U.S. election campaign 2012: The year of talking dangerously

[bemildred]

"Any Jew who supports Obama is ultimately an enemy of Israel and the Jewish people."

This was the terse verdict of Internet commenter Daniel on the blog known as "Yid with Lid," in response to the recent joint statement issued by the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee that beseeched the Jewish community to avoid "polarizing debates" and "political attacks" in the upcoming presidential campaign.

"You must be kidding," was the no-less-pointed reaction of conservative columnist William Kristol, one of the leaders of the well-funded and aggressively outspoken Emergency Committee for Israel, echoing widespread suspicion on the American right that the plea by the ADL's Abe Foxman and the AJC's David Harris was simply a ploy aimed at shielding President Barack Obama from the wrath of his Jewish detractors.

Indeed, if the so-called unity pledge achieved anything at all, it was to highlight the Jewish community's state of utter disunion as it approaches the 2012 presidential campaign.

http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/west-of-eden/u-s-election-campaign-2012-the-year-of-talking-dangerously-1.393681

[LeftishBrit]

1. Certainly there are people trying to exploit Jewish (as with other groups') concerns to push people

to the Right; but I somehow doubt that it will work.

I disagree that this shows the 'Jewish community's state of utter disunion'. Of course, the Jewish community never was or will be a monolith anywhere - as the saying goes, 'two Jews, three opinions' - but I'd say this report suggests that the Jewish community is relatively united in rejecting the Republican Right. As indicated by the fact that out of about 40 Jewish members of Congress, only *one* is a Republican.

Those who do support the Right seem to be a minority, and angry about being a minority.

'The fact that Foxman and Harris - staunch defenders of Israel, who are often the target of strong criticism from the liberal wing of American Jewry - were immediately branded by some as left-wing collaborators of the Democratic Party, is a harbinger of the charged atmosphere and the acrimonious dialogue that surely lies ahead.'

I would rather say that it suggests that mainstream Jewish organizations are continuing not to co-operate with the far-right-wingers, much to the latter's annoyance.

'The Republicans, after all, are planning to do exactly what Foxman and Harris were somewhat naively seeking to avoid: to use Israel as a "wedge issue";'

Is this likely to work, though? First of all, not everyone is going to regard right-wing policies as good for Israel! Secondly, I doubt that many voters, including Jewish ones, are going to cast their votes just on the basis of attitudes to Israel. Thirdly, the Republicans have all sorts of other attitudes - anti-minorities; pro-Christian-theocracy; anti-intellectual; anti-science - that are unlikely to appeal to most Jews.

'what many Jewish Republicans now view...'

Many Jewish Republicans? You mean, both of them?


In the UK, incidentally, Jews seem to vote similarly to the rest of the population. But British Tories are far less Christian-Right-dominated, and indeed generally far less right-wing (bad as they are!), than the current American Republican Party.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

2. And indeed a bit less right-wing (bad as they are!) than the current American Democratic Party. N.T.

[bemildred]

5. Somewhat overblown, yes.

But with a few interesting bits.

[King_David]

3. I will be the 1st time in my life ever

That I will be labelled an Enemy of Israel and The Jewish people....So Be It .

[azurnoir]

4. Interesting article indeed thanks n/t