Setting the table

August 25 2008

The Mideast situation moves along ever so slightly. The U.S. State Department put it this way:

"Speaking to reporters aboard her airplane, Secretary Rice indicated it is unlikely there will be a comprehensive agreement anytime soon. She said what is important is to keep making forward progress, rather than trying prematurely to come up with a set of conclusions."(1)

Yes, it's early for final conclusions.

Sarkozy has again stepped forward to mediate between Israel and Syria. It might be difficult for the Bush administration given the campaign season.(2)

It may be in the interests of Democrats to see a total failure in the Mideast, so that the Bush administration can point to no accomplishments. The foray of Mike Huckabee into Israeli politics demonstrates the dangers. He went into Israeli media to speak in favor of a one-state solution and civil rights after the Obama campaign threw around the "antiChrist" word in public.(3) In such a situation, we can interpret Huckabee as a McCain surrogate telling Israel not to give in to Palestinian demands.

Over the years, the Democrats such as Al Gore and Bob Avakian have told us that the evangelicals are irrational and anti-scientific. On this point, and in this context, we agree. Whether or not a significant portion of the Republican Party is bought-off and conservative because of that, there is no doubt that evangelical leaders have succeeded in imprinting a Zionist outlook that is more Zionist on average than the average U.$. Jewish outlook.

It is wrong to try to reason with evangelicals, especially between now and the elections. It's one thing to talk about the antiChrist after the negotiations fail. It's another thing to raise it now, and in that the Obama campaign did wrong.

The evangelical reaction on Israel has to be taken as a given. It cannot be reasoned with in the short run. The evangelicals know they are not supposed to "harm the Jews."

It is best to leave that as it is. The people who need to exert leadership are rational minorities.

According to the Republican station, Foxnews, Obama stopped advertising in Florida and Virginia once he chose Biden.(4) Without Warner, Kaine or John Edwards on the ticket, the Obama hopes in the South went down. If true, the Foxnews report means that Obama has cut pandering to Southern evangelicals and Florida Jews.

What we need in this situation is not some attempt to reason with Southern evangelicals. Instead, in the current context, there is every reason to ask New York Jews to play their full role in instigating a Mideast peace.

New York Jews are more pro-peace and rational than the average Republican voter. They are also very pro-Democratic Party.

What evangelicals think cannot be changed, but they do not read "Haaretz" or the "Jerusalem Post." What "harm the Jews" means comes from Foxnews, which can obtain material from the Associated Press.

It is time for New York Jews themselves to call on Bush to take strong measures for a Mideast peace. Such a call is unlikely to disturb electoral politics in itself. However, it is a matter of taking a partial leadership role.

The Obama campaign has accomplished nothing in international relations. It should earn its support through concrete action that is within its reach. Obama is not president, but his party contains influential sectors. Within his party are those who can define what it means "harm the Jews." In this way we change the issue from one of Democrats versus Republicans to moving the whole baseline.

We do not want to see the Republican Party have an excuse via its base. It's time to remove that excuse so the whole world can see who is to blame for holding up a Mideast peace. The Democratic Party can and should outflank Bush in posture, and open up some political space that even evangelicals can move into.

Notes:
1. http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-08-25-voa52.cfm
2. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/25/africa/ME-Syria-Israel.php
3. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1218710409976&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
4. http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/22/obama-stops-advertising-in-red-battleground-states/