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"The last thing America and Israel need right now is the distractions of having Israel bandied about as a tool for waging political attacks."
Foxman sounds worried about what rarely happens. He underscored his appeal by saying individual and organizational signatories will be published. The implication, of course, indicates names omitted fall short of total support.
He added:
"(W)e want the discourse on US support for Israel to avoid the sometimes polarizing debates and political attacks that have emerged in recent weeks, as candidates have challenged their opponents' pro-Israel bona fides or questioned the current administration's foreign policy approach vis-a-vis Israel."
Imagine one nation asking others to pledge loyalty as an expression of support. The notion's foreign, unheard of, and arrogant. Few at best would go along, doing so only under heavy pressure or threats.
On October 25, Haaretz writer Natasha Mozgovaya addressed the issue in an article headlined, "ADL bid for US bipartisan support for Israel faces staunch resistance," saying:
In times of political granstanding ahead of America's 2012 elections, demanding "bipartisan support seems to be a naive pledge," stopping short of calling it unheard of, arrogant, abusive and outrageous.
"But it didn't prevent (ADL and AJC) from (wanting) Jewish organizations and individuals to join them in" pledging loyalty to Israel while "preventing the Jewish state from becoming a wedge issue in the upcoming campaign season."
In fact, it never did before so why now? Few congressional members do less. Critics are targeted for removal. Israeli Lobby power is ruthless. Few officeholders and aspirants oppose it. What Israel wants, it gets.
Political support for Israel isn't overwhelming. It's nearly unanimous. The tradition goes back decades, especially since the 1960s.
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