NYT casts aspersions on GOP support for Israel

The NYT published a major article yesterday, namely, G.O.P. and Tea Party Gains Are Mixed Blessing for Israel

They raise concerns for Israel by saying many in the Tea Party are isolationist and that the strong stand of the GOP in favour of Israel is perhaps destroying the bi-partisan support it has enjoy til now. No mention is made that Republicans overwhelmingly (85%) support Israel compared to the Democrats (55%)

I am part on a email list of leading advocates for Israel representing academia and bloggers. Here are some comments;

Citizen Wald

    This is in many ways representative of a new discourse: support for
    Israel, once bipartisan, is dividing along party lines. But what is one
    to make of the particular thrust of this piece: simply objective
    reporting, adding a new observation–or a subtle way of telling
    pro-Israel voters: don’t be so quick to rejoice?

    Misc.: interesting that no mention that Cantor is Jewish (can’t imagine
    a British paper letting that juicy fact go unremarked, can we? of
    course, we have HuffPo and others to point it out).

Barry Rubin

    let’s talk about the real world of the Democrats and not the anti-Israel left’s wish list. In April 2009 Re Stenny Hoyer openly broke with Obama. Congressional Democrats know that Israel is very popular with the American people. They know that the voters are moving toward the Republicans and if they show themselves hostile to Israel they will be in even more trouble. Even some of the Progressives have pro-Israel sentiments. Any conceivable presidential candidate other than Obama is pretty pro-Israel. The real problem is Obama and his White House advisors, not Democratic members of Congress and governors. In addition there is the actual situation. The Palestinians are not cooperative and keep dissing the US policy. The Islamists are anti-American; Iran will continue to be a headache. Read the AIPAC letter from last fall that got overwhelming support in both houses. It was respectful toward Obama but very tough in terms of being pro-Israel.

Lenny ben David

    I’m no fan of the Tea Party, but for Israel it doesn’t appear to be the bogeyman the NYTimes portrays. Ron Paul and his son do not represent the entire party as this July article from Foreign Policy indicates.

    Read the text of the resolution they signed. It’s inspiring and should be sent back to the NYTimes and around to all the 85 new Republicans in the House:

    Tea Party Caucus members endorse Israeli attack on Iran

November 26, 2010 | 6 Comments »

Leave a Reply

6 Comments / 6 Comments

  1. Probably from someplace where there are lots of Jihadists – Sidon, Gaza City, Tehran Dearborn or Portland Oregon.

    PORTLAND, Ore. – A Somali-born teenager plotted “a spectacular show” of terrorism for months, saying he didn’t mind that children would die if he bombed a crowded Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, according to a law-enforcement official and court documents

    Another failed plot from an Islamic immigrant – one of the usual “moderates”.

    Which one will be WMD and which one will get through?

  2. doodiel writes:
    If u mention Sarah Palin one more time u will be banned from Israpundit.

    doo-doo,
    Did Ted retire and make you the owner of this web site?

  3. Michael,

    Sarah Palin has always been a staunch supporter of Israel since before anyone in the lower 48 states had even heard about her. In addition to the lapel pin, she had an Israeli flag mounted on her office wall when she was Governor of Alaska. How many American Jews can say the smae?

    It was the US left, aided and abetted by the mainstream media which is led by the NY Times, which gave us Barack Hussein Obama in an epic American experiment that has gone horribly awry. It was liberal American Jews who contributed to his victory when 78% of them took a complete leave of their senses and voted for him in spite of his long standing and close working relationships with some of the most virulent anti-Semitic and anti-American radicals in America. That Jewish support is now down to 52% but why are 52% of American Jews still supporting someone like Obama after knowing of his pro-radical-Muslim sympathies and whom none of them would hire to run any of their own businesses?