Warren Snubs U.S. Ally Israel [OPINION]

At least eight of the declared candidates for the Democrat presidential nomination, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) plan to skip this year's American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy meeting March 24-26 in Washington, D.C.

The annual gathering is generally a must for all candidates during a presidential election cycle who wish to appeal to Jewish and pro-Israeli voters. But this year the radical left MoveOn.org has warned the Democrats that 74 percent of its members want the candidates to boycott the meeting. With the Democrat party moving much further to the left and anti-Israel sentiment spreading unchecked within the party's ranks, it is no surprise that the candidates appear eager to sit this one out.

It's amazing that some on the left attempt to categorize President Trump as a "neo-Nazi" and claim that Trump's message is divisive and a "dog whistle" for the intolerant when the exact opposite is true.

It is the Democrats who under Barack Obama brought America's relationship with Israel to the brink with his support of the Iran nuclear deal. Obama also watched as Israel was sanctioned by the U.N. for claiming Jerusalem as its capital. The Democrat Congress largely ignored recent anti-Semitic remarks made by one of its newest members, Rep. Ilhad Omar (D-Minn.) while instead expressing concern about Islamophobia.

Trump has restored relations with Israel by visiting and by moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, something presidents since Reagan promised to do but never did. Trump has also recognized Israel's sovereignty over the disputed Golan Heights, an historic move.

Jewish leaders in Fall River refuse to condemn Rep. Omar and the Democrats for their anti-Israel behavior but are quick to accuse Trump of being a divider whose rhetoric they say led to the savaging of the Hebrew Cemetery there over the weekend. This is the same kind of bizarre logic that has led African-American voters to support their oppressors in the Democrat party for decades.

I hope the refusal of the Democrats to attend AIPAC next week is an eye-opener for all Americans, but especially Jewish-Americans and those who are pro-Israel.Israel is one of America's greatest allies and certainly a leader for peace in the troubled Middle East. It is the Democrats, and not Trump, that are a danger to American-Israeli relations.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.