Jewish Democrats Cave to Anti-Semites

Those of us who are not of the Democrat politic party have believed that the Democrats have done little to stop the disease of Jew hatred from infiltrating their party. They have encouraged anti-Semites to operate and run for and get elected to public office. This past week has demonstrably proven that with the caving of two elected officials to the anti-Semites.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel would seem to be someone particularly sensitive to this issue. She recently skipped the Michigan Democrat Party’s state nominating convention due to her concerns. She stated she was not attending the convention over safety fears due to anticipated harassment, verbal abuse, and being “booed off the stage.”  These attacks were coming from anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian activists. This was not just an anticipated fear. She experienced the same actions at the party’s state convention in April. She did not want to go through another harrowing experience.

This past week she did what no one would have ever expected. She not only forgot her horrible experiences, but she also asked everyone to do the same. She asked the Jewish voters of Michigan to disregard their own previous disturbing experiences “in exchange for the opportunity to save the rest of humanity.”  For a long time, I have stated Jewish Democrats vote against their own self-interest, but I never dreamt a high-level Democrat official would ask Jews to disregard their own safety for the sake of humanity unless maybe we were in the middle of a war.

She even went further and told her voters, “We have the moral imperative to place the needs of the world above even our own self-interest and, yes, even our own survival.”  I may be mistaken, but I do not believe that is what God meant when he suggested to Jews the obligation of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world).

We are not sure why Nessel went so off the rails. There is speculation that she was preparing people for her endorsement of the raging anti-Semite, Abdul El-Sayed. He has only recently backtracked on a couple of his Jew hating comments. Only a fool like Nessel would believe he will change his stripes if elected to the U.S. Senate.

Nessel is bad enough on her own with slapping around Jewish Democrats, but she is not the lone Jewish office holder who decided to insult voters. Brad Lander has made it twice as bad.

You may remember that Lander was previously elected the city comptroller of New York City. Despite coming from a well-to-do family and having an expensive education at the University of Chicago, he became a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). He then was elected New York City Comptroller though he had no financial background and a master’s degree in anthropology.

Lander became very well-known throughout the country when he ran against a fellow Jew, stating during his campaign that his opponent was “too Jewish.” Dan Goldman (who is a very left-wing guy) was not left-wing enough for Lander. Worse, Goldman committed the sin of supporting Israel and taking money from that “radical” group, AIPAC. Lander won the primary framing Goldman as a lover of Israel and the Jewish people. Being elected in the Democrat primary in New York City is akin to winning the general election.

Lander attended a multi-faith protest because that is what DSA members do – they protest. It was against a Hindu nationalist leader who was attending an event at Madison Square Garden. Lander was verbally harassed and heckled at the protest by fellow demonstrators.

A group of fellow protesters went after his supposed self-identification as a “liberal Zionist.” They screamed in his face and demanded that he leave the rally. They told him, “We don’t want Zionists here” and called him a Zionist ball sack.

You might think Lander would understand something clearly at last. Instead, he doubled down on his misguided ways. He again accused Israel of committing a genocide which is clearly a blood libel and disproven in a previous column of mine. He went further and stated they were committing an occupation and apartheid — two significant lies. And to top it all off after being screamed at he stated he was “glad to participate” in the protest.

These two people have done great harm to the Jewish people. If elected officials will act this way in the face of blatant attacks against the Jewish people, what would stop others from attacking Jews on the street, in their businesses, or in their homes. Other Jewish Democrats should chastise these people, but the response has been deafeningly silent. We are in a danger zone when elected Jews not only do not stand up to these kinds of attack but become cowards in response.

Bruce L. Bialosky is a former presidential appointee to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council.