Jon Ossoff broke faith with Israel - and lost his Jewish supporters in Georgia - opinion

Senator Jon Ossoff, once admired for his charisma and potential, has fractured his relationship with Georgia's Jewish community due to his stance on military aid to Israel. The author, a former supporter, argues that Ossoff's vote in November 2024 to block some weapons shipments to Israel, just over a year after the October 7th attacks, was a betrayal.

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at the hour of maximum threat to the Jewish homeland, it was more important to “virtue signal” to the far-left than to ensure the defense of the only Jewish state on earth.

Ossoff stated he wanted to send a "message to Israeli politicians." However, the author contends this message was received by his Jewish constituents as a prioritization of "virtue signaling" to the far-left over the security of the Jewish homeland. The article highlights the irony of Ossoff posing with freed Israeli hostages shortly after voting to deny Israel the arms its soldiers needed to combat the captors.

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it was not ironclad. It had rusted through.

The backlash from the community was significant, with nearly 50 Georgia Jewish organizations and 22 rabbis issuing formal rebukes. This directly contradicted Ossoff's claim of an "ironclad" commitment to Israel's security. The publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times accused the senator of "lying" about his support for Israel in an open letter.

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lying about his support for Israel

The author emphasizes the distinction between criticizing the Israeli government and disarming the nation, posing a rhetorical question to Ossoff about how he would protect Israeli children on multiple fronts without adequate weaponry. The piece concludes by noting that "partial loyalty is not loyalty," referencing comments from donors urging Governor Kemp to challenge Ossoff and Mark Mellman's statement that the senators' vote endangered Israel.

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You do not take the shield away from 10 million people because you are angry at the man holding it.