Chicagoland Pro-Israel Political Update
If you're allodoxaphobic, this newsletter might not be for you
April 14, 2019
If you remember nothing else, at least remember this:
- Annexation: A very bad idea (noun).
- Support this newsletter to help make sense of pro-Israel politics.
Friends,
Three things are certain: death, taxes, and Benjamin Netanyahu saying and doing whatever it takes to get reelected. The biggest unanswered question following his victory is whether his talk of annexing parts or all of the West Bank was election rhetoric or something more.
The motivation for annexation differs from the motivation for the BDS movement, but each threatens Israel's legitimacy and existence as a democratic, Jewish state. Bibi opposed annexation until a few days before the election. He knows what it would mean. If anyone can walk it back he can, but he may need our help.
From 1948 until two years ago, Israeli leaders could count on the U.S. president to provide a counterweight of sanity to the politics of the moment in Israel. With Trump in office, it will be up to Congress and the pro-Israel community to publicly oppose annexation should Bibi assemble a coalition that appears to favor it. On Friday,
four strong friends of Israel in Congress, including Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), and
these Jewish organizations spoke out against annexation.
We must never confuse support for Israel with support for particular policies of Israel's government, and our opposition to policies we disagree with must never come at the expense of continued support for Israel's security and its right to exist as a democratic, Jewish state.
Much is yet to be decided in Israel. Don't jump to any conclusions. I'll have much more on Israel's election and other issues in my next newsletter, which you can expect on Thursday rather than Sunday because Sunday is Pesach.
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ICYMI
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The Danger of Politicizing and Personalizing the U.S.-Israel Relationship.
Dana Gordon and I will be hosting the author of this article, Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) Executive Director Halie Soifer, along with JDCA Chair and former Congressman Ron Klein (D-FL) and special guest humanitarian activist and former Cuban prisoner Alan Gross on the evening of May 21 in Highland Park. Details to come.
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The Fine Print
: This newsletter usually runs on Sunday mornings. Unless stated otherwise, my views do not necessarily reflect the views of any candidates or organizations that I support or am associated with. My views might not even be my views tomorrow; I reserve the right to change my mind as I learn more, and sometimes I make myself mad too. Intelligent, well-informed people may disagree with me; seek out opposing views and decide for yourself. When I link to an article, it doesn't mean that I agree with everything its author has ever said or that I even agree with everything in the article; it means that the article supports or elaborates on the point I was making. Advertisements reflect the views of the advertisers, not necessarily of me, and advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their advertisements. I read, value, and encourage replies to my newsletters, but I don't always have time to acknowledge replies or to engage in one-on-one discussion. Don't expect a reply if your message is uncivil or if it's clear from your message that you haven't read the newsletter or clicked on the relevant links.