Chicagoland Pro-Israel Political Update
A newsletter for people willing to think for themselves
September 16, 2018
Trump’s latest moves don’t help Israel. By cutting aid to the Palestinians, Trump is strengthening Hamas, encouraging extremism, and making the two-state solution essential for Israel to remain Jewish and democratic harder to attain.
We have some important and fun events coming up with Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), Sean Casten (D-IL), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL), and Abby Finkenauer (D-IA). All are friends of Israel who share our values.
You’re reading this. So are other influentials. If you want the right people to know about your candidate, cause, or event, reply to this email to discuss your ad.
Friends,
If you let your ten-year old son drive the car to the grocery store and back, he might make it back alive. But it’s not a good idea, and even if he did come back in one piece, you’d be crazy to let him try again. Much of the damage Trump has wrought has either not affected us personally (separating children from families,
refusing to admit refugees
, etc.) or will only prove devastatingly harmful in the long-run (
pulling out of the Iran Deal
, turning a blind eye to climate change, etc.). Trump's
false tweets about Hurricane Maria's death toll
last week are only the latest illustration of his callousness, cruelty, and casual racism.
But we are playing Russian Roulette in more ways than one as long as Trump remains president and as long as Republicans in Congress accede to his every whim. When Trump ran for president,
he didn’t even know what the nuclear triad was
. Now he controls it. Do you think Trump is insane? We are insane for electing him. Trump is a horrible accident waiting to happen; just because catastrophe has not struck in less than two years doesn’t mean it won’t.
Trump’s latest moves don’t help Israel
. If you’re looking for someone to tell you how wonderful Palestinian leadership is, you’re reading the wrong newsletter. Unfortunately, we don’t get to choose our enemies.
Twenty-five years after Olso
, if we didn’t know better, we could be forgiven for thinking that Trump is doing all he can to help Hamas develop a stronghold in the West Bank.
Max Boot wrote last week
that “
the Palestinian Authority, for all its problems, is vastly preferable to any conceivable alternative. Yes, it is corrupt and undemocratic and, yes, it engages in anti-Israel propaganda. But, far from sponsoring terrorism against Israel, the Palestinian Authority is working closely with Israel to squelch terror. In May, after the U.S. Embassy relocation, thousands of Gaza residents tried to storm the Israeli border fence, resulting in 62 fatalities. There were no such attacks in the West Bank, because the Palestinian Authority worked there to prevent them. By gratuitously insulting and defunding the most moderate Palestinian faction, Trump is opening the door to the radicals. That’s a Rosh Hashanah present Israel could do without."
Trump is attempting to eviscerate a process that has, as
Robert Satloff
documents, worked thus far and that can work to bring about a two-state solution. Satloff notes that “
A strategy based solely or overwhelmingly on disincentives...is much less likely to succeed than a policy that intelligently mixes carrots and sticks, with more of the former than the latter...there is no historical precedent for solely ‘hardball diplomacy’ making local parties more amenable to the give-and-take necessary for Middle East peacemaking. Such steps may produce a certain psychological satisfaction and some may be justified on the merits. However, there is little reason to think such ideas will turn one side or the other into a more conciliatory partner for peace.”
And what better example do we have than Trump’s decision to cut $25 million in aid to East Jerusalem hospitals?
Michael Koplow
asks the question that no one can answer: “
If anyone has a cogent argument in support of denying Palestinians medical treatment in hospitals on Israeli territory under Israeli administration that they cannot get anywhere else, either on moral grounds that they deserve to die for the sins of their leaders and fellow countrymen or on practical grounds that this will cause the entirety of Palestinian society to accept Israel’s right to exist, then I would love to hear it.”
David Aaron Miller sums it up
: “Twenty-five years after Oslo, it seems that America, in this case the Trump administration, has learned very little about Arab-Israeli peacemaking. It has proposed an ultimate deal — a conflict-ending accord — when there’s zero chance of one. It is relying far too heavily on Arab states that are unlikely to deliver. And it has abandoned any pretense of being an honest or even an effective mediator by supporting Israel blindly while pressuring Palestinians. Indeed, a quarter-century later, we’re further than ever from any Israeli-Palestinian deal.The peace process is clearly not ready for prime time. But after all the mistakes we made, I didn’t think any administration could make it worse. I guess I was wrong about that, too.”
As
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
said on Thursday, “A viable two-state solution is the only feasible path to ensure a Jewish and democratic Israel, and peace, security and economic prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians. These outcomes will not be reached by denying Gazans and Palestinians on the West Bank access to food, water, health care, or employment. This policy is opposed by many Israeli voices, including security experts who believe it will exacerbate – not reduce – the violence that threatens their nation.”
Upcoming Events/Save the Dates
: Join me for Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), one of Israel’s best friends in Congress on either side of the aisle, on Thursday evening, September 20, in Highland Park.
Click here to RSVP and for more details.
Canvas for Sean Casten with Dana Gordon.
Sign up here
and choose the September 29 canvassing. Dave Lundy convenes (actually, hosts) an event for Sean on October 1 in Wilmette.
RSVP here
. Sean is endorsed by the
Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA)
. Defeating Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) is one of our top priorities.
The fifth in the wildly successful series of events hosted by me and Dana Gordon will feature
Abby Finkenauer (D-IA)
on October 14. No woman younger than Abby has ever been elected to Congress, and
she is very supportive of Israel
.
RSVP here or reply to this email (contributions are not required but will not be declined)
. Our previous events featured Dan Kohl (WI), Elissa Slotkin (MI), Ken Harbaugh (OH), and Sean Casten (IL).
The Fine Print (in regular type)
: This newsletter usually runs on Sunday mornings. Unless explicitly 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 I agree with everything the author of that article has ever said or even that I agree with everything in that 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.
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