Not Abdul El-Sayed: This is what should really worry Israel in the USA | Shlomo Shamir
It is convenient to label harsh reactions towards Israel as antisemitism, but this definition is exaggerated. In my view, this is an anti-Israel sentiment. Public diplomacy (Hasbara) will not stop the criticism. The only way to restore support is a change of government in Israel.
They are exaggerating. Reports and commentaries in the media regarding the victories of Democratic primary candidates for Congress are often wildly overstated. These exaggerations distract from the real concerns regarding recent developments in the US political arena. A prime example is the reaction to the victory of Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in the Democratic primaries for the Michigan Senate.
One cannot ignore the success of Dr. El-Sayed, a physician and a prominent voice on the American left, who defeated Haley Stevens, a representative of the party establishment. However, assessments that he will radicalize the Democratic Party's policy toward Israel are baseless.
If elected, Dr. El-Sayed will not have a significant presence in shaping the Democratic Party's policy on Israel. This is not a guess, but a conclusion drawn from the negligible influence held by other congressmen known for their hostility toward Israel.
Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, holds views so hostile to Israel that under the Nazi regime he might have held a senior position in Goebbels' propaganda ministry. Yet, even he has zero influence over the Democratic leadership. The same applies to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Dr. El-Sayed has no chance of achieving an influential status among senior Democratic officials on this issue.
What should truly trouble official Israel is the deterioration of support among the leaders of the Democratic Party—a framework traditionally known for its pro-Israel stance.
The latest manifestation of this decline was the recent vote in Congress on a bill against aid to Israel. Although the bill was thwarted, the fact that 103 Democratic members supported the amendment is significant. Polls show that this decline in support is not limited to Democrats but is also prevalent among Republicans.
Conversations with veteran Washington commentators and senior UN diplomats suggest that the motive for this intensifying deterioration is the policy of the Israeli government, particularly its "fully right-wing" composition.
It is convenient to define harsh reactions toward Israel as manifestations of antisemitism. In my opinion, even this definition is exaggerated. This is not antisemitism in the historical sense, but rather an anti-Israel sentiment. Hasbara will not stop the criticism. What will restore Israel's status and return the solid support it once enjoyed in the USA is a change in government—a new administration that will represent the beautiful Israel.
