Anti-Israel think tank laments that freshman members of Congress are, by and large, Zionist

While conservative Zionists fret that a Democratic-leaning Congress is turning anti-Israel, the anti-Israel Washington Report on Middle East Affairs - the magazine of the anti-Israel American Educational Trust - is upset that most of the new representatives are Zionist:

TRADITIONAL PRO-ISRAEL TALKING POINTS ARE ALIVE AND WELL. For decades, pro-Israel politicians have uttered the same basic talking points propagated by the lobby: Israel and the U.S. share the same values, Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel has the right to defend itself from threats, etc. Unsurprisingly, the congressional freshman class has by and large regurgitated these talking points in unison, with very few dissenters. Below are a few examples of the talking points recycled by Congress’ newest members.

“Israel is the one standing country that comports with our values as Americans,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) told the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS).

“I support Israel’s right to self-defense, and believe that Israelis, like citizens of all countries, have the right to live in safety and peace, free from terrorist threats and attacks,” Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-GA) said in a position paper.

“It is critically important for the state of Israel to always maintain a qualitative military edge,” Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC) told Jewish Insider.

The freshman class also has its fair share of Christian Zionists, who claim that their faith demands unconditional support for Israel. Echoing this line of thinking, Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) told the JNS, “The Bible is very clear—those who bless Israel will be blessed. That’s one of the things that’s fundamental to my faith.”

BDS IS PORTRAYED AS THE EPICENTER OF ANTI-SEMITISM. While pro-Israel, anti-BDS organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League, have produced studies showing that anti-Semitism is much more pervasive among the political right than the left, most new members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, discussed anti-Semitism almost exclusively through the lens of the non-violent BDS movement. Time and again, BDS was depicted as a progressive anti-Semitic plot to undermine Israel.

“Anti-Semitism has become an all-too-common occurrence in politics among the Democrat base and the far left who see Israel as nothing more than an extension of fantom corruption and colonialism,” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) said in 2019, when he was a member of the House of Representatives. “It is that type of loose, cheap, anti-Semitic rhetoric that led to the rise of the Third Reich,” he added.

Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) told the JNS that BDS stands for “bigotry and hatred,” a pithy, provocative, and yet common sentiment expressed by many of her peers.

Perhaps the most predominant supporter of Israel among freshman Democrats, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), described BDS as “beyond the pale” in an interview with Israel’s i24NEWS television network. BDS, he maintained, inappropriately singles-out Israel. “That’s not criticism, that’s extremism, that’s hate, and we as a Democratic Party should be against hatred and extremism,” he said. He also told Jewish Insider, “There is a deep rot of anti-Semitism at the core of BDS…I am concerned about the normalization of BDS within the progressive movement, and I worry deeply that BDS has the potential to poison progressivism.”

Many of the new members support legislation to criminalize BDS, with a few having worked to pass such laws during their time in state government. Even new members who pledged not to target BDS legally—on the basis that it is protected First Amendment speech—nonetheless accused BDS of anti-Semitism or otherwise expressed their opposition to the movement.

Members taking this position include Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA). “I strongly oppose the BDS movement and its anti-Semitic underpinnings, including its supporters’ refusal to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist,” he wrote in a widely distributed op-ed. His counterpart, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) said in his position paper, “I oppose the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to isolate and delegitimize Israel. I want Israel’s economy to thrive and I want U.S.-Israel trade to grow.”

While the media spends a lot of time on Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Cori Bush for their support of BDS, the WRMEA sees the youngest members of Congress as the most Zionist:

 Of the 70 new members of Congress, 11 are in their 30s, and one, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), is 25 years old. While polls show that younger Americans (including young Jews, conservatives and evangelical Christians) tend to be more critical of Israel than their elders, this congressional freshman class does not match this trend.

Of the 12 new members in their 20s or 30s, this analysis determined eight to be “diehard Zionists,” two to be “liberal Zionists,” and two to have strong, but not outspoken, pro-Israel views.

The author has a bitter conclusion for his fellow haters:

 

The newest members of Congress are, on average, just as zealous about their support for Israel as their seasoned peers. While much has been made about growing support for Palestine within the Democratic Party, manifestations of this grassroots reality are scarce among this freshman class.

Sometimes we need to listen to our enemies to see that the sky isn't falling - although that doesn't mean that Zionists should be complacent.

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