The Cost of the American Jewish Vote

With the killing of the American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, held hostage by Hamas for 10 brutal months and ultimately murdered by his evil captors, the Biden-Harris administration have blood on their hands.

Who can forget the palpable anguish and tireless advocacy of his parents, Jonathan and Rachel, for his return, including their recent heartbreaking appearance at the Democratic National Convention? Democrats who chanted “Bring Hersh Home” in Chicago, where his parents grew up, will now only be repatriating his body in a coffin.

Today, at least four more American citizens are thought to be alive – Say Their Names: Edan Alexander (19), Sagui Dekel-Chen (35), Omer Neutra (22), Keith Siegel (64) – and the bodies of three more are still being held in Gaza. Meanwhile, antisemitic incidents in the USA have spiked 360% in the United States since October 7th, with near-daily reports of violent attacks and verbal assaults and the return of campus demonstrations that have become hostile (sometimes criminal, including assault, vandalism, and hate crimes) and increasingly take a pro-Hamas line in their optics, slogans, and distributed materials. Muslim and so-called “Uncommitted” voters are pressuring the Harris-Walz ticket for a ban on arms to Israel (the nominee has paid lip service to “Israel’s right to defend herself” although this statement is open to interpretation and does not rule out suspension of weapons sales), and Harris herself advised against going into Rafah, where Hersh was being held.

Undoubtedly, American Jewish hearts are broken with grief over the terrible news from Israel – but will they sever their seemingly slavish support for the Democratic party in light of these events? Is Jewish blood at home and abroad so cheap that American Jews are willing to give away their vote to Harris-Walz only for Mamaleh stories and brisket vibes and screen out the crie de couer of the Goldberg-Polin family?

The moment demands that American Jews do what Muslim (and uncommitted) voters have already done – make clear that their vote is conditional upon the policies the majority of Jews in the United States want to see in the interest of their safety and identity over the next four years.

I am not suggesting that American Jews vote for Donald Trump. Even if the Trump-Vance ticket and the Republican party are positioning themselves as the pro-Israel and Jewish-friendly party (despite Trump’s offensive comments about American Jewish voters and his support from white nationalists). Trump’s involvement in the January 6th insurrection and the erosion of democratic governance and stability during his first term perhaps outweigh narrow Jewish priorities. [Each American Jew, with their hyphenated identity, will have to decide on their own voter prerogatives .] But American Jews must keep in mind both 1/6 and 10/7 as important dates: Jews can only thrive within a liberal-democratic order. If the Democrats seem more committed to that framework in principle, then full efforts must be made to persuade them of Jewish concerns.

Moreover, with American democracy at stake, even if some American Jews may feel themselves politically homeless in this election cycle, I can’t in good conscience suggest that voters simply stay home.

Rather, I implore American Jews – especially those who are committed Democrats – to hold the (future) Harris-Walz administration to account.

I especially call upon those with the economic and social capital to have leverage with the Walz-Harris administration, including their surrogates, advisers, and donors, to use their access and support to advocate strongly for Jewish interests.

And I appeal to the conscience of the candidates to adopt the policy platform I outline here, not only to secure the Jewish vote, but because it’s the right thing to do.

1) Freeing the American-Israeli and All Hostages

While we hope that the hostages may be freed before inauguration day, it is the responsibility of the Biden-Harris ticket and subsequent administrations to exert maximum pressure on Hamas, with or without a ceasefire deal, to secure the release of the American-Israeli citizens, to whom it has a special obligation, and all hostages. Not only must all military and diplomatic efforts be directed at Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, the US must take steps either to eliminate or extradite Hamas leaders living abroad. Further, given Qatar and Turkey’s role as state sponsors of terror and their patronage of Hamas, the USA must reconsider its alliances until all the hostages have been released.

2) Arms Sales

While for its own national security, Israel must wean itself off its dependency on American armaments (which is a kickback scheme to the US military-industrial complex) the Harris-Walz team must clarify its intentions on allowing Israel to “defend itself,” including the specific weapons systems it will sell (or not) during their term. American Jews are entitled to make an informed decision about what will be done to prevent another 10/7 from ever happening again in exchange for their vote.

3) Antisemitism

The dramatic acceleration of antisemitism in America cannot go unchecked by the Harris-Walz administration. The candidates must announce a new national strategy coordinating the federal, state, and local levels to curb the scourge of the world’s oldest hatred in the United States. The administration must turn its attention inward toward the cancer of antisemitism (and anti-Americanism) within the Democratic party. Congress, at the behest of the President, should continue its investigations into campus antisemitism and hold administrations to account, including by suspending federal funding to universities that perpetuate a hostile climate for Jewish students. Last but not least, while not all Jews agree on the definition of antisemitism, the administration must recognize that the vast majority of American Jews consider Zionism and Israel a key component of their identities. If the administration cannot put forward a detailed program on antisemitism, American Jews shouldn’t vote for a party that doesn’t prioritize their safety.

4) Iran

Behind both the domestic flare of antisemitism and Middle East war is the rogue state of Iran, which seeks to destabilize the Western liberal order, including by leading the planning of the 10/7 attacks and funding encampments and protests in the US. The United States must confront this threat with both more aggressive military postures and diplomatic measures, including not reinstating the JCPOA, and standing with other Western, Middle Eastern, and other nations (including Israel) to strongly deter Iran. Continued weakness on Iran should cost the Harris-Walz ticket the Jewish vote.

I realize this program of action may be uncomfortable for many American Jews, who have family traditions and ideological commitments to the Democratic party. But with Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s blood spilled, and so many other lives lost and threatened both in Israel and the United States since 10/7, let not Jewish blood come cheaply – the cost of the American Jewish vote for the Democratic party must include policies that will advance Jewish security and identity for the future.