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September 15, 2024
Seven Key Takeaways:
1) It's been 345 days since October 7, 2023, when, on Simchat Torah, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel and murdered 1,200 people (including 44 Americans). More Jews were murdered on that day than on any day since the Holocaust. Hamas wounded 3,300 and took 240 hostage during a day of brutal savagery and unspeakable, undeniable sexual violence; 101 hostages, many dead, some raped and possibly pregnant, remain captive in Gaza today.
2) The 101 remaining hostages include seven Americans, four probably alive: Keith Siegal, Omer Neutra, Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Itay Chen, Judi Weinstein Haggai, and Gad Haggai. A ceasefire conditioned on releasing all hostages must remain a top priority.
3) 75% of Jewish voters support Kamala Harris over Donald Trump and overwhelmingly have more confidence in Harris than Trump, and in Democrats than Republicans, to fight antisemitism.
4) Harris released detailed positions on myriad issues that include reiteration of her strong support for Israel.
5) Harris reiterated her strong support for Israel at the presidential debate. Trump did not mention the hostages in an answer that insulted Israel and Zionism by suggesting that he is the key to Israel's survival.
6) It's important to counter misinformation about where Harris and Democrats stand on Israel with the facts--I've got resources for you to share.
7) Congress should vote down H.R. 5179, the GOP's latest attempt to play politics with Israel, misleadingly titled the Anti-BDS Labeling Act.
Read to the end for corrections, what you may have missed last week, fun stuff, and upcoming events.
You're welcome to read for free, but if you get something out of this newsletter, you can give something back by credit card or PayPal, by Venmo @Steven-Sheffey (last four phone digits are 9479), or by check. Thank you.
Hi Steve,
You are not alone. Many of us live in a bubble where the loudest voices are Republican voices. But me-search is not research. Your bubble is not the entire Jewish world. New polling of the entire Jewish electorate--all of us, not just those who constantly post on Instagram and Facebook--shows that 72% of Jewish voters prefer Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in a direct matchup.
The poll shows that roughly 75% of Jews view Trump, JD Vance, and the Republican Party unfavorably. Over 90% believe that one can be pro-Israel and critical of Israeli government policies. On confidence in fighting antisemitism, Harris holds a 37-point advantage over Trump; Democrats have a 28-point advantage over Republicans.
Other recent polls purporting to show different results either are not transparent about their methodology (always a red flag) or were not focused on the Jewish electorate and used less comprehensive sampling
Less than two months after becoming a candidate for president, Kamala Harris released detailed positions on myriad issues. Harris's position on Israel should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with what she's been saying for months:
"Vice President Harris will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to protect U.S. forces and interests from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. Vice President Harris will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and she will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself. She and President Biden are working to end the war in Gaza, such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination. She and President Biden are working around the clock to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done."
The presidential debate exposed Donald Trump "as a weak, aspiring dictator with no clothes," wrote JDCA CEO Halie Soifer: "Trump failed to condemn Hamas. He said nothing about the hostages, similar to how he failed to demonstrate any empathy after the horrific execution of six hostages, including an American, earlier this month."
Hostage family member Alana Zeitchik tweeted that "Donald Trump claiming October 7th wouldn’t have happened if he was president is offensive, untrue and his usual self-aggrandizing act. I wouldn’t trust him anywhere near the negotiating table. My family’s future cannot be put in the hands of an egomaniac."
Trump claimed that Israel would cease to exist if he lost. Ron Kampeas wrote, "Saying that Israel’s existence is contingent on a single person or event is a third rail for many in Israel and the pro-Israel community, who see the country as the culmination of the lives and hard work of generations of Jews."
Michael Koplow asked, "Is there any more insulting thing that could possibly be said about Israel, negating nearly eight decades of state-building and advancements that created the region’s preeminent military power and a dynamic tech-driven economy, to assert that its literal survival hinges on the result of a U.S. presidential election? ... If there is a more anti-Zionist sentiment that has ever been uttered by an American presidential nominee, I have yet to come across it."
As she did at the Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris again told a large, nationwide audience where she stands on Israel, reminding everyone that "on October 7th, Hamas, a terrorist organization, slaughtered 1,200 Israelis, many of them young people who were simply attending a concert. Women were horribly raped.”
Harris reiterated her commitment to ensuring Israel’s ability to defend itself, getting the hostages out of Gaza, a ceasefire, and ultimately, a two-state solution–all of which go hand in hand.
Are you on Instagram? I'm rarely on Instagram (gotta draw the line somewhere) but I'm told that a greatest hits of misinformation about Kamala Harris's positions on Israel is going around. I created a non-fiction version of that post.
Facts for your Republican friends. These are the facts our Republican friends need to be reminded of: The 2024 Republican platform does not mention October 7, the hostages, Iran, or aid to Israel. The vast majority of Republicans voted to cut aid to Israel two weeks before October 7. JD Vance twice voted against emergency aid to Israel. Trump disrespected Israel and the hostages after October 7. Trump is an antisemite. Trump regularly uses Hitler’s rhetoric. Trump is weak on Iran. Trump’s policies did not help Israel.
