Herbert Zweibon

The Democratic victories in House and Senate bode ill for Israel. Most serious of all is the message sent to Islamic enemies of both Israel and the United States: Bin Laden was right that when the going gets rough, the United States lacks staying power. That the President would promptly fire Donald Rumsfeld, the man most firmly associated with pursuit of the war, and Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi would then back John Murtha, the most outspoken supporter of immediate withdrawal for party leader, reinforces the message that leaving Iraq is the party’s top priority. (Fortunately, thanks to his association with the Abscam corruption scandal, Murtha lost.)

When the House voted on the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act (to cut off aid to the Hamas government until it recognized Israel) it passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 361-17. Five of those seventeen enemies of Israel are slated to become chairmen of important House committees: David Obey (Appropriations), John Conyers (Judiciary) – a voice for Islamists, he represents Dearborn, Michigan, the largest Arab population in the country -- John Dingell (Energy and Commerce), George Miller (Education and Work Force) and Nick Rahall (Resources).

The Democratic victory will strengthen the hand of both George Soros and CAIR – it’s hard to know which is worse. Soros, fresh from pouring millions into the far left Moveon.Org (whose website overflows with the most vicious anti-Semitism) now plans to launch an American Jewish anti-Israel lobby. It will bring together a few fellow billionaires and left wing Jewish outfits including American Friends for Peace Now, the Israel Policy Forum and Brit Tzedek v’Shalom (that’s both Justice and Peace in one title, a sure sign they’ll contribute to neither). These three groups, in tune with Israel’s worst enemies in Congress, take credit for killing the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act. They vigorously lobbied the Senate for provisions to neutralize it, and in the end, because there was no way to reconcile the two versions of the bill, it never went to the President for signature. In a Democratic Congress, looking to Soros to bankroll campaigns, his anti-Israel lobby may well become ascendant over AIPAC.

CAIR, which expert on terrorism Steven Emerson describes as “a radical fundamentalist front group for Hamas,” also emerges as a big winner. As Robert Spencer points out in Frontpage, while it is true CAIR officials have met with Presidents Clinton and Bush, and have the ear of the mainstream media, now, “instead of being subjected to increasing public scrutiny as it should be, CAIR will be able to use the new Congress to expand its reach and influence.”

In the wake of the Democratic victory, the impact of the Iraq Study Group Report chaired by long time Israel foe James Baker and Lee Hamilton, will undoubtedly be much greater. And while at this writing the report has not been released, enough has been leaked to arouse serious misgivings that it will end up only as cover for retreat and defeat. There is talk of negotiating with Syria and Iran to “stabilize” Iraq. How can involving the most committed enemies of the U.S. and Israel – this while Iran pursues its nuclear ambitions and promises to wipe out Israel -- do anything but encourage these regimes in their defiance of the United States? Do anything but increase Ahmadinejad’s confidence that nothing will be done to prevent him from pursuing his apocalyptic dreams? Compounding the disaster, there is talk of solving the “broader issues” in the Middle East, i.e. a conference to tackle the alleged “root cause” of the endless dysfunction in the Middle East, the Arab-Israel conflict.

That’s when you know the bankruptcy of policy is total – when our politicians set out, yet again, full steam, to solve the Arab-Israel conflict!