Three renowned American Jews could have used their impactful influence in helping to change the trajectory of disdain toward Israel and supporting the Jewish state’s right to defend itself, yet political aspirations seem to have gotten in the way. Who are they?
First on the list is US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has racked up more frequent flyer miles shuffling back and forth to Israel. At first, to sound supportive, then, to return to qualify the support, subsequently, to wag his finger and give ultimatums, and finally to propose unrealistic ceasefire deals and serve up the unappetizing leftovers of an absurd two-state solution.
Blinken, the consummate carrier pigeon, seems willing to be the bearer of threatening messages from his losing political party to the Jewish nation, which has the most to lose by not cooperating with whatever is demanded. The party he represents has failed to control its anti-Jewish constituency and instead has turned bitterly against it. Sadly, Blinken’s ill-timed and highly flawed propositions only add insult to injury.
Lest we forget, it was the late Sen. John McCain who, when commenting on Blinken’s nomination as deputy secretary of state under the Obama administration bluntly said, “Blinken is dangerous to America. He is not only unqualified but, in my view, one of the worst selections of a very bad lot that this president has chosen.”
Invoking Jewish heritage, but disregarding Israel when needed most
Although Blinken invoked his Jewish heritage on his first visit to Israel following the October 7 massacre, it didn’t take long before his personal endearing ethnic identification morphed into the typical cold position of a political hack, advising the Jewish state to find a way to work together with the very same neighbors who celebrated the atrocities against them, visited upon innocents Israelis by Hamas, Gaza’s elected terrorist government.
NEXT IS Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described socialist, who, despite having spent several months volunteering on Kibbutz Sha’ar HaAmakim in 1963, today has no love lost for the Jewish state, openly supporting protests against Israel as they defend themselves from ongoing Hamas attacks.
While doing his best to put all forms of bigotry on a level playing field, Sanders cleverly bundles antisemitism, Islamophobia, and “other forms of bigotry” in the same basket, not to leave anyone out. But who is singling out Muslims on college campuses or proposing a boycott of those who adhere to Islam? The dissonance is not lost on those who recognize his disingenuous concern towards “all” prejudice when only one group is actually being hunted down.
Expressing great respect for Blinken, in a recent interview on NBC News, concerning the Israeli incursion into Rafah, Sanders unashamedly stated that Israel had broken international law and American law, and should not be receiving “another nickel in US military aid.”
On the one hand, Sanders describes Hamas as a “terrible, disgusting terrorist organization which began this war,” but then blames Israel for conducting a full-blown attack on the Palestinian people. Absent from his analysis are the gory details of a savage massacre, the likes of which has not been perpetrated on the Jewish people since the dark days of the Holocaust. Nor does the Senator make mention of the fact that Hamas terrorists are embedded in their civilian population, using public schools, mosques, and homes to store their weapons and as safe shelters for themselves, knowing that if they are targeted, it will be the death of nearby civilians that will garner the scandalous headlines.
These are apparently, minor details that Sanders apparently feels are not worth listing.
It is truly sad to think that a man who once felt passionate enough to volunteer his service to the Jewish homeland, now sees that same place as a rogue nation that violates international law and is responsible for perpetrating war crimes against the people to whom they so generously granted entrance to their own southern communities in order to help them earn a decent living – while making them feel valued.
Third on the list is Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, who speaks of Israel’s “moral obligation” to do a better job, a superfluous statement in light of the grave immorality perpetrated by Hamas terrorists upon whole communities who suffered the worst fate known to mankind. It was in the midst of Israel’s war with these barbarians that Schumer felt the need to express the urgency of new Israeli elections, making the audacious judgment call that he somehow knows better than the Israeli people which government should be leading the country.
Were the Israelis inclined to oust their leaders, it is a decision only they are entitled to make, without the interference of an outsider who has a specific agenda as it relates to how the war should be prosecuted.
While referring to himself as “the highest ranking Jewish elected official in the US,” Schumer used his ethnicity to lend legitimacy to why he is entitled to recommend a regime change. But it’s one thing to invoke your Jewishness and an entirely other thing to physically make it your homeland. Schumer has yet to make that move, and, until he does, he might leave our political future to the people who have the most to gain or lose.
Although he was honest enough to point out that the suffering of Palestinians must be attributed to Hamas, he, too, joined the “two-state solution” chorus, only serving to confirm that he either is ignorant of the Palestinian aspiration to take over all of Israel (“From the river to the sea”) or he is simply naïve in his wishful thinking that a two-state solution will suddenly turn savage, bloodthirsty terrorists into amiable neighbors who are willing to live peaceably. Either way, Schumer has no skin in the game and appears oblivious to a new generation of Palestinian children being trained for warfare with Israel.
Sadly, each of these three men could have made a huge difference, given their sphere of influence. But predictably, as political players, they have chosen to put party considerations before the welfare of the Jewish homeland – a decision which they may realize, albeit too late, was a huge mistake.
The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.