Have you ever heard of Scoop Jackson? Senator Henry Jackson was an American congressman and senator from Washington State. Well known in the ‘70s and ‘80s as a centrist Democrat, he was Israel’s greatest ally in the United States Congress.
Have you been searching for the Scoop Jackson of today? Have you been looking for a past that barely exists – a Democrat who hasn’t gone off the deep end?
A normal Democrat, a patriotic American politician, is as difficult to find as the now-extinct dodo bird. That is what I thought - until attending my most recent political event. I got the surprise of my life at the meeting in the state of Virginia. I walked in under the pretext that a middle-of-the-road Democrat had ceased to exist. Then, I met Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. He, along with Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, have recently introduced legislation opposing the BDS movement.
“Antisemitism can’t be tolerated in any way, shape, or form,” Senator Manchin intoned.
And when that Jewish archenemy Rashida Tlaib (D-MN) pushed back, Joe pushed back too. “We don’t have a better ally than Israel,” was his response to her. It was incredible to hear a well-established Democrat publicly rebuking another Democratic Congressperson.
I thanked him for proposing a bill that would benefit American Jews as well as the State of Israel. When asked what his plan was vis-a-vis the immigration debacle, Senator Manchin’s answer further astounded me. The senator intends to secure our borders! He was pushing in a direction contrary to his party and the progressive left. Thank you, Senator Manchin. All patriotic Americans salute you! All of us working to secure funds for non-public schools (aka. private schools) salute you.
Bravo to Congressman Ritchie Torres (D, Bronx) for his continued support of our Jewish communities. Bravo to Congresswoman Grace Meng (D, Queens), who has always helped to provide aid to Israel, benefiting both America and its greatest ally. Kudos to Agudath Israel of America for continued outstanding guidance in the political arena.
Gratitude is often fleeting, but such a strong and positive reaction to the cancel culture of the woke is exceptional. I expect OUR gratitude to be long lasting.
By Sorolle Idels
