Park Avenue synagogue uses images of occupied Jerusalem along with a psalm Jews recite in the days leading up to the High Holidays. “It’s a perfect one verse statement of contemporary synagogue Judaism. I have only one ask of God: Zionism.”
David Harris of the American Jewish Committee declares war on young Jews who have joined allegedly “antisemitic”, anti-Zionist organizations so as to overcome social isolation and “are willing to throw millions of other Jews under the bus.”
U.S. Jews and not Christian Zionists are Israel’s “bridge” to the Congress and the White House, Israeli minister Nachman Shai tells the American Jewish Committee. “I believe only in you.” And that means shutting down the “Squad” in Congress. “I don’t want to hear those voices coming from the Democratic Party sidelines of refusal to send arms to Israel or to support Israel internationally.” P.S. Shai is a J Street hero.
The liberal Zionist group J Street cannot endorse Ben & Jerry’s decision to stop selling in the occupied territories even as it seems to try to look as if it does. It is balancing the official Jewish community that is angered by Ben & Jerry’s, and young Jews who see Israel as practicing “apartheid.” It’s a straddle with political risks.
Breakdowns of the Shontel Brown victory in Ohio 11 say she vastly outspent progressive Nina Turner, in closing weeks with money from the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC; as mainstream reporters fault Turner for retweeting the “apartheid” charge against Israel, supposedly alienating the Jewish suburban vote. But 40 percent of young Jews agree!
Nina Turner lost a big lead in the Ohio-11 congressional race, apparently because of an onslaught of negative ads that were paid for by the Democratic Majority for Israel but that said nothing about Israel, just questioned Turner’s commitment to Joe Biden. Turner blamed “dark money,” but declined to make Israel an issue in the race. Even though the Democratic base overwhelmingly blames Israel and not the Palestinians for the latest fighting.
Progressive leader Nina Turner was defeated in the closely-watched Ohio primary for Congress tonight by establishment candidate Shontel Brown, according to reports in the media. The victory is a big win for the pro-Israel lobby inside the Democratic Party– and a blow to the insurgent left wing in the party.
“Why are they spending all of that money on little old me? Inquiring minds want to know,” Democratic candidate for Congress Nina Turner says of “millions” pouring into the Ohio primary from special interests. One obvious source of the money is the pro-Israel crowd, which has embraced Turner’s rival Shontel Brown, who says the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel will help the black community fight “hatred” and “persecution.”
Shalev Hulio, the Israeli spyware-maker who is at the center of an international controversy, says the BDS campaign pushed the investigation of his company, and Ben & Jerry’s decision to stop selling in occupied territory. Hulio is right that a new era of accountability has begun for Israel.
Ben & Jerry’s historic decision not to sell in occupied territories, and the fragile, response from Israeli leaders and their American enablers shows: The long-anticipated “tsunami” of international delegitimization of Israel has begun. And the dream of an Israeli F.W. De Klerk– the politician who leads the country away from apartheid — is a fantasy.