I literally just returned from a week in Israel to spend time with my sisters whom I haven’t seen since the start of the October 7 Swords of Iron War. My 1:00 a.m. flight was delayed for six hours and then we had to drive from Newark Airport to Baltimore. Thus, I was left with no time and little energy to write this week’s article, which should have been focused on my trip.
But I need to take the moment to take an important political stand at this critical time.
On Tuesday, January 13, there will be a major congressional election to fill the seat of disgraced Republican Congressman George Santos. The two candidates are Democrat Tom Suozzi and Republican newcomer Israeli/Ethiopian born Mazi Pilip, a mother of seven children and former member of the IDF.
There is no doubt that Mr. Suozzi is highly qualified, having been a former Congressman. His record in serving his Jewish constituents and being pro-Israel should motivate the Jewish community to show gratitude and support his candidacy.
But there is one thing I have seen lately, and all the more so from my time in Israel. It is inevitable that when one votes for a particular candidate, he is also voting for his party and what it stands for.
Unfortunately, the Democratic Party’s loyalty to Israel is waning rapidly. The number of Democrats favoring Israel in the current crisis was relatively low to begin with and is only getting worse with time. Democrats usually run with the slogan of the day. Currently that slogan is the “Two-State Solution,” which is a proven failure and rejected many times by the Palestinians. Declared enemies of Israel, such as Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and the entire “Squad” are all Democrats. And unlike George Santos, their colleagues took no action against them, even when their words were unabashedly anti-Semitic.
Yes, a person like Mr. Suozzi claims he will fight for our interests from within the party. But rarely does that work out in the crunch. Think about our local reps who voted to condemn Mr. Trump for ridding the world of Iranian arch-terrorist Qasem Soleimani, only to be within sync with fellow Democrats. Or refusing to condemn Ilhan Omar for her hateful rhetoric.
When I was in Israel, I saw a huge poster thanking Republican Elise Stefanik for her role in exposing anti-Semitism on campus at the most respected universities. Can you name a Democrat who should be equally lauded? Yes, I know we have some very courageous people who are taking a lot of heat for supporting Israel, and have been noted as such, but I am afraid they, too, will succumb to party pressures with time.
(Actually, there is one Democrat who does deserve special honor, and that is the amazing Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who displays an Israeli flag when facing pro-Hamas protestors.)
Just recently, the local Democrats showed this bitter truth. The City Council, controlled by progressive liberal Democrats, introduced a bill that forces police to waste their time issuing written reports following every encounter they have while on duty. It only makes for less effective policing, which is bad enough as it is, thanks to Woke ideology. In fact, the mayor tried vetoing the bill.
The local political action committee was shocked to learn that some of our most trusted council members, despite personal pleas, chose to stick with their party and vote to override the mayor’s veto.
The Democrats have brought crime, illegal immigration, and inflation to unprecedented heights. The growing opposition to Israel in their ranks is of great concern. The Republican majority in Congress is razor thin. We cannot afford to let it shrink.
I know I am being nakedly political about a race for Congress that is nowhere near where I now live. But national elections affect us all. In truth, had Mr. Suozzi been a Republican, I would have endorsed him enthusiastically. But the reality is that he is not. And that cannot be divorced from how he will legislate. We can no longer just vote for the man.
Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld is the Rabbi Emeritus of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, President of the Coalition for Jewish Values, former President of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens, and the Rabbinic Consultant for the Queens Jewish Link.
