Sarah Palin's visit to Israel may widen a gap between a traditional constituency of the Democratic Party, Jewish Americans, and President Obama
This is clearly illustrated in the report of her visit by The New York Daily News . Part of the article is descriptive of her visit "in awe" and part is a reprise of the attack on her "blood libel" comment by the president of the National Democratic Jewish Council.
For anyone to gather from her remarks that Palin is somehow anti-Semitic, or at best insensitive to Jewish history and culture, they would have to be reading the article wearing the most partisan of blinkers. To ascribe either of these two characteristics to Palin, who is pictured ( as above from another report) wearing a large Star of David, leaving a prayer and praying at The Western Wall, who challenges Israelis "not to apologize" they would be suffering from a Jewish version of PDS (Palin Derangement Syndrome).
Palin made it very clear she see Israel as Americas strongest ally and vice versa. She is being escorted by Israeli patriot Likud Chairman Danny Danon and she and her husband are scheduled to dine with Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife (also named Sara). So much for Palin being "insensitive to Jews."
I have written at length that in the main, traditional Jewish support for the Democrats is based on an outdated attachment to a period of economic and social history and to tales heard at "old country" grandparents knees.
The younger generation of American Jews has no connection, on a personal history basis, with the life experiences of the older generations life experiences. These generations, going back to the massive wave of Jewish emigration from Russia, experienced settlement poverty and language challenges, trade union battles, the depression and two wars. All of which produced amongst the Jews, generations of Communists, Socialists, Liberals and FDR Coalitionists. These political leanings were a natural carry over from persecution in their countries of origin
All of these genuine social group culture imperatives are battles long past. but for many, the "tribal" element remains.This began to break down with such thinkers as Milton Friedman who looked beyond the traditional links to an older Jewish tradition of free market liberalism.
Sarah Palin will increasingly present a conundrum and a difficult challenge for the Jewish community. Socialism is a dead letter-although alive and well in the Democratic Party, the 85 member House "Progressive" caucus and for affiliated Jews, roughly half of today's American Jewish community.
Israel and Judaism are the bedrock of modern Jewish existence within the patriotic American framework. Palin is against the former and strongly in support of the latter. In this she is starting to gain personal support amongst a new generation of politically conservation Jews, who strongly defended her "blood libel" comments" such is found at Jewish Americans For Sarah Palin and Atlas Shrugs and My Right Word .
The adherence to an outdated philosophy is perhaps most strongly held by Jews in the media and Hollywood. This goes far in explaining the seamlessly unceasing attacks on Palin in a campaign of denigration unseen in American history, a campaign which has, in large part stemmed from these quarters.
Cetainly there are Jewish intellectuals of note in academia, the law, and other areas of influence. But it is the media which has the widest reach and which carries the Obama administrations
lower level of support for Israel than previous administrations.
The inhabitants of leftist Jewish media should ask themselves these questions. If Israel comes under attack in these uncertain times, who would most strongly support her? Would it be the Democratic Party led by President Obama or would a President Palin more vigorously and unquestionably do everything in her power to ensure the very survival of Israel ?
If the answer is Palin then it might behoove those Jewish media representatives to seriously reconsider their current antipathy to this true friend of the Jews and to discard outdated prejudices and loyalties.
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