I've got the receipts here.
But what about Kamala Harris's advisors? It's only a matter of time before we are told that Harris holds seances every night to get advice from Pharoah, Haman, and Antiochus on how to destroy Israel. These lists of advisors, most of whom we've never heard of, are designed to distract us from Trump's record and Harris's record and send us down rabbit holes we'll never emerge from.
If these advisors are as remotely as bad as we are told, and if they are advising Harris on Israel, then either they are inarticulate or Harris is not listening.
The way to judge Harris is by what she says and does, not what so-called advisors (most of whom are unfairly maligned in these posts), real or imagined, might say or do. Her record on Israel is outstanding. What she says about Israel is outstanding.
What the Biden-Harris administration has done to protect Israel since October 7 (record aid package, defending Israel from Iran's missile attack) is unprecedented. That's what matters. If these advisors are influencing her on Israel then we need these advisors working with every member of Congress because they are doing one heckuva job strengthening support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Not that it will convince anyone who wants to believe the nonsense about antisemitic or anti-Israel advisors, but you might be reassured to know who some of Harris's real advisors on Israel are.
Congress should vote down H.R. 5179. This bill is the latest GOP effort to play politics with Israel. It has a great name: the Anti-BDS Labeling Act. Who could be against that, right? Only people who read the bill, which requires goods produced in the West Bank or Gaza to be labeled made in Israel.
The problem is that neither Gaza nor the West Bank is part of Israel (which is why boycotting goods made in Gaza or the West Bank is not boycotting Israel). This bill requires that goods be falsely labeled in furtherance of an extreme right-wing political agenda that wants the West Bank and Gaza to be part of Israel; a one-state solution. If the West Bank is part of Israel and not occupied territory, then Israel itself has two legal systems, one for Jews and one for Palestinians.
The bill is not about the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The bill's goal is to make it harder to boycott goods made in the West Bank or Gaza by requiring manufacturers to lie about where the goods are made via false labeling.
Conflating Israel and the West Bank makes it easier to accuse Israel of apartheid because while pre-1967 Israel does not resemble apartheid, the situation in the West Bank does or soon will, at least according to former Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak, and Ehud Olmert, as well as two former Israeli ambassadors to South Africa (you don't have to agree, but it's hard to argue that they are antisemitic or uninformed).
Defending Israel against allegations of apartheid and preserving chances for a two-state solution depends on maintaining clarity between the West Bank and Israel. Some argue that Israel has de facto annexed the West Bank. Passage of this bill would lend credence to this argument. If we want to refute the claim that Israel is an apartheid state, the last thing we want is for people to think that the West Bank is part of Israel or that the occupation is permanent. But if you favor a one-state solution and you're okay with false labeling, then this bill is for you. This bill includes Gaza too. What are they thinking?
Corrections. I'm entitled to my own opinions but not to my own facts, so I appreciate it when readers bring errors to my attention. No one pointed out any errors in last week's newsletter, so I guess it was perfect.
Six Items You May Have Missed:
1) Key Resources: JDCA Key Facts on Harris, Walz, Trump, Vance, and Project 2025 and sign-up links for my newsletter, Julie Zebrak's Kamala News Jews Can Use, and the official Jewish Voters for Harris-Walz newsletter.
2) Compare the Democratic and Republican platforms on Israel and antisemitism.
3) A group that appears tied to Republicans is running antisemitic ads against Doug Emhoff in Michigan. The Trump campaign has not condemned these ads.
4) The Biden-Harris administration imposed more sanctions as part of its efforts to disrupt Hizballah’s illicit revenue generation and isolate the terrorist group’s financial network. Also last week, the administration imposed additional sanctions on Iran and Russia.
5) Every Jewish Democratic member of Congress called out JD Vance for refusing to condemn Tucker Carlson's platforming of a Holocaust denier.
6) Mimi Rocah: Why the DOJ’s charges against Hamas leadership are not just empty symbolism.
Tweet of the Week. Harry Shearer.
Twitter Thread of the Week. Nexus explains when criticism of Israel veers into antisemitism.
Video Clips of the Week. Remember Trump's insane rant about "Abdul" during the debate? Abdul responds to Trump.
And the late, great James Earl Jones.
Music Videos of the Week. Rod Stewart and Billy Joel performing "Stay With Me" two days ago. Here's what it sounded like in 1972.
For those new to this newsletter. This is the newsletter even Republicans have to read and the original home of the viral and beloved 2022 and 2023 Top Ten Signs You're At a Republican Seder. If someone forwarded this to you, why not subscribe and get it in your inbox every Sunday? Just click here--it's free.
I periodically update my posts on why Democrats are better than Republicans on Israel and antisemitism and on the IHRA definition of antisemitism. My definition of "pro-Israel" is here (it's a work in progress, as am I).
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