Apparently there are growing voices within parts of the Democratic establishment breaking from the party line on Israel — i.e., not reflexively, knee-jerkingly, unilaterally pro-Israel.
What's interesting is hearing the rhetoric involved. Though not all from one side, there's a vocal group who don't seem to be able to distinguish between "Israel is not perfect, Israel's interests are not identical to the United States, and we should not be afraid to speak out for what is right and what is in our national interest" and being a proponent for a second Holocaust.
That sort of rhetoric tells me, as much as anything else, that a lot of this is driven far more by emotion than rational analysis. And that sort of thing rarely ends well in international (or national) politics. #ddtb
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Israel rift roils Democratic ranks – POLITICO.com Print View
It has been this way since ’48, and it will always be this way unless one party can figure out a way to just say no.
I think the latest flap where the Ambassador to Belgium is being called anti-Semitic (he’s Jewish) for saying that the US’s blind obedience to Israel and the Likud party is causing the US problems and the rise of a new wave of Anti-Semitism across the world, is very telling as to how far down the rabbit hole things have gone.
@BD – Yeah, that was a fairly nutty episode. His basic point that there was (a) cultural “old school” anti-semitism, but also (b) anti-Israel sentiment caused by its own activities and that was something different that also needed to be addressed was greeted with screeches and howls and demand for resignations because any criticism of Israel is prima facie anti-Semitism (and also anti-Christian and anti-American, etc.). It’s absolutely nuts.
http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/12/05/382178/gingrich-romneygutman-belgium-anti-semitism/