These Yiddin Ain't Kiddin'

Democrats have spent the last couple of days in a daze over the trouncing that took place in New York's 9th Congressional district. While Nevada's 2nd district also went red—in a big way—on the same day, that district has been Republican since it was formed after the 1980 census. However, New York's 9th has been in Democratic hands for the last 88 years. What happened?

Now doubt, it didn't help that Anthony Weiner resigned over an acute case of narcissim, and of course, the whole country's in a very foul mood right now due to rising unemployment and poverty. Who could blame anyone for wanting to see change right now? As devoted a Chicago Democrat as I am, even I would like to see a reasonable Republican step forth to give Obama a run for his money (unfortunately, I haven't noticed any reasonable Republicans lately).

No, there's something else going on in the NY 9th to which Barack Obama had better pay very close attention: Jews are abandoning him in droves over his policy—or lack thereof—on Israel.

The Prez had better come to realize that the Arab Spring, the chilling relations between Israel and Egypt and Israel and Turkey, and a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state by the Arabs in the West Bank and Gaza, which could soon be rubber-stamped by United Nations, has given Israel a seriously bad case of the jitters. And when Israels gets the jitters, American Jews become downright apoplectic.

To be sure, the Israeli government has stubbornly refused to stop building new settlements in the West Bank or expanding existing ones. Make no mistake: Israel has not limited itself to land needed for its security. The government there has long pandered to ultra-right-wing religious factions, which it needs in order to remain in power. I understand that Barack Obama would like to put a stop to this land grab, and frankly, so would I.

However, the dramatically changing landscape in the Mideast has emboldened Palestinian Arabs, many of whom now believe that they don't need no stinkin' peace settlement. To make matters worse, the long-held, but very silent American formula for peace in the region, i.e. pre-1967 borders modified by a land swap, was proclaimed out-loud by President Obama in a speech last May. The Palestinian Arabs would have to be deaf and blind not to think they have the current American President right where they want him. What on earth was he thinking?

The Palestinian Arabs have a century-long history of terrorizing Jews who dared to resettle in the ancient Jewish homeland, and now they believe the stage is set for "driving them into the sea," which has been their objective all along. Even the most secular American Jews will do anything in their power to prevent this—including dumping a President whom they even suspect of sitting by and watching it it happen.

Call this single-issue voting if you will, but the Jewish people—from one end of the religious and political spectra to the other—clearly understand that their safety and security everywhere in the world depend on a safe, secure Jewish homeland. And they're joined by hundreds of thousands of fundamentalist Christians who believe that a Jewish Israel will fulfill their messianic vision. Nothing will make the Republicans realize their dream of a one-term Obama presidency faster than the prospect of a weak, compromised Israel.

The Prez needs to get this through his head fast! A good start—but just a start—would be putting a screeching halt to any attempts at Palestinian statehood without a signed, sealed and delivered regional peace settlement.