Democrat Support for Israel Is Beginning to Crumble

Hotair ^ | 11/29/2023 | David Strom

[SeekAndFind]

In the wake of the anti-Israel protests that have been fracturing the Democrat base, the expected collapse of Democrat support for Israel is beginning.

As Ed wrote earlier today, the Biden Administration is signaling that its support for Israel is waning, although they insist that it isn’t. They have walked back their tweet that suggested Israel was committing atrocities and that a “permanent” cease-fire should be on the table.

Hamas unleashed a terrorist attack because they fear nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace.

To continue down the path of terror, violence, killing, and war is to give Hamas what they seek.

We can’t do that.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 28, 2023

“To continue down the path of terror, violence, killing, and war is to give Hamas what they seek.” To my ears, this sounds like Biden is saying that Israel is engaged in terror, violence, killing, and war.

Whether you read it that way or not, it was clear that Biden was suggesting that the war had to stop prior to the elimination of Hamas. While the White House has walked this back, other Democrats are clearly pushing in this direction.

The latest example comes from more than a dozen Democrat Senators who met with Biden at the White House to express their reservations about the level of US support for Israel.

Dem senators tell White House any further assistance to Israel 'must be consistent with our interests'


https://t.co/9JL0aG8gas

— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 29, 2023

On its face, the demand that US support for Israel should be “consistent” with US interests is simply a restatement of the obvious, but clearly, the message is something else: US support for Israel is not consistent with US interests.

That’s rich since the US is bending over backward to aid Iran by reducing sanctions and transferring funds to Iran, whose leaders keep shouting, “Death to America!”

More than a dozen Democratic senators visited the White House this week, where they discussed the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the impact it has had on Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and what steps the Biden administration would take after the temporary cease-fire expires.

U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Jack Reed, D-R.I., were joined by over a dozen of their Democratic colleagues for a meeting with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday. The named lawmakers then released a statement on Wednesday detailing what was discussed.

According to the statement, the senators condemned the brutal terror attacks by Hamas, expressed support for funds to immediately replenish Israel’s defensive systems, and tasked the White House with detailing its plan to support Israel in a way that advances U.S. interests.

“We continue to support additional assistance to Israel in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attacks – but we are all in agreement that this assistance must be consistent with our interests and values and used in a manner that adheres to international humanitarian law, the law of armed conflict, and U.S. law,” the Democrats said.

They added: “We need to find a better path toward helping Israel achieve legitimate military and security objectives. U.S. assistance has never come in the form of a blank check – regardless of the recipient.”

It’s pretty clear what they mean: they agree with the progressive criticism of Israel’s conduct of the war, and they want Biden to pressure Israel to change paths, likely to a cease-fire with Hamas before its destruction.

Cracks in the coalition to support Israel have been evident for a while now, and the pressure on Biden will get stronger as we get closer to the election. Democrats are worried that the progressive wing of their party is breaking with Biden’s policy and that it will cost them in the next election.

Jews are, in the end, not that electorally important to Democrats, while young progressives are a key part of their base. While Jews have voted with Democrats consistently, they are concentrated in Blue areas (except Florida, which is now firmly Red anyway).

If it sounds cynical to focus on electoral politics, that’s because it is. Israel clearly has the moral high ground here, but Democrats have been squishy on Israel for a while now, and progressives have developed a genuine hatred for the Jewish state. Combine those two factors, and you have to predict that Democrats will begin to flake off.

What’s not clear is whether Biden has the power to stop Israel from eliminating Hamas, which is obviously an existential threat to the country. In most cases, US pressure would be determinative, but in this one, it likely will not be. Biden may have little choice but to continue supporting Israel as long as he can. The alternative may be a break with Israel, which would shatter the Democrat coalition as older Democrats still support the country.

These are the fruits of pushing the DEI ideology, which has labeled Israel an oppressor and, hence, always wrong.

It’s disgusting, but there it is.

[TheWriterTX]

Of course it has.

It was only a millimeter thick to begin with.

[Celtic Conservative]

It was never really there in the first place. Just opportunists chasing poll numbers.

CC

[frank ballenger]

Just Israel’s bad luck to have to depend upon people who lack integrity and courage.

If the political winds blow the weathervane of poll support in another direction the Dems will be out in the street holding an “Israelis Guilty of Genocide” placard.

[SeekAndFind]

Reinstating Jerusalem, "God" language met with boos at DNC Convention in 2012

After the motion was met with resentment, Democratic National Convention chairman Antonio Villaraigosa had to call the vote three times to reinstate language into their party platform that recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as well as the words "God-given" in a passage about employment

[frank ballenger]

The stupid Dems at home think a war can be fought without any accidental killings or incorrect surveillance reports leading to friendly fire tragedies. War is not a tea party.

Like All in the Family when Edith was asked if she agreed with Archie Bunker.
“I guess I’m for capital punishment. As long as it ain’t too severe.”

[MTBobcat]

They’re going to again cheat nationally to win the presidential election where needed in swing state Dem counties, so the only reason to shift to supporting literal terrorists is to try and hold the Senate and hold seats in the House.

[NWFree]

Their fake support is faltering

[sauropod]

.

[forYourChildrenVote4Bush]

In the 1960’s France did something very smart

They decided to manufacture their own military equipment, planes , missiles, artillery, etc … instead of buying from the USA , even though it was more expensive, the reason was to be able to dictate their own foreign policy and not have the USA dictate its foreign policy

Israel needs to do the same , manufacture their own military hardware,maybe not in the big items like planes and such but at least by bunker busters , air to air , air to surfac hardware. They need to break free from USA

Israel has seen this scenario for 50 years !!! Same crap , the United States backs them for about a month then they squeeze the faucet shut. 50 years !!!

More and more countries I think are starting to manufacture their own military hardware. South Korea , Japan , India , England , Sweden etc Israel needs to do the same

[vpintheak]

Is anyone really surprised? Really? Their support was always skin deep.

[AlaskaErik]

And come next November American Jews will still overwhelmingly vote for Democrats. So much for “Never again.”

[Long Jon No Silver]

Since when is seeing a bunch of lunatic musloid savages destroyed not in America’s interest. It takes the pressure off the U.S having to do it themselves.

[Jean2]

I suspect that even this will not persuade the Jews to rethink their support for the Democrat party.

[A strike]

Israel manufactures much of its military equipment.

-fJRoberts-

[A strike]

Israel manufactures much of its military equipment.

-fJRoberts-

[chajin]

The October 7 massacre, like 9/11, was too disgusting for the left to come out on the aggressors’ side. So in both cases they supported the attacked rather than the attackers, at least at first. But also in both cases, they couldn’t keep up the rational reaction, and they reverted to their usual stand, that the issue is always the revolution, jihadis are considered part of the revolution, and Israel is America’s mini-me when it comes to counter-revolutionary existence. It was as predictable as the sunrise.

[Mark17]

It was only a millimeter thick to begin with.

TRUE.

[forYourChildrenVote4Bush]

It’s always at the 70-75 % I think

[No name given]

I always knew the rat party hated Israel. This article just proved me right.