|
In mid-September of 2021, the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives stripped funding
for Israel’s missile defense system from its government spending and debt ceiling hike bill after a group of “progressive”
Democratic members threatened to block the legislation unless the aid was withdrawn. The action seemed a clear indication of
the growing power of the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel segment of the Democratic party.
Shortly before, I had written of the urgent need for America to continue its investment in Israel’s
defense – particularly with regard to the Iron Dome missile defense system.[1] The Democratic
party thus gave the appearance of no longer considering the survival of “America’s closest ally in the Middle East” to be of
any importance.
The Democratic administration of President Biden appeared to speak with a “forked tongue”. As I wrote,
“At the start of Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett's meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in September
2021, the latter said the partnership between their countries was ‘founded on the proposition of our two countries working
together, with a common agenda.’
" ‘Our commitment to our partnership with Israel and its security is and always will be unshakeable,’
he added.” (Ref. 1)
“The decision to remove the $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome interception system - which is
estimated to have saved thousands of Israeli civilian lives from terrorist rocket attacks – seemed to signal House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi’s (D., Calif.) willingness to cave in to the increasingly anti-Israel views of the “progressive” members of her
party.[2]
The “Progressive” group protesting the $1 billion in Iron Dome funding included Rep. Mark Pocan (D.,
Wis.) and other members who signed onto unsuccessful legislation to block arms sales to Israel in May of 2021. At least 15
members sponsored or cosponsored that bill, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Rashida Tlaib (D.,
Mich.).
Ocasio-Cortez introduced the amendment to block the funding, then announced it in a tweet that
angered Israel’s supporters because it legitimized Hamas.
Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, which was developed with funding from the Obama
administration, intercepted thousands of rockets fired at Israeli residential areas by Hamas terrorists last spring. During
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s earlier visit to Washington, President Joe Biden committed himself to replenish
Israel’s stock of interceptor rockets. Following the decision to remove the $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome interception
system, the White House declined to clarify its position on the Iron Dome funding. [2]
To many, it appeared that the anti-Semites in the Democratic Party were determining the actions of
the Biden Administration and not the President nor the Democratic Party leadership. This could be rephrased into the common
vernacular as: It had become obvious that “the inmates were running the asylum.”
The ongoing anti-Israel actions of the so-called “Squad” drew an angry response from one prominent
American, Alan Dershowitz. He wrote that the time had come for the Democratic leadership to stand strong against the
anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-decency “squalid Squad”.
He went on to write that The “Squad” was a small group of radical members of the U.S. House of
Representatives who ran for Congress under the banner of the Democratic Party but did not reflect its mainstream policies.
They represented niche districts that were not typical of the Democratic base. They could not be elected in any statewide
race, because they lacked widespread support. They were nominated because of low turnout in primaries and were elected because
their districts were overwhelmingly Democrat. They were fringe Democrats who should not have had influence beyond their
districts. But the House leadership of the Democratic Party exaggerated their significance and gave them more power
than they deserved.
One important issue that distinguished the Squad from mainstream Democrats was their knee-jerk
hatred of Israel and their willingness to deny America’s most important Middle East ally the means to defend its civilians
against rocket attacks from terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as from Iran’s nuclear
program. At least one member of the Squad is an overt anti-Semite who has repeatedly made bigoted statements against
American Jews. Instead of being marginalized for these outrageous canards, she was rewarded by the Democratic leadership by
being given a plum assignment as a member the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
With this “success” the Squad had managed to extort the leadership into removing a billion-dollar
commitment to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome defense system that protected civilians from rocket attacks. The Squad, and its
Democrat allies in the House, threatened to vote against an appropriation bill unless the Iron Dome allocation was removed.
And they won — at least tempoarily. The allocation was removed over the objection of mainstream Democrats and Republicans,
and the Squad claimed victory.
Unfortunately, the “success” of the Squad’s sordid maneuver seemed a sign of their growing influence
in the Democratic Party.
The fact that the Squad picked on the Iron Dome to make its stand against Israel was significant.
The Iron Dome is a system developed jointly by the United States and Israel that is purely defensive. It does not kill, injure,
or threaten anyone. It only protects civilians against war crimes committed by terrorist groups that direct lethal rockets
against innocent civilians.
The fact that the Squad would try to deny Israel the right to defend its civilians speaks volumes
about the lack of morality and decency among Squad members and their allies. It follows from this effort that the Squad will
oppose any and all aid to Israel, including protecting its innocent civilians against Iran’s nuclear threat. The
obvious goal of Squad members is to deny Israel the right to defend itself against aggression. At least one of its members
has even denied that Israel has the right to exist.
These bigoted actions directly violate the platform of the Democratic Party (as well as that of the
Republican Party). The Democratic Party must decide whether it will become captive to its most extreme wing or whether it will
marginalize these radicals who are not only anti-Israel but, in many ways, anti-American. They are intolerant of dissent and
due process for those who disagree with them. They are anti-police, anti-military, and anti-free market economy. Their vision
of America and the world is out of sync with most Democrats and independents.
“Up until recently, they could be largely ignored by voters as a loud but ineffective distraction.
But now that they have managed to influence legislation in so negative a manner, they must be taken seriously by voters and
rejected. The Democratic leadership must make it clear that they reject the policies, attitudes and statements of the squad.”
