The U.S. and Israel

Traditionally, our two countries have been close allies, notwithstanding at times serious policy differences along the way.  But with the growth of the left within the Democrat party, and the likely near retirement of some of the old guard who stood by Israel (think Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Chuck Schumer), it is clear that the times they are a changing.

When the House needed to pass a continuing budget resolution in order to keep the government open and functioning, members of the left-wing "progressive" segment of the party were able to eliminate a very specific item from the resolution.  That item would have have provided $1 billion in aid for Israel to replenish their Iron Dome missile defense batteries.  Many of those missiles were used in the recent May war with Hamas.  Recall that the Iron Dome missile defense system was developed jointly by the U.S. and Israel.   

Hoyer (D-MD), pledged to get a separate vote on the funding by the end of this week.  But we have seen how the growing left-wing of the party has no affinity for Israel, and an increasing impact on legislation.

Recently, newly elected Israeli Prime Minister was at the White House.  Here is the Executive Director of CAIR (the Council on American Islamic Relations):  "President Joe Biden is hosting the leader of the Israeli Taliban."  CAIR, the leading Islamic organization in the country, equates the democratically elected Israeli Prime Minister with the Taliban.  

Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich) recently Tweeted about a Palestinian mother (Rashid is a Palestinian American) "fighting to be able to bury her daughter and begin her dealing."  Tlaib told us that this "loving daughter and successful PhD student was killed by the Israeli government... (and) Israel won't release her body to her family."  

Sounds awful.  Unless you know what Tlaib left out.  Which was this "loving daughter" committed a terrorist attack.  She was not killed by the Israeli government, but by the security forces she targeted.  And Israel does have a policy of not returning the bodies of terrorists to their families.  Why?  Because the Palestinians will celebrate yet another martyr, and in the process encourage more terrorist attacks.  Keep that in mind as you contemplate the fact that Tlaib is a respected member of the Democratic House caucus.  

And The Algemeiner (an online Jewish paper) reported on a recent poll of Jewish college students.  They noted that "a poll released Monday found that half of 'openly Jewish' college students have at times attempted to conceal their religious identity on campus, and that they are more likely to do so the longer they're enrolled."  They go on to state that "more than half have hidden their support of Israel."  And, quite disturbingly, 30% who hid their Jewish identity did so because they feared their professors would give them lower grades if they knew the students were Jewish.

We are living in an era when open support for Israel can cause people to be ostracized.  And, as we know, the attacks are overwhelmingly coming from the left wing of the Democrat Party.