The 2024 Democratic National Convention has by now faded into the media’s rearview mirror. Yet one thing remains clear.
The major parties differ on the issue of Israel, that is, both in sentiment and substance.
This serves to underscore just how critical Nov. 5, 2024 (in the United States) is for the Jewish state.
Bastion of Anti-Jewish Sentiment?
The conduct of the Democratic Party at its recent convention underscores a doleful truth.
This is that, by-and-large, the party has become a bastion of animus towards the Jews — not only on the collective level vis-à-vis the Jewish state, but also towards the individual Jew, even American Jews.
Indeed, there is no other way to interpret what took place during the Convention, and before it it.
Thus, in large measure, the convention reflected the blossoming of the process initiated in 2009 by Barack Obama, when he intimated that distancing itself from Israel would benefit U.S. foreign policy.
True, some have attempted to "put lipstick on a pig" — downplaying the significance of incidents that underscore this trend and overplaying those that don’t. But the real point is not only the nature of the events that occurred, but the trend they represent.
Antisemitism as a 'Point'
Although the convention did block a Palestinian speaker from addressing the convention, this was overshadowed by the fact that Jewish members were compelled to assemble in hiding to conduct Jewish-related affairs for fear of disruption by anti-Jewish mobs.
Indeed, one can only wonder what departing president, Joe Biden, had in mind when he conceded that the raucous pro-Hamas hooligans, outside the convention, "had a point" —in expressing their "outrage" at the IDF response to the murder and mutilation, the ravages and rapes of seniors and infants; men and women in the peaceful population of the towns, villages and agricultural communities in the Gaza Envelope.
The timing of this shift in sentiment seems particularly incongruous, coming as it does when the Palestinians seem more worthy than ever of censure/sanction, rather than support/sympathy.
Indeed, this is even more astounding since this hostility comes hard-on-the-heels, not only of unspeakable barbarity on the part of the Gazan Palestinians, but also the glee with which the appalling atrocities were celebrated by many Palestinians, in general.
Crucible, Not Victim
Moreover, it's difficult to differentiate between the moral culpability of the general populace in Gaza and their elected leadership.
Indeed, contrary to popular belief, the overall population in Gaza is not the victim of its radical Hamas leaders.
Rather, it is the crucible in which Hamas was forged and the incubator from which it emerged.
Thus, Hamas is not an unwelcome imposition on an otherwise placid population, but an authentic reflection of its innermost desires.
But rather than side with Israel, the Democratic party and the Biden administration chose to take unprecedented measures against the elected government of an ally.
Thus, with cynical exploitation of his Jewish origins, Democratic Senate leader, Chuck Schumer, purported to know better than Israel’s electorate itself what is good for it.
In a desperate attempt to kowtow to his party’s increasingly radical wing, he accused the recently elected Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of being an "obstacle to peace," calling for new elections to replace him — despite the fact that, even today, he's the most popular politician in the country.
This, of course, is something Sen. Schumer would never have presumed to do with any other democratic ally of the U.S. — or even any non-democratic adversary. Thus, somehow, Schumer found no reason to urge removing any member of the brutal Iranian regime.
Pompous Pretentiousness
Even more perturbing is the initiative by Biden’s State Department to impose sanctions on rightwing Israeli citizens, and threaten sanctions on duly-elected Israeli ministers.
Stunningly, none of the sanctioned individuals/organizations have been accused — never mind, convicted — of any current transgressions by Israeli law-enforcement agencies.
With unmatched audacity, the administration pompously proclaimed, "The United States remains deeply concerned about [Jewish] extremist violence and instability in the West Bank, which undermines Israel’s own security" neglecting of course any mention of how Arab extremism might impact Israel’s security.
Then, arrogantly, it announced that if Israel does not comply, the U.S. will take it upon itself to deal with "recalcitrant" Israeli citizens — with no commensurate intentions regarding lawless Arabs, who regularly stone, firebomb, and shoot at Israeli citizens, "We strongly encourage the government of Israel to take immediate steps to hold these individuals and entities accountable.
"In the absence of such steps, we will continue to impose our own accountability measures."
Imagine the ensuing outcry should Washington threaten to intervene and supersede the functioning of national law enforcement authorities in any other country — especially if American citizens were not directly impacted by the action/inaction of those authorities.
Perverse, Paradoxical
Substantively, Democratic support for the Palestinian cause seems highly incongruous.
After all, for anyone who ostensibly embraces progressive-liberal values, there should be little attraction in the establishment of any Palestinian entity, especially a theocratic tyranny, such as a Hamas-ruled Gazan enclave.
Indeed, why would the party endorse establishing (yet another) homophobic, misogynistic Muslim-majority tyranny, whose hallmarks would be suppression of women, oppression of homosexuals, and repression of non-Muslims?
Clearly then, there is nothing that corresponds with the values the Democratic party professes to cherish, and the support for gender discrimination, gay persecution, religious intolerance, and political oppression that would characterize any self-governing Palestinian entity.
So, if the new surge of support for Hamas and Gaza is antithetical to values allegedly dear to the Democratic party, but is manifestly detrimental to the Jewish state, and by association, Jews who identify with it, what could be the motivation behind this malicious and malignant shift?
Antisemitism certainly seems a highly plausible answer.
Martin Sherman spent seven years in operational capacities in the Israeli defense establishment. He is the founder of the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a member of the Habithonistim-Israel Defense & Security Forum (IDSF) research team, and a participant in the Israel Victory Project. Read Martin Sherman's Reports — More Here.
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