|
August 11, 2024
Key Takeaways:
- It's been 310 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; about 115 hostages, 48 confirmed dead (but certainly more), some raped and possibly pregnant, remain captive in Gaza today.
- The roughly 115 remaining hostages comprise five religions and 25 nationalities, including eight Americans, five probably alive: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Keith Siegal, Omer Neutra, Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Itay Chen, Judi Weinstein Haggai, and Gad Haggai. Freeing every hostage must remain a top priority.
- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is unequivocally pro-Israel and opposed to antisemitism. Yet with no evidence, Republicans are falsely claiming that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was passed over because he is Jewish. Walz and Shapiro were both strong candidates and both had qualities the other did not have--the choice had nothing to do with antisemitism.
- Democrats welcome Jews at the highest levels but there are no Jewish Republicans in the U.S. Senate, no Jewish Republican governors, and of the 28 Jews in the House, only two are Republicans.
- Asking whether Kamala Harris would consider an arms embargo against Israel is as ludicrous as asking whether she would consider a ban on abortions. If you can see why one is ludicrous but you can't see why the other is ludicrous, you need to take a better look at Harris's record. Harris and Walz never voted against aid to Israel. Vance voted against aid to Israel twice just this year.
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,
Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. It's not hard to understand why. He's a popular second-term midwestern governor who successfully pushed for popular legislation, he served six terms in Congress (winning in a Republican-leaning district), he served in the military for 26 years, and he was a teacher. No other candidate that Harris considered, all of whom were strong candidates, had a resume like that.
If you never heard of Walz until a few weeks ago, get up to speed by reading JDCA's key facts about Walz. Dozens of Minnesota Jewish leaders signed a letter supporting Walz, personally attesting to his "genuine affection and understanding of the Jewish community."
Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, released a statement applauding Walz's pro-Israel record and stalwart friendship with the Jewish community. The statement included many examples of Walz's support for Israel, opposition to antisemitism, and advocacy of Holocaust education (Walz wrote a master's thesis on Holocaust education).
Yinam Cohen, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, praised Walz following Harris's announcement.
The contrast between Walz and JD Vance is further proof that Harris has better judgment than Trump. Vance was one of the Senate Republicans who voted against the $15 billion emergency aid package to Israel on February 13 that could have passed and again on April 23 (this time voting against final passage). Vance voted more often against Israel in three months than Walz did in 12 years in Congress (Walz never voted against aid to Israel).
Trump is 78 years old, yet he chose Vance even though Trump could not bring himself to say that Vance is ready to be president.
Tim Walz is ready. National Security Action detailed Walz's "track record of experience, maturity and tested leadership to tackle the threats we face abroad and fight to keep America safe, strong and prosperous."
But what about Josh Shapiro? I like Josh Shapiro. It would have been cool to have a Jewish vice president. But guess what--it's not always about us. The fact of a campaign against Shapiro that reeked of antisemitism does not mean that the campaign had any impact on Harris's decision-making, nor is there any evidence to suggest that it did.
To my knowledge, only one person with first-hand knowledge of Harris's thought process has spoken on the record about this issue: Josh Shapiro. He said that “I can tell you that antisemitism had no impact on the dialogue between the vice president and me, period."
Michael Koplow writes that "it would be a devious long con indeed to put Shapiro on a short list for vice president, vet him, include him in the whittled down list of three finalists, and then cast him aside as part of a secret anti-Zionist agenda. It would be even stranger in light of Walz having been an AIPAC endorsee when he served in the House, slamming those who did not immediately condemn October 7 as terrorism and murder, and dubbing opposition to Israel as a Jewish state antisemitic."
The anti-Israel fringes have little power in the Democratic Party. Unlike Republicans, Democrats overwhelmingly support aid to Israel. Remember the platform fight over Israel that never materialized? The Democratic Platform remains staunchly pro-Israel.
Harris is married to a man who wears his Jewish identity on his sleeve and has made fighting antisemitism, including helping develop the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, the main focus of his work as Second Gentleman. Harris has already lost the antisemite vote, not that she could compete with Trump anyway for that segment of the electorate.
The vast majority of Democrats are pro-Israel. Those who aren't support Walz not because of his policies on Israel but despite them. They, like most Americans, are not single-issue voters. The policies Walz pushed as governor--strengthening voting rights, cutting taxes for the middle class, lowering the cost of insulin, expanding paid leave, making Minnesota the first state to codify abortion rights after Roe v Wade was overturned, supporting LGBTQ+ rights, and providing free school meals are popular with most Americans, including progressives. Joe Manchin immediately praised Walz's selection. Does that make Walz too conservative?
Sometimes the truth is boring. Walz has a package of qualities that the other candidates Harris considered, including Shapiro, don't have--long service in Congress, military service, long record of accomplishments as governor, strong labor record, midwestern roots, and a proven record of appealing to conservatives. Harris went with her gut, and her gut told her Walz. Here are six reasons Walz was the right choice--none of which have anything to do with Israel.
Rabbi Jay Michaelson explains that Shapiro was not passed over because he was Jewish, and that the right is resorting to antisemitism-baiting by falsely claiming otherwise. As JB Pritzker, the other Jewish governor Harris considered said, these charges of antisemitism are ludicrous.
Why are Jews unwelcome in the Republican Party? Harris considered two excellent Jewish governors for her running mate, Josh Shapiro and JB Pritzker. I don't know who else Trump considered, but it's unlikely that they were Jewish because Jews don't seem welcome in the Republican Party.
