Tomorrow’s primary for the Anthony Weiner seat is being watched as an Obama-referendum, in what was supposed to be a safe Democratic district. Report says that Andrew Cuomo and Bill Clinton calls for Democrat David Weprin say nothing about Israel, but Republican Bob Turner is pushing the issue. Trashing Turkey, apparently for the Gaza flotilla raid.
The world is becoming a more dangerous place because of Mr. Obama’s demonstrated ambivalence toward Israel and his naïve and academic belief in moral relativity.
In The Hill, Rebecca Vilkomerson says the me-too-ism of the two candidates on Israel shows the poverty of our political discourse:
At least Turner’s positions on Israel are consistent with his Tea Party politics. David Weprin, the Democratic hopeful, is generally liberal – except that his positions on Israel are virtually indistinguishable from Turner’s.
In August, after the attack on the Israeli city of Eilat, Weprin commented: “this highlights the fact that giving up land for peace is never a good idea.” This is an extraordinary statement. Is he proposing permanent occupation, and permanent Israeli control over Palestinian lives?…
True to the standard U.S. political parameters, “Progressive-Except-on-Palestine” Weprin will battle it out tomorrow with “Protect-Aid-to-Israel” Turner. Our political discourse will be the poorer for it. More importantly, Palestinian and Israeli lives will be the worse for our inability to say no to Israeli wrongdoing.
One exciting alternative is the growing grassroots movement that is not waiting for our elected officials to do the right thing.
