Is Biden the Last Democratic Zionist President?

By | Dec 23, 2024

Netanyahu's speech

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1. The Last Zionist Democratic President is Leaving Town

Veteran Joe Biden watchers have long made jokes about his Golda story, a tale about the young senator’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir back in 1973, which he has been known to repeat whenever addressing a Jewish or Israeli audience.  

In recent years, Biden added another staple to his Jewish speeches: “You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist,” followed by the statement: “I’m a Zionist.”

Last Monday, at the White House annual Hanukkah reception, Biden repeated this statement, perhaps for the last time.

For Biden, and for many Democratic old-timers, this is no more than stating the obvious: The United States is an ally of Israel, he is a supporter of Israel, and Zionism is defined as the right of the Jewish people for a national homeland in Israel. This used to be the mainstream Democratic worldview.

But so much has changed since Biden first labeled himself a self-proclaimed non-Jewish Zionist. In many progressive circles, “Zionist” has become a derogatory term used to describe supporters of settler colonialism and war crimes. The basic notion of viewing Israel as a force for good in the Middle East, shared by Democratic leaders for decades, is now an issue of fierce debate, and aligning oneself with this view is no longer considered a prudent political move.

Hundreds of Jewish activists packed the White House East Room for Biden’s last Hanukkah party, wishing to bid farewell to a beloved president. Milling around the buffet table, many joked about the need to take just one more latke before they leave, noting that, after all, most will not be invited to the event next year.

Deep down, the invitees, representing the heart of the Jewish-Democratic establishment, also knew they were witnessing the final act of an entire era in American politics.

One day, maybe four years from now or maybe many years later, a Democratic president will once again take their place in the Oval Office. The next Democratic president will likely be pro-Israel, and will definitely be unopposed to the idea of the Jewish people’s right to a state in their ancestral homeland. But it’s doubtful that person will not stand up in front of a room full of supporters and declare “I am a Zionist,” or share stories about their emotional connection to the Jewish state. That’s no longer where the Democratic Party is. Democrats still support Israel, and they have the policy credentials to prove it, but in the post-Biden era, it will be a strategic relationship, not a personal one.

2. A Bittersweet Departure?

Joe Biden won roughly 70 percent of the Jewish American vote in 2020, a figure that is in line with most recent Democratic presidential candidates. (In fact, given the slow but continuous erosion in Jewish support for Democrats, Biden did even better than expected.)

But it isn’t only about the ballots. Jewish Americans loved Biden and he loved them back. As a seasoned politician, Biden knew how to nurture his relationship with Jewish supporters, from attending bar mitzvahs and shivas, to manifesting the values shared by devout Catholics like himself and by Jewish believers.

October 7, 2023 demonstrated the instinctive depth of Biden’s commitment to Israel and the Jewish community. He not only made a visit to Israel in the midst of the war, but he also gave Israel unprecedented military and diplomatic support, while at the same time taking on the outburst of anti-Israel protest on U.S. college campuses with a cautious mix of defending free speech and setting a red line when it comes to antisemitic and hateful expressions.

But as he prepares to clear his desk and head home to Delaware, Biden’s base of support among Jewish and pro-Israeli Americans isn’t as stable as it was four years ago.

Progressive Jews, particularly younger ones, have all but broken with Biden, depicting him as a genocide supporter. Jewish Americans who are more hawkish on Israel have also taken issue with Biden, accusing him of not showing full support for Israel and of trying to limit the Israeli military operation before Hamas and Hezbollah have been defeated. (Some may have been getting this notion from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has persistently argued, including in his latest Wall Street Journal interview, that Biden imposed an arms embargo on Israel.) And then there are many mainstream Jewish Democrats who, just like their non-Jewish peers in the party, express a sense of anger toward Biden for not dropping out of the presidential race earlier and thus making it harder for Dems to win the elections.

Historians have yet to judge Joe Biden’s presidency. But when the full story is told, he will likely go down as one of the greatest allies of the Jewish community, perhaps the last of a dying political breed. Did the Jewish community reciprocate? It did. Partially. 

Looking ahead, Jewish Democrats will now have to define their expectations for the next generation of political leaders, and get used to the fact that their next candidate will no longer have a Golda story in hand and will definitely not pull off an “I’m a Zionist” comment in a political setting.

3. Incoming Troubling Comments

Four weeks before Donald Trump takes office, Jewish activists have already pointed out a few troubling comments from members of the Trump orbit, most notably Trump’s closest adviser Elon Musk, and pro-MAGA pundit Tucker Carlson.

Musk, last week, chose to endorse Germany’s far-right political party AfD. Posting on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, Musk wrote: “Only the AfD can save Germany.” The party, known for its extreme views, anti-immigrant and Islamophobic positions, has also been accused of being a home to Holocaust deniers and Nazi sympathizers. Musk seemed to suggest that AfD should be viewed as a legitimate member of a future coalition government in Germany. 

A few days earlier, again on the X platform, which he owns, Musk posted praise for an interview conducted by Tucker Carlson with Jeffrey Sachs, a promoter of conspiracy theories. In the interview, Sachs accused Israel’s Netanyahu of plotting for decades to depose Syria’s dictator Bashar al Assad, because of his support for a Palestinian state. “The United States goes to war on his behalf,” Sachs told Carlson. “Israel has driven so many American wars.” He then argued that Israel controls America’s policy in the Middle East, and that “the Israel lobby” is behind it all.

4. Shifting Tones of Antisemitism

Invoking classic antisemitic stereotypes, as Sachs did in the interview Musk amplified as “very interesting,” is nothing new. But when it involves top political figures, it cannot be ignored. Musk, and for that matter Carlson, are among the most powerful people in America these days. Who will call them out? 

Reining in members of your own circle is always a challenge, regardless of party affiliation. Donald Trump now has an opportunity to send a clear message, even before taking office, that these types of comments and endorsements cannot be tolerated. It’s not only the right thing to do, but it will also put many Jewish Americans at ease, and will add credibility to the new administration’s efforts to tackle antisemitism on the other side of the political aisle.

5. The Jewish Class of 2025

Early next month, the new—119th–Congress will be sworn in. This time it will include 34 Jewish members in both chambers, and perhaps even 35 after Florida holds a special election for a vacant House seat.

Ron Kampeas at the Jewish Telegraph Agency has the full list of Jewish lawmakers and everything you need to know about them. 

One important point to notice: This Congress is likely to have four Jewish Republican members, a record number.

What does that mean?

It could be no more than a political coincidence. After all, none of the members were elected because of their Jewish faith. 

But it could also be a demonstration of shifts in Jewish political alignment: A slow and gradual increase in Jewish support for Republican candidates; growing electoral power of ultra-Orthodox Jews who lean more Republican; and a slight and unmeasured shift of Jewish voters away from the Democratic Party, which hosts some extremely anti-Israel voices. 

Just to be clear, the next Congress will have no fewer than 30 Jewish members, so even after Republicans doubling their Jewish ranks, this is still a very lopsided political divide.

Top image credit: Gage Skidmore.

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