With the second round of Democratic debates behind us, the prospect of a Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, or Elizabeth Warren presidency should make any American shudder. As a friend of mine said to me half-jokingly, “If one of these politicians wins the election, I’m making aliyah. There’s no way I’m staying around for the socialist revolution.”
The candidates obsessed over climate change, illegal immigrants, and attacking law enforcement while glossing over President Trump’s excellent economy, which has produced record low unemployment for African Americans and Latinos.
These candidates could do nothing but showcase their total distain for regular everyday Americans. Let face it: The Democrats are out of control, and conservatives, Republicans, libertarians, and even Democrats need to wake up and do everything to stop these madmen and madwomen because the future of our country is at stake.
That said, what bothered me most about the debates, as a Jewish-American, was the glaring lack of any discussion about the anti-Semitism that has been festering in the Democratic Party. In just the past two weeks, “The Squad” – Alexandria Orcasio-Cortez (AOC), Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley – have managed to rationalize Palestinian terror and sponsor a boycott-Israel bill.
Last week, AOC appeared on New York City’s “Ebro in the Morning” radio show and rationalized Palestinian mob violence against Israelis. The Palestinians “have no choice but to riot,” said. She said the same about “communities in poverty in the United States.” Last week, she also signed onto a congressional pro-BDS bill.
But not one candidate on the debate stage was asked about her radical stances, or those of her colleagues. Why? Because the Democratic Party has started to become anti-Semitic just like the Labour Party in England already has, thanks to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. And the culprits are not just AOC or Ilhan Omar. Both Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders voted against a congressional resolution against the BDS movement earlier this year.
They did so – they claimed – for “First Amendment reasons.” But they only offered this empty excuse because they know most Americans oppose BDS and recognize Israel’s importance to U.S. interests in the Middle East. Don’t expect Democrats to keep even this scanty fig leaf in place for long. As Professor Eric Alterman pointed out in a New York Times op-ed last week, to be a progressive these days, you have to support the BDS movement.
The younger generation of American Democrats – led by groups like IfNotNow, Bend the Arc, and Black Lives Matter– not only support BDS; they don’t see the value of Israel’s existence. Younger Democrats are in line with “The Squad” who believe the Jews in Israel constitute a western colonialist power occupying a country called Palestine.
And that’s why CNN didn’t ask the candidates where they stand on Israel or their position on BDS legislation. CNN and the Democratic Party are quickly undergoing a Corbynization process. We live in a new age.