cancelled, and for many reasons, some good, some bad.
Its their right.
They are inviting a speaker to a fundraiser. If that fundraiser’s presence functionally reduces the funds that are possible to raise, its a rational decision to choose someone else.
Are you blaming South Florida residents for their opinions?
Didn’t Julius Streicher get tortured and hung for speaking and printing his opinion?
Hell yes the residents of South Florida are to blame for their racist opinions!
So wait a minute. Protests take place and there is pressure for the cancellation of speeches by Israeli politicians; to you that’s a violation of the First Amendment (something that doesn’t effectively exist in Israel). When the Israeli Lobby strong arms the Democratic Party into cancelling one of its own members as a speaker… that’s within their rights?
Hyyyyypocrite!
Nice to know the Democratic Party holds allegiance to a foreign state.