One thing I've found worrying about the democratic party is its increasing antisemitism. You have people like Gus Savage or Jesse Jackson making incredibly anti Semitic comments and the recognition of Israel taken out of the platform. As I've said earlier, I'm worried about the clients taking over the party. Why do they have to act like a bunch of ingrates? Do they not know that american Jews have played a crucial role in liberal victories such as the civil rights act or the right to choose?
So the idea is that pro-Israel but otherwise liberal democrats (like a Lieberman or Koch type) should form a third party. Such a party I think would be viable and could win over a lot of guilty evangelical Christians that normally vote republican.
I don't know about the specific comments to which you are referring, so I can't comment directly on those. However - be careful with your analysis, while the staunch right wing Israeli party Likud and their crony lobbyists in Washington would have you believe otherwise - being anti-Israel/anti-Zionism DOES NOT inherently equate to anti-Jew.
I abhor the state (NOT the people) of Israel, and am staunchly anti-Zionism, much like these groups of individuals:
http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/ (Jews against Zionism)
http://www.nkusa.org/ (Neturei Karta, another Jewish, anti-Zionism organization)
Actually, one of the many reasons I'm against Zionism is because I believe it is very bad for the Jewish community, in terms of how the Zionist movement has created antagonisms between Muslims and Jews which didn't previously exist (during the inquisition, the Muslims were the only friends they had!). I'm no holocaust denier, I hate fascism, neo-nazism, and any form of ethnocentrism or racism, I'm extremely concerned for the welfare of Jewish individuals, and am vehemently opposed and disgusted by antisemitism.
That being said, I just recognize that the existence of that state has created far more problems than solutions, and that the right wing government of Israel is guilty of crimes against humanity.
But if I go out in public and say I'm against the Israeli government, or particularly if I were a notable person, I'd get RAILED for hating Jews - when the OPPOSITE is true! I'm just wondering if those comments they made are the kind I would make, rather than anti-Jewish comments. My distaste for Israel is a distaste for a certain state apparatus. NOT for Jews, in ANY sense. I support the movements in Israel for peace and those Israelis which comprise of that movement, just as I support the Palestinian peace movement (and equally abhor terrorism as a response to Israel's war crimes).
And really, there's no need for a pro-Israeli third party. Likud has Washington in their back pocket, and the overwhelming majority of elected officials in both parties are Zionist. To call for a Zionist third party would be like calling for a third party that exists for the sole purpose of being *for* the War on Drugs. It's not needed, the political currency is already overwhelmingly there.
