I was recently at a meeting with other knowledgeable Jewish Americans and, as one might expect in an October of an even-numbered year, at one point the subject turned to politics.
I say this is no surprise because Jews are said to have one of the highest ? if not the highest ? percentage of voter participation of any bloc in the nation.
But what continues to surprise and disturb me is how quick some Jews are to rank concern for Israel in the middle or near the bottom of their priorities when determining which lever to pull or button to push on Election Day.
There are, of course, many key issues to consider as you step into the voting booth or fill out an absentee ballot. These include the candidate's views on the war in Iraq, the economy, taxes, healthcare, the threats posed by North Korea and Iran, the make-up of the Supreme Court and its impact on abortion and a host of matters. The list is too long to be all-encompassing in this space.
Some make the candidate's personality the key factor; for yet others, the only criteria is party affiliation.
This particular group of Jewish voters I was with was talking about gun violence, healthcare, Darfur and gay marriage as issues of equal importance as - or even taking precedence over - concern for Israel's survival and prosperity. Some even stated plainly that Israel is just one issue for them or related that their friends care about other issues more.
It would have been music to the ears of the American Task Force for Palestine - where Condoleezza Rice spoke earlier this month - the Council on Arab-Islamic Relations and like-minded groups trying their hardest to weaken or dissolve the crucial US-Israel relationship. When American Jews stop caring about US policy toward Israel and the broader Middle East, those groups win and Israel loses.
If Israel is less secure and if American politicians are beholden to Muslim or Arab groups, American Jews are more vulnerable. If you doubt that, ask a French Jew how safe he or she feels in that country as the Muslim population grows and flexes its muscles.
The current Congress has been relatively good for Israel, with some House and Senate members better than others on both sides of the aisle. In the Philadelphia area, where the conversation referred to above took place, no House members could be described as anti-Israel. Pennsylvania's senators happily are very supportive of Israel, though not perfect.
Each Congressional district is up for grabs on November 7, as are a third of the Senate seats. Of course, neither the House nor the Senate is a national election, as is, say, the presidency. Still, each Democrat or Republican elected to the House or Senate on November 7 brings his or her party closer to the majority - and control - in each chamber.
The party in control gets to set the agenda and appoint chairs of the various committees. The chairs, in turn, determine which bills and resolutions move forward, and which others die on the vine.
In the current Congress, bills and resolutions concerning Israel were introduced related to funding, joint economic and research projects, encouragement and gratitude. Those out to harm Israel were also the subjects of bills and resolutions, among them the Palestinian Arabs, Iran, Hizbullah and Saudi Arabia, with funding reductions, travel restrictions and condemnations among the arrows in the Capitol Hill quiver, as representatives sought to punish those threatening our ally.
So, who's better for Israel?
On the one hand, Secretary Rice stated recently: "I believe that there could be no greater legacy for America than to help to bring into being a Palestinian state for a people who have suffered too long, who have been humiliated too long...." Continued Republican control of Congress could see that goal and attitude advanced.
Meanwhile, some members of the House who are antagonistic toward Israel, including one who said he saw no difference between Hizbullah and the Israel Defense Forces, are in line to chair key committees should the Democrats gain the majority.
These are real scenarios that could determine what steps Israel is allowed to take to fight for her very existence. We all remember the 4,000 missiles Hizbullah fired at Israel this summer and the fact that Israel had just a month to try to stop Hizbullah before the United Nations put a halt to the fight. We know Iran's intentions against Israel and its undeterred efforts to produce nuclear weapons.
The only people thinking about these issues come Election Day will be concerned Jews and Christian Zionists, and also those Americans with an antipathy toward Israel. This represents a relatively small percentage of the electorate in any individual district or state.
We all desire a safer, more civil nation, but there are other constituencies to advocate for or against a whole host of social and fiscal issues. It is time for those who are committed to Israel's security and right to flourish to base their choices on November 7 on who will be best for Israel. This must be paramount, even though other issues should concern us, too. Israel's enemies who vote in America have their priority. We must be even more dedicated in ensuring that critical American support for Israel does not waver.
