Friday, April 15, 2016

Vermont senators declare war on Israel


Richard Baehr, Israel Hayom; see also "Sanders suspends Jewish outreach director who blasted Israel, Netanyahu," timesofisrael.com

Zimmerman image from
Excerpt:
[T]his week [Bernie] Sanders appointed Jewish outreach director Simone Zimmerman. This new addition to the Sanders campaign has, in the past, supported the BDS movement and Jewish Voices for Peace, and has been a vicious critic of everything having to do with Israel.
"The hypocrisy of expecting feel-good social justice projects to offset millennials' deep outrage at the grave injustices committed by the Jewish state is almost too much to bear," wrote Zimmerman, who is in her mid-20s. "No public relations trick can save Israel's image. The problem isn't with the hasbara [public diplomacy]. The problem is nearly 50 years of occupation. The problem is rampant racism in Israeli society. The problem is attacks on human rights defenders by extremists and by the state. The problem is a Jewish establishment that ignores or justifies all of this."
One might wonder where Zimmerman's outreach will be directed. If it is to the hard Left, which already castigates Israel at every opportunity, then the appointment is suggestive that Sanders has written off the pro-Israel vote, and wants to double down on his Daily News comments to please the Israel haters. If Sanders actually believes he has a balanced view on Israel, one wonders what type of vetting process was employed before Zimmerman was brought on board.

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