Politico is reporting that "Language calling for Jerusalem to be recognized as the capital of Israel has been omitted from the 2012 Democratic Party platform."
Instead, the platform contains language about how US support for Israel is unshakable.
Predictably, the sort of people who think hats and jackets are proof of piety are screaming loudly about this -- and I agree that this platform, on the face, seem less friendly to right wing Israel than the 2008 platform.
But there's more to this story.
But there's more to this story.
The language omitted from the platform this year - which is traditionally included in the platforms of bth parties - is like Lucy's football. The candidates hold out a platform promise to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and then fail to deliver. Bush did this, and so did Clinton. Every four years the Jews fall for it, and every four years we end up flat on our backs after the promise is pulled away.
Anyone but the most naive right wing Zionists knows and accepts that the US can't, for the time being, recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
We also know that the US can and does continue to help Israel in more substantial ways.
Obama, for example, delivered $3 billion per year in aid, with hundreds of millions more for Iron Dome. He's defended Israel in the UN, blocked Palestinian statehood and earned kudos and respect from the Prime Minister and the Defense establishment.
That's what matters. Not the absence of a promise everyone knows is empty.
UPDATE
Just left this on FaceBook beneath a post from someone who says this platform problem may cost Obama his vote:
Just left this on FaceBook beneath a post from someone who says this platform problem may cost Obama his vote:
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