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July 23, 2004/Av 5 5764, Vol. 56, No. 44
Why platforms are important
JONATHAN S. TOBIN
Jewish Exponent
Do the platforms of our political parties matter? In general, the answer would have to be no. Platforms neither bind presidential candidates, nor do they often have much impact on the policies that the November winner will pursue.
For decades, both Republicans and Democrats passed platform planks calling for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, only to have presidents of both parties reject this advice.
But even though we can't be sure that anything the Democrats or Republicans promise in their platforms will come to pass, the symbolism is important. If we are to continue the tradition of bipartisan support for Israel, then both parties must be on record saying so.
That's why we are encouraged by the Democrats' decision to specifically support Israel's right to retain parts of the West Bank in any peace settlement. By echoing President Bush's position on this, the Democrats send a signal that those who hope to detach the United States from Israel in the coming years are bound to lose. Friends of Israel should hope that the Republicans will explicitly endorse Israel's right to build a security fence - a point the Democrats did not address in their plank.
These statements are not being made in a vacuum. Hatred for Israel generated by anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world, a phenomenon illustrated by the ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague that Israel must tear down its West Bank security barrier.
Anti-Israel sentiment also is finding a home on the margins of American politics. The Green Party, which under the leadership of Ralph Nader had an enormous impact on the 2000 race, recently issued its own platform. In addition to its environmentalist agenda of clean air and water, the Greens touted the so-called Palestinian "right of return" and called for an end to U.S. support for the Jewish state and the replacement of the State of Israel with a binational Jewish/Arab state.
The Greens are given respectful treatment by the press not accorded to other fringe groups. Environmentalism is chic, and even though the Greens have no chance of winning a national election, their support has steadily grown.
The fact that they have lined up behind the Jew-haters points to the growing legitimacy accorded such despicable ideas. That they did so with nary a peep of protest from mainstream journalists also speaks volumes about the way such views are increasingly accepted.
Anyone who scoffs at the Democrats and Republicans lining up for Israel should think again. At a time when it is more vital than ever that American Jews speak up for Israel, the Greens have shown that the radical anti-Zionism so fashionable in Europe today has won a toehold on our own shores.
Jonathan S. Tobin is executive editor of the Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia. Reach him at tobin@jewishexponent.com.
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