Vance Blames the War, and Israel
The vice president's midterm autopsy puts the Israel relationship on the fix-it list.
JD Vance says the Iran war cost Republicans the midterms. In a post on X Wednesday, the vice president cited a pollster's top four fixes for winning back Trump voters who went Democratic. Ending the war was first. Changing the relationship with Israel was fourth. "The reason we lost is the war," he wrote. Trump called that "largely true" and said he "would've done nothing different." 1
Gadi Eisenkot is on track for the first shot at forming Israel's next government. Herzog began consultations with party leaders Wednesday. Degel HaTorah, four of United Torah Judaism's seven seats, said it won't recommend anyone for prime minister. That leaves Eisenkot with at least 56 expected recommendations to Netanyahu's 53. 2 The backstory →
Wisconsin voters rejected a constitutional ban on closing houses of worship during emergencies. The COVID-inspired amendment failed with 52% voting no. Milwaukee's Rabbi Joel Alter voted against it: "I don't think the state constitution is the way to respond to concerns that people have." 3
Inna Vernikov doesn't get to decide who counts as a Jew. After an exit poll showed 67% of Jewish voters went Democratic, the Republican who represents South Brooklyn on the City Council posted on X: "They're Jews like I am a baseball player. Jews who have a strong Jewish identity vote conservative." 4
She can argue those voters got it wrong. That's politics, and she's allowed to be loud about it. Calling them fake Jews is a different move, and it's the one we object to when anti-Zionist activists decide which Jews are welcome in progressive spaces. The Nexus Project called it "deeply harmful and offensive," and they're right. 4 A Jew who votes for Democrats still counts for the minyan.
Thursday is 25 Cheshvan. In this week's parsha, Chayei Sara, Abraham's servant looks for Isaac's wife and decides the right woman will be the one who offers water to him and his camels. Rebekah drew water for all ten camels, running back to the well until they were done. 56
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