I say this is no surprise because Jews are said to have one of the highest ? if not the highest ? percentage of voter participation of any bloc in the nation.
But what continues to surprise and disturb me is how quick some Jews are to rank concern for Israel in the middle or near the bottom of their priorities when determining which lever to pull or button to push on Election Day.
There are, of course, many key issues to consider as you step into the voting booth or fill out an absentee ballot. These include the candidate's views on the war in Iraq, the economy, taxes, healthcare, the threats posed by North Korea and Iran, the make-up of the Supreme Court and its impact on abortion and a host of matters. The list is too long to be all-encompassing in this space.
Some make the candidate's personality the key factor; for yet others, the only criteria is party affiliation.
This particular group of Jewish voters I was with was talking about gun violence, healthcare, Darfur and gay marriage as issues of equal importance as - or even taking precedence over - concern for Israel's survival and prosperity. Some even stated plainly that Israel is just one issue for them or related that their friends care about other issues more.
It would have been music to the ears of the American Task Force for Palestine - where Condoleezza Rice spoke earlier this month - the Council on Arab-Islamic Relations and like-minded groups trying their hardest to weaken or dissolve the crucial US-Israel relationship. When American Jews stop caring about US policy toward Israel and the broader Middle East, those groups win and Israel loses.
If Israel is less secure and if American politicians are beholden to Muslim or Arab groups, American Jews are more vulnerable. If you doubt that, ask a French Jew how safe he or she feels in that country as the Muslim population grows and flexes its muscles.
The current Congress has been relatively good for Israel, with some House and Senate members better than others on both sides of the aisle. In the Philadelphia area, where the conversation referred to above took place, no House members could be described as anti-Israel. Pennsylvania's senators happily are very supportive of Israel, though not perfect.
Each Congressional district is up for grabs on November 7, as are a third of the Senate seats. Of course, neither the House nor the Senate is a national election, as is, say, the presidency. Still, each Democrat or Republican elected to the House or Senate on November 7 brings his or her party closer to the majority - and control - in each chamber.
The party in control gets to set the agenda and appoint chairs of the various committees. The chairs, in turn, determine which bills and resolutions move forward, and which others die on the vine.
In the current Congress, bills and resolutions concerning Israel were introduced related to funding, joint economic and research projects, encouragement and gratitude. Those out to harm Israel were also the subjects of bills and resolutions, among them the Palestinian Arabs, Iran, Hizbullah and Saudi Arabia, with funding reductions, travel restrictions and condemnations among the arrows in the Capitol Hill quiver, as representatives sought to punish those threatening our ally.
So, who's better for Israel?
On the one hand, Secretary Rice stated recently: "I believe that there could be no greater legacy for America than to help to bring into being a Palestinian state for a people who have suffered too long, who have been humiliated too long...." Continued Republican control of Congress could see that goal and attitude advanced.
Meanwhile, some members of the House who are antagonistic toward Israel, including one who said he saw no difference between Hizbullah and the Israel Defense Forces, are in line to chair key committees should the Democrats gain the majority.
These are real scenarios that could determine what steps Israel is allowed to take to fight for her very existence. We all remember the 4,000 missiles Hizbullah fired at Israel this summer and the fact that Israel had just a month to try to stop Hizbullah before the United Nations put a halt to the fight. We know Iran's intentions against Israel and its undeterred efforts to produce nuclear weapons.
The only people thinking about these issues come Election Day will be concerned Jews and Christian Zionists, and also those Americans with an antipathy toward Israel. This represents a relatively small percentage of the electorate in any individual district or state.
We all desire a safer, more civil nation, but there are other constituencies to advocate for or against a whole host of social and fiscal issues. It is time for those who are committed to Israel's security and right to flourish to base their choices on November 7 on who will be best for Israel. This must be paramount, even though other issues should concern us, too. Israel's enemies who vote in America have their priority. We must be even more dedicated in ensuring that critical American support for Israel does not waver.