Israel has an obligation to defend itself - opinion

• Author: Aryeh Lightstone
• Published date: 23 September 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

This week, with the Democrats knowing that they would have a party-line vote to pass a continuing resolution – which is important to continue to push the Democratic agenda forward – The Squad told the Democratic leadership that if the Continuing Resolution contained the $1 billion set aside to help Israel replenish the Iron Dome, they wouldn't vote for it, and therefore have the important (for the Democrats) resolution fail.

The Democratic leadership removed the allocation for the Iron Dome ammunition and the Continuing Resolution passed along party lines.

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Immediately, pro-Israel Democrats took to Twitter to condemn their colleagues, and promised to bring up Iron Dome replenishment to a new independent vote ASAP (which they will, and it should pass by a large margin). One of their most prominent justifications was that the Iron Dome is only a defensive weapon, so by implication it is justifiable to make sure Israel won't have offensive weapons.

Their crocodile tears should be treated the same way senator after senator showed up to vote for the Iran deal and then in their speeches to the Senate explained why the deal was terrible, but that they had no choice. Now within a decade, the Iran deal has become part and parcel of the Democratic platform, even though it is now proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Iran cheated before the deal, and during the deal as well.

Indeed, no matter what happens this week, the battle has already been lost. The pro-Israel Democrats had the same leverage as The Squad. They too could have said that they will not vote for a Continuing Resolution unless it included the funding for the Iron Dome. They did not, and instead folded.

This is more tragic, because the narrative has shifted, and it is the pro-Israel community's fault. As recently as the last Gaza war in May, when Hamas indiscriminately fired over 4,000 rockets from civilian areas aimed at civilians in Israel – thereby committing over 4,000 war crimes – support for Israel's right to defend itself came from many corners of the world, but as we all witnessed, the narrative was lost nearly immediately.

Enormous marches took place throughout the world's capitals condemning Israel, and in their wake, antisemitic attacks increased.

The most common refrain from...