The Vice President is carving out a political identity on Israel that threads the needle between the old guard and progressive wing of the Democratic Party
“As the presumptive Democratic nominee, she must align the traditional ironclad support for Israel of the old guard with the more progressive sentiments within her party.” Really Elise? How do you align support of any kind of Israel with the rabid antisemitism of the “progressives” Omar, Tlaib or the antisemitic former Jew Sanders? Align blind supports for Arab terror with the ideas and thoughts of the old guard? That would be a feat not even David Copperfield could achieve. Can you prove me wrong?
We must remember that certain voices sympathetic to the Nazi's during the 1930's gave them a semblance of legitimacy. That nievete gave rise to future atrocities. Kamala Harris' call for a cease fire in Gaza before Hamas is defeated plays into the hands of those evil doers bent on the destruction of Israel and the Great Satan-- the United States. Standing fast with Israel will hasten the end of innocent Gazan lives lost.
Well thought out and well written. Thank you for having the courage to post it.
One can see in most of the comments to your post a fossilized thinking that will only lead to more of what we’ve seen the past few decades. That thinking might bring some amount of security to Israel but it will not result in real security or lasting peace. It’s the security of the smoldering powder keg.
Permanent resolution of the conflict will require either total annihilation/relocation of one side or the other or both sides engaging in the uncomfortable process of negotiation and compromise with each side forced to negotiate “nonnegotiable” issues.
The first route, which the Israelis are on now and Hamas dreams of, may lead to “victory” but it will be at the cost of their souls. The second route may take years of trust building and mutual respect but is the only option for lasting peace. Old leadership and old leaders cannot make it happen. And the first task of new leaders is to change hearts and minds of their own people. Rehumanizing after decades of dehumanizing is a daunting task, to say the least.
The first step toward the second option is to stop rewarding and enabling extremism on both sides. Right now, the extremists are setting the agenda and feeding off each other. If Harris can see a way to call out and marginalize extremism while rewarding and enabling risk taking by “moderates,” peace might have a chance.
Frankly, I don’t see much hope for success as extremism and the hatred and conflict it breeds and feeds off of has been in the driver’s seat of the conflict for far too long. Driven by grievance and vengeance, it is much easier to understand and is more satisfying to pursue. Unfortunately, the status quo “powder keg security” might be the only outcome we can expect. It will give a false sense of security to Israelis (and continued suffering to Palestinians) but will ultimately lead to the next explosion and, as always, Palestinian and Israeli innocents will bear the brunt of it.
Shortly after Harris' condescending and insulting statement pushing Israel for a ceasefire, Hamas rejected the ceasefire conditions Israel had just set out. They know if they hold out long enough, that Harris, in order to win Michigan, will force Israel into defeat.
She can tout any pablum she wants about being on Israel's side and how bad Hamas is, but her words have real life and death consequences. You cannot thread the needle in the middle east. There are complete winners and there are losers in that part of the world. There is no inbetween. If she doesn't understand that she is unfit to be president.
Also why would anyone vote for someone who wants to kowtow to the antisemitic wing of the democratic party? If she doesn't have enough backbone to stand up to rabid Jew-haters, she wont have the backbone to stand up to Putin or Xi.
“As the presumptive Democratic nominee, she must align the traditional ironclad support for Israel of the old guard with the more progressive sentiments within her party.” Really Elise? How do you align support of any kind of Israel with the rabid antisemitism of the “progressives” Omar, Tlaib or the antisemitic former Jew Sanders? Align blind supports for Arab terror with the ideas and thoughts of the old guard? That would be a feat not even David Copperfield could achieve. Can you prove me wrong?
We must remember that certain voices sympathetic to the Nazi's during the 1930's gave them a semblance of legitimacy. That nievete gave rise to future atrocities. Kamala Harris' call for a cease fire in Gaza before Hamas is defeated plays into the hands of those evil doers bent on the destruction of Israel and the Great Satan-- the United States. Standing fast with Israel will hasten the end of innocent Gazan lives lost.
An excellent analysis. On the political side, I'm sure she would like to recoup some of the losses in Michigan.
Well thought out and well written. Thank you for having the courage to post it.
One can see in most of the comments to your post a fossilized thinking that will only lead to more of what we’ve seen the past few decades. That thinking might bring some amount of security to Israel but it will not result in real security or lasting peace. It’s the security of the smoldering powder keg.
Permanent resolution of the conflict will require either total annihilation/relocation of one side or the other or both sides engaging in the uncomfortable process of negotiation and compromise with each side forced to negotiate “nonnegotiable” issues.
The first route, which the Israelis are on now and Hamas dreams of, may lead to “victory” but it will be at the cost of their souls. The second route may take years of trust building and mutual respect but is the only option for lasting peace. Old leadership and old leaders cannot make it happen. And the first task of new leaders is to change hearts and minds of their own people. Rehumanizing after decades of dehumanizing is a daunting task, to say the least.
The first step toward the second option is to stop rewarding and enabling extremism on both sides. Right now, the extremists are setting the agenda and feeding off each other. If Harris can see a way to call out and marginalize extremism while rewarding and enabling risk taking by “moderates,” peace might have a chance.
Frankly, I don’t see much hope for success as extremism and the hatred and conflict it breeds and feeds off of has been in the driver’s seat of the conflict for far too long. Driven by grievance and vengeance, it is much easier to understand and is more satisfying to pursue. Unfortunately, the status quo “powder keg security” might be the only outcome we can expect. It will give a false sense of security to Israelis (and continued suffering to Palestinians) but will ultimately lead to the next explosion and, as always, Palestinian and Israeli innocents will bear the brunt of it.
Shortly after Harris' condescending and insulting statement pushing Israel for a ceasefire, Hamas rejected the ceasefire conditions Israel had just set out. They know if they hold out long enough, that Harris, in order to win Michigan, will force Israel into defeat.
She can tout any pablum she wants about being on Israel's side and how bad Hamas is, but her words have real life and death consequences. You cannot thread the needle in the middle east. There are complete winners and there are losers in that part of the world. There is no inbetween. If she doesn't understand that she is unfit to be president.
Also why would anyone vote for someone who wants to kowtow to the antisemitic wing of the democratic party? If she doesn't have enough backbone to stand up to rabid Jew-haters, she wont have the backbone to stand up to Putin or Xi.
Play the middle, standard career politician.