Philip Weiss at Mondoweiss is correct in pointing out that the strategy of Trump and the Republicans is to exploit the division in the Democratic party around support for Israel. The main target is large democratic donors. While Trump and the Republicans have been critical of the four Justice Democrat members of congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Presely, Rashida Talib and Ilhan Omar, it is Omar and Talib that are on the receiving end of the most vitriolic attacks.
Isn’t Donald Trump’s tactical aim an exodus of Jewish donors and voters from the Democratic Party over the party’s supposed betrayal of Israel? Isn’t this really about the Benjamins? How much of the wedge Trump is driving is financial, aimed at hemmorhaging the major artery of Democratic financial support — as much as 60 percent or more of Democratic contributions, a “gigantic” “shocking” percentage of Dem moneys, as even J Street acknowledges. The “donor class,” as liberal Zionist Michael Koplow puts it: the Dems are “squeezed between a pro-Israel legacy and a donor class that is more supportive of Israel on one side and an activist base that is far more critical of Israel.”
Israel and its friends have too much damned influence in our country; and Ilhan Omar has been right to call them out.
