The antisemitism problem within America’s two-party political system

The Democratic party just came close to officially adopting a resolution which would have condemned election influence of AIPAC, the pro-Israeli lobby group, while ignoring other super pacs, that have no connection to the Jewish state. 

Said to be the most influential bipartisan group, The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, (AIPAC) was founded in 1954, advocating for the security, military cooperation and legislative support of Israel. 

The resolution, defeated just last week, attempted to sideline AIPAC, under the guise of “condemning large-scale outside spending in elections.” Oddly, no other lobby groups were mentioned, despite the great financial influence they also wield. 

At a time when many Democrats have taken a virulently anti-Israel stand, especially following the events of October 7th, such as the Squad and other progressives, a resolution condemning a Jewish lobby, would have been one more nail in the coffin of a party that now sees Jews as a clear liability rather than the loyal bloc they always represented at election time.

It is the reason why a significant number of Jews have left the party, over the past couple of years, contending that the party really left them, feeling that it’s no longer a welcoming and inclusive home for their ethnicity.

For too long, there have been justified suspicions, of party members, who began to distance themselves from the Jewish support that had always been taken for granted. As the liberal party, Democrats were known to embrace marginalized minorities and especially anyone who didn’t fall into the white, Anglo Saxon, Protestant camp.

But those days are over. We knew something was up when presidential hopeful, Kamala Harris chose the little-known, goofy Minnesota governor, Tim Walz as her running mate rather than the more capable, articulate, younger and personable Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro.  Could it be that his last name was a dead giveaway?

Those obvious sentiments weren’t the only tip-off. When massive demonstrations began to take place throughout major U.S. cities, accusing Israel of committing genocide, echoed by Democratic members of Congress, all doubts dissipated when trying to figure out the direction being taken by the party.

Of course, with the advent of a new generation of young Woke voters, even the old guard of the Democratic party, some whom included Jews, such as Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, understood that a major accommodation had to be made for that bloc, if they wanted to be assured of their vote.

Consequently, Jewish politicians became silent, even in the face of horrific libelous accusations of war crimes being committed by Israel. Rather than speak out and reject the bigotry, coming from every corner, these cowards proved that they were willing to sell out their ancestral homeland as well as their own people, all for the sake of retaining their political power.

As politicians began to internalize the ever-growing Muslim vote, which promised to back those who supported their own antisemitic leanings, they understood the importance of a powerful demographic that could make all the difference for them.

Once Muslim Americans started to enter the political arena, individuals such as Zohran Mamdani, a virtual unknown, prior to his running for mayor of New York City, was pushed as the candidate of change, appealing to a large swath of young voters, with no historical frame of reference regarding Israel.

Their Woke school education helped to reinforce the notion that the Jewish state fit nicely into the white, oppressor, colonialist box. So, it wasn’t odd that, once they connected those dots, all Jews would, likewise, be guilty by association.  

But Democrats are not the only political party suffering from this unexpected phenomenon, because the same malaise has hit the Republican Party, similarly causing Jews to feel a bit skittish about moving into their camp.

What began as a good slogan of “America First,” intending to prioritize problematic issues that needed to be tackled for the American citizenry, a misplaced interpretation of isolationism gave way, with the impression that nothing else mattered.

Although Americans don’t necessarily feel threatened by distant regimes, it doesn’t mean that those threats are not real or imminent. In many cases, it means that they are not paying attention to a rapidly changing world and the nefarious aspirations of evil regimes.

In this case, Iran was a perfect example of a powder keg about to explode. At the very precipice of developing nuclear weapons, they would soon have the ability to put an end to the two nations they hated the most – the U.S. and Israel, the Great Satan and the Little Satan, as they called them.

The inability to see this impending danger resulted in many Republicans concluding that their president entered into a war with Iran solely to help its very close ally, Israel.

It didn’t matter that everyone in the Trump administration denied such absurd claims. Their logical and plausible explanation that a nuclear-armed Iran was unacceptable, simply did not satisfy some Republicans who came to see the Jewish state as the sole reason their gas and food prices were rising.

Aided by the loud voices of anti-Israel podcasters, more and more, within the Republican Party are now being manipulated to look at Jews as the problem, causing them to part with their money.  

Recently, one sticker was spotted at an Ohio gas station, portraying a Jewish caricature, pointing to the high price at the pump, saying, “The Jews Did This!” Such a disgraceful image is no longer directed at Israel, but anyone who shares that ethnicity.

When a two-party political system has to look for a scapegoat to cover up their own failures or inabilities to recognize the evil in this world, that comes from many sources, especially those who believe that Islam is the only true religion to which everyone must adhere, that’s when it’s time to recognize that both parties are suffering from the common malady of antisemitism.

Underestimating the goal of Islamic world dominance will only further alienate Jews from both parties, as they realize that they are not really welcomed in either camp.

Political commentator Ben Shapiro said, “What you’re seeing right now, on the political right, is a deliberate attempt by a small but loud faction to redefine conservativism away from its traditional moorings and toward something rooted in grievance, conspiracy and a kind of identity politics that mirrors the worst instincts of the left.”

If these two parties don’t pay attention to this troubling trend, Jewish support will be up for grabs, as their uncertain political future collides with their overall sense of security.  In the end, it’s possible that it will be one of the contributing factors for Jews to realize that America, itself, is no longer a place they can call home!