The Israeli Palestinian has plagued the US political system between those who either believe Israel's actions are too harsh or those who believe they are necessary. However congressmen Jerrold Nadler of New York's 10th district has a very one sided view, which is an intensified pro Israel stance. Over the current summer conflict, Nadler visited Tel Aviv where he stated that "No other country would be asked to tolerate thousands of rockets being fired at its population"(Nadler.house.gov) , this statement alone seems like Nadler has either catered to a specific voting group or has a personal connection to the Israeli government. In fact it is both, not only is Nadler Jewish, his district is also has the largest jewish population in the United States at 192,000 (Comenetz). Nadler who is seen as a progressive and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus had taken a rather stubborn approach on Israel. Currently GOP support for Israel is around 70% while democratic support for democrats is around 46% (Rubin).
In a recent event near city hall, Nadler along with several other pro Israeli politicians, in which he supported Israel's recent actions against Hamas. Along with a poster created by a PR team from the Israeli military. In which he continues to emphasize Israel's unparalleled commitment to protecting its civilians first and foremost Nadler however has a history of supporting harsh stances on regional opponents of Israel, like Iran. Along with fellow pro Israel advocate Chuck Schumer at a recent fundraiser in Flatbush, Schumer stated that "We must do everything- I know Congressmen Nadler joins me in this- we must do everything we can in any way possible to avoid a nuclear Iran. And we will be leading the charge to make sure that Iranians know that they will not go nuclear or face the most severe of consequences". Soon after Nadler remarked that military would not be ruled out. The idea of a non nuclear Iran is not an uncommon occurrence among most democrats, but the sheer aggressiveness of Nadler and Schumer is. These views make both politicians extremely popular among jewish voters as illustrated through the standing ovation both received at the event (Barken). This along with the Israeli Palestinian conflict conveys a clear threat to Israeli security and thus captures the attention of the Jewish vote within the 10th Congressional of New York.
Nadler was elected to congress in 1992 and has been winning elections by landslides, most recently in 2012 with over 80% of the vote. He has on several occasions been a strong advocate on civil liberties, safe transportations acts and civil rights. However he has strictly emphasized his support for Israel and championed policy change in the middle east. This is perhaps the reason Nadler has received such support amongst the Jewish community in New York. By using such a strong defense of Israel he is able to overwhelmingly win over the Jewish community and thus win re-election by such large margins.
Work Cited
"http://nadler.house.gov/press-release/rep-nadler-israel-time-peace." Nadler House. Last modified
August 6, 2014. Accessed September 26, 2014. http://nadler.house.gov/press-release/
rep-nadler-israel-time-peace.
Comenetz, Joshua. "Jewish Maps of the United States by Congressional District - revised January2014." Berman Jewish Databank. Accessed September 26, 2014. http://www.jewishdatabank.org/studies/details.cfm?StudyID=719.chuck-schumer-and-jerry-nadler-rail-against-nuclear-iran/.Tracey, Micheal. "ISRAEL'S BOMBARDMENT OF GAZA EARNS THUMBS UP FROM NEW YORK POLITICIANS." Vice.com.Last modified July 16, 2014. Accessed September 26, 2014. http://www.vice.com/read/israels-bombardment-of-gaza-earns-thumbs-up-from-new-york-politicians-715.
Jerrold Nadler is certainly an interesting character. A Democrat from New York City who is very progressive and left leaning on almost all issues, except for the situation in the Middle East with regards to Israel. However what might seem odd for people in another district or state is actually the norm for Nadler’s district. Nadler truly represents his constituents in his own district. Usually city dwellers vote Democrat on most issues so it is not a surprise that a representative from New York City are Democrats however the 10th District has the largest Jewish population out of all other districts in the United States, so anyone trying to run on a platform that isn’t pro-Israeli will never win the district.
ReplyDeleteIts no surprise Nadler has been in office since 1992 because he has a pro-Israeli stance and supports any legislation which supports the Israeli military against Hamas and any type of preventions that can be placed on countries like Iran who are enemies of Israel. Nadler knows which topic his constituents are most concerned about and that is why he goes against his own party on situations like the Middle East. If he didn’t reflect the views of the people he represents, he wouldn’t have remained in office for as long as he did. The Jewish community has found a candidate that reflects their views and as a result Nadler has been re-elected for over two decades. While Nadler’s stance on other issues is also important to the people of the 10th district, it is clear that his position on Israel is what the people of the 10th district really care about.
It seems that Schumer and Nadler have a distinct advantage in their districts because of the religious identity. By taking a powerful stance on the Israeli-Palenstein conflict, Schumer and Nadler have cemented a incredible portion of voters. It's interesting to see how politicians can use their beliefs as leverage to secure voters. But is there a point where it becomes more exploitive than representational?
ReplyDelete