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Far left will not be missed | News, Sports, Jobs
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Far left will not be missed | News, Sports, Jobs


FROM A HARROP

The hardline pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime is protesting against, of all people, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Where did things go wrong between the New York congresswoman and the Vermont senator? Didn’t they condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza when “genocide”? Didn’t they call for a halt to military aid to Israel?

They did both, but Ocasio-Cortez in particular incurred the group’s ire by endorsing a resolution affirming Israel’s right to exist. She also supported funding for Israel’s Iron Dome, which is not an offensive weapon but a defensive system to shoot down Hamas rockets.

None of these positions preclude criticism of Israel’s conduct in the war. It’s not easy to take a nuanced position on a tragic conflict with hardened support on both sides. But Ocasio-Cortez appears to be trying to backtrack on previous statements that were seen as hostile to Israel.

Why is a good question. It could be a change of heart. Or it could be political calculation after a colleague “team” Rep. Jamaal Bowman had his clock wiped out in a Democratic primary for re-election in his congressional district, which combines several New York City suburbs with part of the Bronx. The infusion of money from the pro-Israel lobby into the campaign of Bowman’s challenger, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, undoubtedly played a role. But it took more than AIPAC’s ample checkbook to defeat an incumbent candidate by 17 points.

Bowman revealed himself to be a conspiracy theorist who cast doubt on the claims that Hamas terrorists raped Israeli women. He also childishly set off a fire alarm in a House office building and then lied about it.

But Within Our Lifetime even condemned Bowman as a “Zionist” for supporting the re-election of “Genocide Joe” for the presidency — including support for the Iron Dome system, assuming Israel is allowed to continue to exist.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus, meanwhile, withdrew its support for Rep. Mondaire Jones after he endorsed Latimer over Bowman. New York’s progressive Working Families Party followed suit.

Are you keeping score?

Jones is the leading Democrat to fill the seat held by Rep. Mike Lawler, a moderate Republican. Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, called Jones’ decision to support Latimer “terrible.” Would someone please tell Jayapal that Latimer is a Democrat?

The Democratic Socialists of America withdrew its endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez, largely because of her participation in a panel discussion with a Jewish group, where she said that criticism of Israel sometimes crosses over into anti-Semitism, but also that accusations of anti-Semitism are sometimes used to shut down legitimate criticism. The DSA declared her participation in the event a “deep betrayal.” (The local branch has remained loyal to her.)

Oh, the tantrums, the deportations, the indictments. The authoritarian impulse of the far left continues to eat itself.

Sanders is responsible for some of the childish irritation. He has gone after not only dissidents, but also people who are not dissidents but ask innocent questions, like why they should vote for him. During his failed race for the U.S. Senate in 1972, Sanders was asked just that. He responded with an irritated, “If you didn’t come for the movement, you came for the wrong reasons. I don’t care who you are; I don’t need you.”

So there.

When Bowman was swept aside, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reacted with remarkable composure. “The results speak for themselves,” he said. “The voters have spoken.” And he will no doubt be pleased that the most likely winner in November will be team player Latimer.

Ocasio-Cortez’s surprise primary victory in 2018 put DSA on the map. Without her, DSA has fallen back into the basement of irrelevance. It should consider itself liberated.

Froma Harrop can be reached at [email protected].



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