Every Democrat in Congress Should Walk Out if Netanyahu Dares to Undermine President Obama on Iran.

[branford]

116. Wealthy and politically active Jews can still vote Democratic,

but withhold their money and political organization and support to the party. Jews not only vote as a rule, but disproportionately donate money to political causes and candidates and otherwise support the party machine relative to their small population.

Although most Jews are liberal and more at home in the Democratic Party, Israel is a very important issue, and it transcends a cantankerous Israeli PM's like Bibi. For instance, do you recall the press from Hollywood during the last Gaza war? Imagine a national election where Democrats could not count on the resources of Jewish partisans and their allies in NYC and LA.

Also, relations between Israeli PM's and US Presidents have been really terrible before. Remember Bush I and Shamir?

Lastly, this dispute is mainly between Obama and Bibi personally, not the entire Democratic Party. Even without Bibi's invitation and speech, new Iran sanctions have strong bipartisan support in Congress and polls very well among the general public. Bibi's speech is problematic for the president because it reinforces what is already popular in Congress and with the public, and may even generate sufficient support to override a presidential veto, an event potentially humiliating for the president, but a vote that would be politically popular for many Democratic senators and congressman in their home states and districts.