The State Department swiftly changed the subject from Israel’s storming of Muslim holy sites to rocket attacks on Israel. “We recognize that Israel has the legitimate right to defend itself against all forms of aggression.”

After doing all he can to avoid confronting Netanyahu, Joe Biden called on him to halt judicial overhaul and said he’s not invited to Washington. Biden knows major Jewish groups have his back.

This week Rep. Hakeem Jeffries was unanimously elected to lead the House Democrats, taking over for the departing Nancy Pelosi. This move has upset the Democratic party’s left flank but there’s at least one group happy to see Jeffries rise: staunch supporters of Israel.

The lead Israel lobby group AIPAC brought 40 members of Congress to Israel, including Democrats who met with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, even as he trashed the Iran deal. Some Democrats reportedly met with disgraced rightwing former premier Benjamin Netanyahu. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries toasted the “land of milk and honey” while Rep. Ritchie Torres celebrated an illegal Israeli settlement in occupied Jerusalem.

Eric Alterman shows real courage in saying that the Bowman-Engel race in NY was liberalism versus Zionism and liberalism won. And that’s a wakeup call to Jews who thought the two belief systems are compatible.