They cannot get in bed with them.
The time has come, indeed it is long past, for the Democratic leadership to stand strong
against the anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-decency squalid Squad. The leadership can no longer stand idly by the bigotry
of these members of their party.[3]
To further aggravate an already heated environment, Congressman Andy Levin (D-Mich) was set to
introduce a bill toward the end of September 2021 that would make the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
official US policy. The proposed Levin bill was biased and strongly anti-Israel and one more indication of the anti-Semitic
bent of some Democratic lawmakers in Washington.
The Democratic congressman, pushing for a two-state solution with its capital in “East Jerusalem” and
calling for an end to the “occupation,” made no reference to the Palestinian Authority’s pay-for-slay policy; the fact that
the “West Bank” - Judea and Samaria - is the biblical homeland of the Jewish People; that a two-state solution was declared
in 1947 but the Arab countries attacked the fledgling Jewish State; and that never in history was there a Palestinian
state.
If Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the “Two-State Solution Act,” American policy on
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will formally state:
— “[that] only the outcome of a two-state solution can both ensure the state of Israel’s survival as a democratic state and
a national home for the Jewish people and fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their
own.”
— “that the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], including East Jerusalem, and Gaza are occupied territories and should be referred
to as such consistently in official United States policies, communications, and documents.”
— “that the establishment of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories is inconsistent with international
law.”
— “that settlement expansion, demolitions of Palestinian homes, revocations of residency permits, and forced evictions of
Palestinian civilians by Israel impede the establishment of a Palestinian state and violate the human rights of the Palestinian
people.”
— Products made in the Palestinian territories should be marked as made in “West Bank/Gaza,” “West Bank/Gaza Strip,” or “West
Bank and Gaza” — not “Israel,” “Made in Israel,” or “Occupied Territories-Israel.”
— No funds, defense articles or defense services the United States sends to Israel may be used to annex more Palestinian
territory or violate “internationally recognized” human rights.
— The secretary of State and U.S. Agency for International Development administrator may authorize grants to private, nonprofit
and other organizations to support human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the Palestinian territories.
— The United States should reopen its consulate in Jerusalem to engage with Palestinians and allow the reopening of the
Palestine Liberation Organization’s mission in Washington, D.C.
— The United States should encourage the Palestinians to reform their so-called “pay to slay” practice of providing financial
benefits to imprisoned or dead breadwinners, which leaders say is their welfare
program.[4]
On Thursday, 23 September 2021 – only a few short days after the so-called progressive “squad”
of Democrats managed to strip funding for Israel’s missile defense system from the government’s spending and debt ceiling hike
bill - the United States House of Representatives handed the anti-Israel Democrats an overwhelming defeat in a bipartisan
420 – 9 vote to authorize the $1 billion for the Iron Dome missile system. The
action may be a signal that the Biden administration and the Democratic leadership in Congress have finally decided to silence
the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic vitriol emanating from the so-called “Progressive Democrats” in their party.
“Thank you to the members of the US House of Representatives, Democrats and Republicans alike, for the
overwhelming support for Israel and for the commitment to its security,” said Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
“Whoever tries to challenge this support received an unequivocal answer today. The people of Israel
thank the American people and their representatives for their steadfast friendship.”
The actions of the anti-Israel “Progressive Democrats” have been a stark reminder that far-left
agitators can cause serious damage to Israeli security. “The extremist progressive wing of the Democratic Party tried to
unravel the consensus around Israel on the basis of lies and pure anti-Semitism. This is a warning light for Israel and for
the Jewish community. The strong alliance between Israel and the US has won out over them,” said Israel’s Interior
Minister.
Israel’s Interior Minister also stated that, “US support for our missile defense system on a bipartisan
basis is critical for Israel’s defense against rocket attacks conducted by terrorist groups such as Hamas in Gaza – but not
only. Israel’s borders are surrounded by malign actors and terrorist groups who seek to harm our civilians and destroy the
only Jewish State.”
After the handful of the anti-Semitic Democratic congressional representatives managed to strip the
$1 billion funding from a U.S. governmental budget bill, many worried that the extreme-left fringe of the party might hold
more influence than previously thought. However, the bill was brought for a separate vote and passed with overwhelming support
from both Republicans and mainstream Democrats.
Eight Democrats, including Squad members Rashida Tlaib (MI), Ilhan Omar (MN), Ayanna Pressley (MA),
and Cori Bush (MO), voted against the bill funding the Iron Dome. The lone Republican vote against funding Iron Dome was based
upon the Republican legislator’s belief that the U.S. should not provide financial aid to any foreign
country.[5]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References:
- America Must Continue its Investment in Israel’s Defense, David Burton, Son of Eliyahu:
Article 493,
16 September 2021.
- Democrats cave to anti-Israel radicals, strip funding for Iron Dome defense system, Alana Goodman,
World Israel News, 22 September 2021.
- The Squalid ‘Squad’ Is Trying to Destroy Bipartisan Support for Israel, Alan M. Dershowitz,
United With Israel, 23 September 2021.
- Democratic Lawmaker to Introduce Bill Making 2-State Solution Official US Policy,
United With Israel,
23 September 2021.
- House Approves Iron Dome Funding 420-9; Bennett Thanks US for ‘Steadfast Friendship’,
United With Israel,
23 September 2021.
|
|
