Over the past decade, the American Jewish community's leadership has largely failed to speak up in defense of Israel. This became blatantly evident during the presidency of Barack Obama. Much of the current anti-Israel hostility within the Democratic Party can be attributed to this passiveness – a byproduct of the Jewish illiteracy of younger generations, many of whom consider support of social radicalism to be a far higher priority than support of Israel.
These "non-Jewish Jews" have assumed leading roles in promoting the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and in protesting against US President Donald Trump, who has supported Israel more than any past American president. Incomprehensibly, Jews are among America's most anti-Trump minorities.
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Compounding this, they frame their protests in a Jewish context, comparing restrictive immigration rules to Nazi policies and migrant detention centers to concentration camps.
Previously nonpartisan Jewish leaders and organizations now display anti-Trump bias, blaming the president for white nationalist anti-Semitism.
One result has been the erosion of bipartisan support for Israel. Democratic radicals sense division among Jews, who now tolerate anti-Israel voices within their ranks.
Three radicals – Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – won congressional seats in the 2018 elections. Their anti-Israel and anti-Semitic outbursts include justifications of terrorism, support for BDS, allegations of American Jewish dual loyalties, and denunciations of Israel for "evil doings" and having "hypnotized the world."
Despite this, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib to the powerful Oversight and Financial Services committees and Omar to the influential Foreign Affairs Committee.
A day after passionately promoting BDS, Tlaib and Omar requested entry visas to Israel. Initially, Ambassador Ron Dermer indicated that their requests would be approved, but two weeks later, Israel rejected their applications.
Tlaib's appeal on humanitarian grounds to visit her 90-year-old grandmother was granted, subject to her not promoting BDS during her visit. But after undertaking not to engage in such activities, she canceled her trip, citing humiliating conditions.
Irrefutably, Israel has the right to deny entry to congresswomen who engaged in anti-Semitic rhetoric, promoted BDS, and met with Hamas and Hezbollah supporters.
The visit was planned by MIFTAH, a Palestinian group that praises suicide bombers, accuses Israel of massacring children, and once alleged that Jews drank the blood of Christians on Passover.
The denial of entry to undesirable foreign government officials has many precedents: Menachem Begin was denied entry to the UK in the 1950s, Narendra Modi was banned from the US in 2005, as was Austrian President Kurt Waldheim from 1987. In 2012, the US denied entry to far-right MK Michael Ben-Ari.
It is doubtful if American officials would permit entry to a parliamentarian who delegitimized the US government and supported anti-American terrorism. As far as Israel is concerned, Tlaib and Omar's pro-BDS sentiments amount to support for Israel's destruction and their sympathy for terrorists is support for terror.
After Israel rejected their visa requests, these extremists posted an image by anti-Semitic cartoonist Carlos Latuff, depicting Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu silencing them.
Whatever the rationale justifying their exclusion, reversing the initial approval resulted in a no-win situation. They could now misrepresent themselves as martyrs, accuse Israel of denying freedom of expression, and unite the Democrats against Israel.
Most of the 23 contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination are already on record appeasing the radicals.
Even former Vice President Joe Biden, the front-runner, stated, "I will insist on Israel, which I've done, to stop the occupation of those territories, period."
Jewish Senator Bernie Sanders, second in the polls, boycotts AIPAC, condemns Israel for the "ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza," rails against the "occupation," and sees Netanyahu as part of a "new authoritarian axis." He undertakes, if elected president, to cut military aid unless Israel changes its policies.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, third in the polls, appointed Max Berger, co-founder of the anti-Israel organization IfNotNow, as her progressive partnerships director.
Nearly all Democratic leaders, and even some Republicans, condemned Israel's refusal to grant the visas. A group of Democrats bizarrely sought to censure the American and Israeli ambassadors, demonstrating the extent to which even congressional friends of Israel were succumbing to pressure by the radicals.
Almost all the establishment Jewish groups, including AIPAC, joined the pack criticizing Israel – an improper intervention by organizations that should have remained silent or at least pointed out the historical precedents.
Although the media has inflamed the situation, most Democrats still support Israel whereas wide segments of American Jewry remain silent as the Democratic Party radicals gain influence. Should this trend continue and bipartisanship break down, this would undermine one of the pillars of Israeli security.
Jewish leaders – especially AIPAC – must intensify their activities in the Democratic Party, which remains largely pro-Israel. Last month the party explicitly condemned BDS. Even Pelosi, after condemning the Israeli government, stressed that the bipartisan relationship based on shared values and common interests must take priority over temporary political differences.
More importantly, polls show that Israel's standing with the American public – and not only among evangelical Christians – is at an all-time high.
