In Washington’s extremely partisan environment, it’s rare to attend an event like last week’s forum of the American Zionist Movement (AZM), where senior figures from both parties gathered at the Capitol Visitors Center with heads of important groups like Hadassah, Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), and AIPAC.
Given the rancor that seems to dominate discourse in the Capitol now, the discussions at the AZM forum were surprisingly deep and dignified. And the confab drew a distinguished guest list, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, Republican congressmen Lee Zeldin and Ed Royce, retiring congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and others.
“Now more than ever, and in Israel’s 70th anniversary year, there must be a renewal of the historic broad and bipartisan United States support for Israel,” said AZM president Richard D. Heideman in his remarks.
A two-hour panel addressed one subject: How pro-Israel advocates can build consensus on both sides of the aisle in the battle against anti-Semitism and Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions movement (BDS), and other subjects of urgent communal concern. Prior to the panel, participants were given an off-the-record briefing by Jason Greenblatt on the Trump administration’s Mideast peace plan; that session was not open to the media.
Democratic participants seemed to arrive at the event on the defensive. Recent public opinion surveys have shown a widening gap between Democrats and Republicans on the question of support for Israel. Furthermore, the recent midterm elections put three radical left-wing Democrats in Congress who have expressed support for BDS and antipathy toward Israel.
On the other hand, since President Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved the US embassy there, and he maintains a close relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Republican attendees seemed to feel they had less to prove.
The timing, two weeks before the new Congress is sworn in, gives an important indicator of where US-Israel relations are headed in the next two years. The Democratic representatives who attended were very determined to prove to the assemblage that their support for Israel will be stronger than ever when they take control. For example, they spoke about their support for a bill opposing BDS.
Schumer disclosed that after he learned that Republican members go early to the Senate fitness center, he has been using those hours of exercise to try to persuade Kentucky senator Rand Paul, who is holding up defense aid for Israel, to withdraw his opposition. And the Democratic speakers all emphasized that they did not support the candidates of their party who advocated for BDS during the election campaign.
These are encouraging signs for the Democrats — but is it just lip service, or are they really intending to move toward the center now that the House of Representatives is in their hands? We’ll find out the answer starting on January 3, when the time for governing begins.
(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 740)