All four Jewish governors are Democrats. All nine Jewish U.S. Senators are Democrats (including the independent who caucuses with the Democrats). Senate Democrats elected Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), a proud Jew, as their leader. In the House, 26 of the 28 Jewish representatives are Jewish. Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) as their leader. He flies a Christian nationalist flag outside his office. Democrats elected Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) as their leader. His district contains one of the largest Jewish populations in the country, and he represents them well.
Kamala Harris opposes an arms embargo on Israel. Can you believe that this even needs to be said? This is how desperate the Republicans are and it's a reminder of what to expect between now and November.
It's like saying Harris supports a ban on abortions. It's self-evidently absurd based on her record, and it would still be absurd if she said she was open to meeting with anti-abortion activists, if she acknowledged their right to be heard, and if she expressed understanding and compassion for their position. I am pro-choice but I understand that some people believe that abortion is murder. I can relate to how they feel and respect their voices even though I disagree with their policy positions and will not change my mind.
If you understand this, then you should understand that it is equally absurd to ask if Kamala Harris would consider an arms embargo against Israel because she is open to meeting with those who support an arms embargo against Israel. Nothing in Harris's record in the Senate or as vice president indicates otherwise. Former Congressman Ron Klein (D-FL) writes that "Vice President Harris has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to Israeli security during her tenure in the U.S. Senate and as Vice President" and that Harris "will safeguard Israel’s safety and security" in the months and years to come.
Andrew Miller said, "this is a tempest in a teapot. Administrations routinely meet with people who have opposing viewpoints." There's an easy way to know what Harris really thinks: Read the statement she issued in response to this nonsense and listen to her national security advisor: "She does not support an arms embargo on Israel."
Watch Harris respond to anti-Israel hecklers earlier this week and listen to the reaction from "the base." Watch Harris respond to anti-Israel hecklers later this week by deviating not one iota from Biden-Harris administration policy on Israel/Gaza and listen to the reaction of "the base" (today's In Case You Missed It section has more on administration policy).
Let's do ourselves a favor and stop giving credence to these absurd stories by repeating them and taking our eyes off the ball. It's almost as if some people want to believe the worst, no matter how absurd it is.
The Republicans are running the playbook that Steve Bannon called "flooding the zone with sh*t." It only works if we play the game. I fell for it in this newsletter by wasting space refuting false claims about Josh Shapiro and arms embargos. But I focus on it so that you don't have to.
The choice could not be clearer. That's why Republicans would rather talk about anything but Trump's record and Trump's plans. A Trump victory in November would mean the end of legal abortion. A 34-time convicted felon should not be president. A man who paid hush money to cover up sex with a porn star four months after his wife gave birth to prevent Americans from knowing his true character before an election should not be president.
Trump's bigotry, xenophobia, and contempt for democracy, not to mention his unhinged mind, his detachment from reality, his theft of classified documents, inciting an insurrection, refusing to accept the results of a lawful election, legal liability for sexual abuse, and terrible record as president are matters of fact.
Trump has a long record of antisemitism and accusing Jews of disloyalty.
Trump repeatedly invokes Hitler and the Nazis and called for the "creation of a unified reich" on May 21, 2024. Trump dined with Kanye West and white nationalist/Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. Trump said that there were "very fine people on both sides" of the 2017 Charlottesville march that featured white supremacists carrying tiki torches chanting "Jews will not replace us." No less an authority than JD Vance once called Trump "America's Hitler." Last week, Trump again lashed out at the vast majority of Jewish Americans and defended antisemite Kanye West, saying that Ye is a "really nice guy" with a "good heart."
No wonder our Republican friends would rather talk about an imaginary arms embargo.
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 substantive errors in last week's newsletter.
In Case You Missed It:
- There is no daylight between Harris and Biden on policy regarding Israel and antisemitism, which is clear if you know what Harris has said and done. These are the key resources to read and share:
- JDCA Key Facts on Harris, Walz, Trump, Vance, and Project 2025.
- The leaders of the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar called on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent discussions next week "to bring immediate relief both to the long-suffering people of Gaza as well as the long-suffering hostages and their families. The time has come to conclude the ceasefire and hostages and detainees release deal." In this thread, Nimrod Novik explains the brilliance of Biden's demarche. Steve Rabinowitz writes that 'Pidyon Shvuyim' calls for a hostage deal now.
Tweets of the Week. Halie Soifer, Vote Vets, Adam Kinzinger, and if you don't get this one, I'm not going to explain it to you.
Writing Tips of the Week. Steve Sheffey and Steve Sheffey. You're welcome.
Video Clips of the Week. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) points at Trump when he says "including hardened criminals," and beloved Chicago Bear Steve "Mongo" McMichael, just elected to the Hall of Fame, singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at Wrigley Field.
Vintage Olympics Video Clip of the Week. Gilda Radner as Olga Korbut.
Upcoming Event--New Date. Join Politics with Dana and Steve, Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania, and other Jewish Battleground Coalition groups for Project 2025: Everything You Need to Know, on Tuesday, August 27, at 7:00 pm ET on Zoom. It's free but RSVP is required.
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).
I hope you enjoyed today's newsletter. It takes time to write and costs money to send. If you'd like to chip in, click here and fill in the amount of your choice. You don't need a PayPal account. If you see something that says "Save your info and create a PayPal account," click the button to the right and it will go away. Or you can Venmo @Steven-Sheffey (last four phone digits are 9479). Or you can send a check.
| 
