The Visions of St. Peter

So Peter Beinart tells us of Bibi’s latest foibles. Can’t that guy get anything right?

Netanyahu’s latest screw-up: he is alienating traditional American Jewish liberal base of support such as the ADL and the AJC and replacing it with a Republican, conservative one. And how is Bibi pulling off this one? By “collud[ing] with Republicans against a Democratic president.”

1. No, he is not.
2. If Peter is referring to Bibi speaking in front of the Joint Session of Congress, the entire kerfuffle of outrage was based on a mistaken report from the New York Times, which it corrected. In fact protocol was followed: President Obama was notified before the invitation was accepted. So Peter, whatever are you talking about?

Then Beinart trots out his old bromide: the younger generation of American Jews are distant from Israel and so don’t feel it necessary to compartmentalize their endorsement of their liberal values and Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people, blah, blah, blah.

But now! With Bibi openly supporting the Republican Party! There is no way any liberal American Jew could maintain this kind of bifurcation, and will certainly side with Obama against Bibi. That Bibi, can’t he do anything right?

1. It is not Israel that is oppressing the Palestinians as it is the Palestinians themselves; Israel is just caught in a tragic position. Peter, we’ve gone over this before.
2. Bibi hasn’t openly supported any one party. The man isn’t that stupid.

But the main issue, which Peter inadvertently raises, is a paradox: He recognizes that Bibi Netanyahu retains the affections of most American Jews. At the same time, Beinart points out that two thirds of American Jewish voters support Obama or trademark liberal causes. How can this be?

Well, maybe not every American Jew is a one-issue voter like you, Peter. Hard as it may be to believe, you can support liberal causes such as women’s right to choose, for example, but disagree with Obama’s strategy when confronting a nuclear Iran. Yes, you can vote for Obama, and disagree with him on issues pertaining to Israel. Amazing but true.

So in fact it is possible that “the leaders of groups like AIPAC, the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee” may be liberal on a host of issues. But they may yet support Netanyahu when it comes to issues of a nuclear Iran.

Come to think of it Peter, why don’t you?