Well, I know I have just posted an entry arguing that Bernie Sanders is perhaps not the right guy to take on Donald Trump in the US elections later this year, but I have to give the guy props for his recent stand on Israel.
Sanders, who was born of Jewish emigrés and who claims to be "very proud of being Jewish", used a Democratic debate to make his position on Israel very clear. He called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "reactionary racist"; blasted the influential US pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC as a "platform for bigotry"; called for cutting back American foreign aid to Israel and redirecting it to Palestine; and said that he would seriously consider reversing Donald Trump's contentious decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Israeli government responded to Sanders' comments in their usual heavy-handed and outraged manner.
How refreshing to hear an American Jew calling out the state of Israel, and publicly pointing out that there is a difference between Israel and Jewishness. (I know that there are many such progressive American Jews - it's just nice to hear such a high profile one state these things for the public record.)
Say what you like about Mr. Sanders, he is certainly a man of principle.
No comments:
Post a Comment