Voting Democratic is NOT simply part of Jewish identity. The vast majority of American Jews recognized the unique promise of Barack Obama, the disasters inherent in the past eight years of Bush policy, domestic and foreign, and the likelihood that Sen. McCain and the Republicans would continue those failed policies.
While there is certainly room for debate on this, my own speculation is that the "received wisdom" that Bush was Israel`s best friend will be repudiated by history. For a variety of reasons, Israelis and Arabs have not been able to come to a tenable way to manage their ongoing conflict. It is increasingly clear that external pressure is necessary, whether to compel an agreement or to provide political cover for local actors to do what they increasingly recognize is necessary. Bush`s policies put off any progress in this domain, and may have made it more difficult. If there is still hope for a two state approach, Obama will have to hold Israel to its promises, and work towa |
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