This week, an earth-shattering event happened in Congress: House Democrats passed an important budget bill but removed $1 billion in emergency funding for Israel’s Iron Dome: that is, the defense system that protects Israeli communities from rockets and missiles fired, most typically, by US-designated terror organizations in the Gaza Strip. Echoing House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called the move a mere “technical delay.”
It is not.
In fact, the development is much more significant than it appears. Here’s why.
Not a Right-Left Issue
This is not a “right-left” issue and it is not correct to say that “Democrats” are “anti-Israel.” Indeed, some Democrats made supportive statements about Israel, such as liberal-progressive Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY), who Tweeted: “A missile defense system (i.e. Iron Dome) defends civilians from missiles. Hence the name. Only in a morally inverted universe would this be considered a “controversy.” The next day, House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced a separate bill that puts back the very same $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome defense.
A missile defense system (i.e. Iron Dome) defends civilians from missiles. Hence the name. Only in a morally inverted universe would this be considered a “controversy.” https://t.co/z8moIdqWg1
— Rep. Ritchie Torres (@RepRitchie) September 21, 2021
However, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), one of the lawmakers presumed to have had a hand in removing the funding in the first place, stated on Twitter, “I plan on casting a no vote [to the DeLauro bill]. We must stop enabling Israel’s human rights abuses and apartheid government.” Just days earlier, progressive politician and media darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) had submitted an amendment to the annual United States defense spending bill to block the sale of precision-guided munitions to Israel. She explained in a Tweet that this was because of Israel’s “…bombing of Palestinian civilians [and] media centers.”
I plan on casting a no vote.
We must stop enabling Israel’s human rights abuses and apartheid government. https://t.co/2ewRJDe7uK
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 23, 2021
Even more disturbing, a common refrain among anti-Israel influencers is the claim that almost any anti-Israel statement or activity is merely “legitimate criticism of Israeli policies.” It is not. This week, members of the United States Congress attempted to remove financial assistance to the Jewish state’s life-saving defensive system used to neutralize Palestinian terrorism.
That is not “criticism”: it is an attack.
Related Reading: US Lawmakers Known as ‘Squad’ Transform Israel’s Life-saving Iron Dome Missile Defense System Into Tool of ‘State Sanctioned Violence’
The Alarming Rise of Fringe Politicians
Anti-Israel attitudes are nothing new, but they are becoming increasingly mainstream, even among American Jews. A recent survey of US Jewish voters found that 25 percent consider Israel an apartheid state, 34 percent view Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as comparable to racism in the United States, and 22 percent believe that Israel is committing “genocide” against the Palestinians.
And now comes the Congressional move against Israel that succeeded.
It is tempting to think of this week’s events in Congress as a mere “technical delay.” After all, Israel will in the end still receive precision-guided munitions and Iron Dome funding. However, this is the first time that supposedly “fringe” politicians have managed to produce such a large, mainstream impact: namely, altering a major Congressional budget bill.
Evidently, this “fringe” is growing in general popularity — which is what drives democracies — and, consequently, is increasing its real-world political impact.
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Could Support for Israel Become Untenable?
If this anti-Israel trend continues, it will become increasingly untenable for American political leaders to support Israel in all the ways urgently needed. For example:
- It has been long understood that Israel must maintain a “Qualitative Military Edge” over its neighbors, because Israel typically acts defensively. But given the opportunity, Israel’s neighbors are liable to initiate hostilities. Consider what could happen if countries such as Turkey and Egypt, both US allies, possessed the latest F-35 fighter jets but Israel did not.
- Another area of concern is pending action in the International Criminal Court (ICC) that could make it impossible for Israelis to leave their country since they would risk being arrested on charges of “war crimes,” “apartheid” and “crimes against humanity.” This scenario is not merely theoretical: Israeli leaders have already faced arrest warrants for such accusations in friendly nations as the United Kingdom, Spain and others. The ICC does not function as an impartial court but rather is highly politically motivated. Without US political support behind the scenes, prosecution against the Jewish state may succeed, and many Israelis would be subsequently cut off from the world as a result.
- The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has often been dismissed as ineffective, but a boycott by Airbnb would have succeeded were it not for action taken through America’s legal system. A more recent boycott by Ben & Jerry’s is especially troubling because the brand is owned by consumer products giant, Unilever. If Israel loses popular and political support, then such boycotts could extend to other large corporations including oil, financial and shipping companies, global internet systems and more. Such boycotts, if imposed in concert, have the potential to destroy a sovereign state.
Related Reading: Ben & Jerry’s Boycott Violates US Law, HonestReporting Takes Legal Action
Can Anything Be Done?
The reason anti-Israel forces enjoy as much success as they do is precisely because Israel, and its supporters, often minimize or ignore harmful activities until it is too late.
In a democracy, politics is often predicated on popular opinion. That’s why Israel supporters must learn to speak to young, liberal progressives using terms from their own vocabulary: in other words, we have to “meet them where they are.” This requires a fundamentally different approach from any that has previously been adopted.
This is not “business as usual.”
During the Hamas-initiated conflict last May, HonestReporting implemented a style of framing and speaking to people that is proving effective: by emphasizing Israel’s concern for human rights; making stark the harmful impact of terror groups on ordinary Israelis and Palestinians; and being particularly sensitive to race-related politics and notions such as “intersectionality” that permeate the ideology of progressive influencers.
HonestReporting CEO @DanielSpeaksUp in @WashingtonPost:
“Pomerantz cautioned against allowing powerful private companies to dictate foreign policy through boycotts. In the U.S., he said, ‘we reserve that right to our elected officials.’”https://t.co/M3YKTZnBfS
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) July 22, 2021
According to an exclusive HonestReporting poll conducted by the Technometrica market research firm, the data from which we will be releasing in the coming weeks, our approach works. After showing individuals a brief HonestReporting-produced video explaining May’s conflict in the above-mentioned unique style, one-third of respondents (Americans aged 18-44) said they now felt more supportive of Israel. This includes the critically important 18-24 cohort, for which there was a 32 percent rise.
We also learned that roughly 20 percent of Americans are supportive of Israel, about 20 percent are supportive of Palestinians, and the remaining approximately 60 percent don’t have a strong opinion either way. This is further evidence of both the importance and the positive potential of our initiative: it’s not too late to provide a majority of Americans with accurate and persuasive information about Israel in order to have a meaningful effect.
We can communicate with younger generations — and we can succeed. Yet, we must first acknowledge that it is important, that it is possible and, finally, that doing so must be done in a very specific way.
Check this space for updates in the near future, including the release of our survey results and upcoming project to reach young people.
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