Given Bernie Sanders’s performance at the Iowa caucuses, and his high poll numbers in New Hampshire, it seems possible that he could be the first Jew to be nominated for the presidency by a major political party. Yet, notes Shmuel Rosner, surveys suggest that Jewish Democrats are significantly less likely than Democrats in general to want Sanders to win. He conjectures as to why that might be:
[Sanders] is a radical, and most Jews instinctively know that an atmosphere in which radicalism thrives is an atmosphere in which Jews are in danger. It’s true that in many past cases, Jews were visible, even dominant, in radical circles. But American Jews, many of whom live comfortably and count themselves among American elites, have little reason to shake things up. In fact, I believe that many Jews in the U.S. instinctively objected to Donald Trump for the same reason. He—like Sanders—is an engine of unrest.
[Sanders also] keeps the company of allies of whom Jews are justifiably suspicious. Recently, one of [these] allies, Representative Ilhan “It’s All About the Benjamins” Omar, praised the candidate as someone who is “threatening to the status quo.” A fair number of American Jews dislike Omar for her comments and attitudes. A fair number of American Jews like the status quo.
Then, there is the fact that Sanders is critical of Israel. Many Jews in America are also critical of Israel. But Sanders goes way beyond criticism. He threatens to shake the very foundation of the American-Israel alliance, [once commenting that], “$3.8 billion is a lot of money, and we cannot give it carte blanche to the Israeli government”—in essence, questioning the U.S. commitment to provide Israel with military aid. And he does that by using language that was rarely used by previous prospective presidential candidates.
True, some Jews who have large megaphones deplore some of Israel’s policies and no longer care (and would even cheer) if Israel is thrown under the bus. But I don’t think this is the view of the majority.
Read more on Jewish Journal: https://jewishjournal.com/rosnersdomain/310299/bernie-sanders-and-the-jews/