Subject: Re: Cracks in the dem coalition over Israel
I've said it for years. The real home of racism and anti-semitism is the worldwide left.

There can be more than one "real home" of racism and anti-semitism. When I personally have encountered anti-semitism, it's been among both constituencies that are more associated with the Democratic party (union workers in Detroit, minority groups in Boston) and Republicans (a bunch of times in southern Christian contexts). Sadly, Tom Lehrer had it right. Still, all things considered, as a Jew I'd much rather be in a big liberal city than a small conservative town - any day of the week and twice on Shabbos.

Still, it's important to remember that these schisms are largely causing immediate problems within the hardcore progressive left coalition, not among Democrats more broadly. There has always been disagreement over Palestine and Israel between the deeply-progressive Democratic base and the more center-left "moderate" wing of the party. That's nothing new, and really not that much of a surprise to center-left Jews, who have always regarded the hardcore left's embrace of the Palestinian cause with concern. Nor is it all that unique - the hardcore progressive base has always been dissatisfied with centrist approaches to immigration reform, climate change, universal health care. You name it. The hardcore progressives aren't going to walk over to the GOP over any of those issues.

What's new, though, is that super-lefty Jews are shocked to find out that some of their fellow uber-left-wingers really do believe that Israel is a colonial settler state, that it is an oppressor state that shouldn't exist, and that the oppressed are entitled to use "any means necessary" to end their oppression. That they really meant the radically illiberal things they were advocating. So what's going to break is the rapproachment in the far-far left between the radicals and the hyper-liberal "realists."