‘They’re Back’: The Democrats & Israel

Speaking to an IfNotNow activist in July, Joe Biden said the “occupation is a real problem” and Israel’s “settlements are unnecessary.” In a feigned sense of equanimity, he also said “the Palestinians have to step up…and be prepared to stop the hate” – but good luck waiting for that. It will most likely occur when the Hunchback of Notre Dame straightens out his back.

When asked if he would “pressure Israel to end the occupation,” Biden replied in typical Bidenesque fashion, “Well, you know I have.”

Not to be outdone in speaking from both sides of his mouth, Bernie Sanders in 2014 said that he would “support the security of Israel, help Israel fight terrorism, and maintain its independence” if elected president. But then he immediately went on to say, “I believe in a two-state solution, where Israel has security and the Palestinians have a state of their own.” And this past July, Sanders said he would “absolutely” consider cutting U.S. aid to Israel as a way of pressuring it.

Then there’s 37-year-old Pete Buttigieg. He once described Israel as a “model” in how to deal with security threats, blamed most suffering in Gaza on Hamas, and strongly rejected condemning Israel. Sounds like a good friend – but before getting all choked up, don’t forget that he recently said that the $3.8 billion in military aid that the U.S. gives Israel should be used as “leverage to guide Israel in the right direction.”

Finally, there’s Corey Booker. In April, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach wrote a telling piece in The Jerusalem Post about his relationship with Booker. As a Chabad rabbi at Oxford University many years ago, the rabbi taught and studied Torah with Booker. They soon became close friends, and Booker actually became president of the pro-Israel L’Chaim Society. Rabbi Boteach later introduced him to the Jewish community in New Jersey and supported him politically.

But then Booker “betrayed” his friendship and betrayed Israel, writes Rabbi Boteach. Booker voted for the Iran deal, voted against a bill to stop payments to Palestinian terrorists, and condemned moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. At AIPAC’s annual conference last April, Booker failed to show up, which allowed him to avoid addressing his increasingly ambiguous positions on Israel in public.

Pandering to the far left of the Democratic Party, Booker also failed another test of his commitment to Israel and the Jewish community this past February. In a vote of 77-23, the Senate passed a measure to extend an existing loan guarantee program to Israel, authorize security assistance over a 10-year period of time, and make it illegal to boycott the Jewish state. Along with Warren and Sanders, Booker voted against the measure.

As Americans, we have a right to vote for whoever meets our hopes and aspirations. But none of the current cadre of Democrat hopefuls fit that bill for those of us who prioritize the safety and well-being of Israel.