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KAHNTENTIONS

KAHNTENTIONS is a blog post written by Gilbert N. Kahn, Professor of Political Science at Kean University in Union, New Jersey. Beginning in 2011 KAHNTENTIONS was hosted by the New Jersey Jewish News which recently ceased written publication. KAHNTENTIONS presents an open and intellectually honest analysis of issues facing the United States, Israel, as well as Jews world-wide.

BY GILBERT N. KAHN

"These are the times that try men's souls."

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Democratic Progressives and Anti-Semitism (corrected)

Democratic Progressives and Anti-Semitism

The Democratic Party can no longer delay in addressing the growing anti-Israel, anti-Semitic bias that is fermenting within the party. Specifically, within the progressive wing of the party, there are a growing number of supporters as well as Members of Congress—considerably more than just Members of the Squad—who are committed to positions which are anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian, and supportive of the BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) movement.


These are not individuals who oppose the Netanyahu Government, who believe that Israel’s current Government is moving in an undemocratic direction or oppose Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reform package. They appear to be suggesting that the Israeli Government must support their view of how to resolve the conflict with the Palestinians, if Israel should be a recipient of political, economic, or military support from the United States. Many of these progressives even call out Israel for being an apartheid state. Their views are not nuanced or analytical. They are rigidly ideological and exist without any appreciation of the context of the actual politics in the region.


Disagreement with the current Israeli Government is more widespread in the West as well as within Israel than it has ever been. There are many segments of the Jewish community in the U.S. who are angry and even furious at the anti-democratic character of many factions within the Netanyahu Government.


Approximately over 70% of American Jews vote for the Democrats. It is their belief that the Netanyahu Government has failed to understand the consequences of the extreme positions trumpeted by some Members of the governing coalition as manifested by the continuing, huge, national protests in the Israeli streets.


The seriousness of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party is that there is now a new term that has been created, “progressive except for Palestine.” This a clear attack on a progressive voice which agrees that Palestinians are being persecuted by Israelis, but terrorist attacks must cease and modalities need to be found to address the legitimate needs of the Palestinians. Supporters of this position enunciate distinctly progressive views on an array of domestic social issues, but do not support the BDS movements and favor a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.


On the other side, the demand for political purity and the absence of moderation clearly suggests that anyone who articulates a sophisticated understanding of the Middle East cannot be deemed to be progressive. It insists that all progressives must be pro-Palestinian. Suggesting that someone who supports Israel and/or is a supporter of the vision of a Zionist state is not a progressive.


The announced decision from at least four members—so far—of the progressive caucus in the House to boycott Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday is short-sighted, unhelpful, and hurtful; to say nothing of insulting the State of Israel of which Herzog is the Head of State and not the head of the Government.


The time for equivocating on this subject is over and one must recognize that a person or group that is anti-Israel or anti-Zionist is anti-Semitic. It was this theory which the former leader of the British Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, championed. This was responsible, at least in part, for his demise.


For many and especially for Labour Friends of Israel, Corbyn lost the Party leadership and control of the Labour Party because he staunchly refused to recognize the clear implication of his own words. It is even suggested that Corbyn actually hated Jews so much that he was willing to take his party down with him when it was so close to taking back control of the Parliament.


The progressive Democrats may feel proud of their “principled” stance, but their boycott of Herzog is unconstructive, racist, selective, bad for the Democratic Party, and a hateful (read anti-Semitic) gesture towards American Jews. Ironically, in the face of their behavior, the leader of their own party, President Biden—who, himself, repeatedly has criticized the planned Israeli judicial reform package--chose the day before he is to meet with President Herzog, to hold a lengthy telephone conversation with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and invited him to meet in the near future.



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