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🇮🇱 Israel /Elections & Politics

What Lindsey Graham's passing says about Israel's standing in US politics

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Two Democratic presidential hopefuls, Rahm Emanuel and Ro Khanna, recently visited Israel and sharply criticized its government, gaining significant media attention.
  • Khanna's visit to the West Bank involved conflicting accounts from him and the IDF regarding an incident where his van was blocked.
  • The article suggests these events, occurring shortly before the death of pro-Israel Senator Lindsey Graham, highlight a shifting tide in U.S. politics, with declining pro-Israel support and rising anti-Israel sentiment.

The landscape of U.S. political engagement with Israel appears to be shifting, with presidential hopefuls increasingly finding that criticizing the Jewish state garners significant media attention. Rahm Emanuel traveled to Israel hoping to boost his campaign by criticizing the government, a move that was extensively covered by major U.S. outlets.

If you want national media attention, blast Israel.

— CommentaryThe article's observation on how politicians gain media coverage regarding Israel.

However, Emanuel was soon upstaged by fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Ro Khanna, who attacked Israel even more aggressively. Khanna visited the West Bank, reportedly refusing to meet with Israelis, and claimed he was blocked by settlers and then by IDF soldiers. The IDF presented a significantly different version of events.

Khanna's narrative included statements about being "acutely aware of being brown" and accusing Israel of genocide and apartheid in the West Bank. The article dismisses these claims as "blatant lies," suggesting a lack of credibility on other matters.

These incidents, taking place just days before the sudden, tragic death of Lindsey Graham, one of Israel’s greatest champions on Capitol Hill this generation, throw into stark relief how the tide is shifting for Israel in the US.

— CommentaryConnecting recent political events to a perceived decline in U.S. support for Israel.

These incidents, occurring just before the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch defender of Israel, are presented as evidence of a broader trend. The article posits that pro-Israel support in the U.S. is waning, while anti-Israel positions and personalities are gaining prominence. Historically, candidates visited Israel to bolster foreign policy credentials, but now, criticizing Israel seems to be the more attention-grabbing strategy.

Pro-Israel support is ebbing, while anti-Israel positions and personalities are rising.

— CommentaryDescribing the perceived shift in U.S. political sentiment towards Israel.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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