Is the "no difference" crowd right when it comes to US policy on Israel?

[High Plains]

On edit: Just to be clear, I'm referring to folks like the Naderites who allege there is "no difference" between the two parties. Is there a difference on this issue?

Is there any significant difference between Democratic and Republican positions on Israel?

Are there any important elected Democrats who are criticizing Israel?

It seems from this discussion board that there is a significant proportion of the Democratic base that would like to see US policy toward Israel radically altered. Which Democratic Party leaders speak for us? Anybody?

[High Plains]

1. I can't think of a single Democrat who wants to cut US military aid

to Israel, or even use it as a lever.

[CuteNFuzzy]

4. Cynthia McKinney

Does not pledge blind support for Israel.

[Peace Patriot]

2. Where is the Democrat with the courage to say that the Bush junta...

doesn't give a goddamn about Israel, and has encouraged and funded Israeli militarism, and has furthermore FOSTERED jihad against Israel, for its own NeoCon/PNAC agenda of invading Iran and Syria, and dominating Mideast oil fields?

Same place as the Democratic leader with the courage to cry foul on BUSHITE corporations gaining control of the tabulation of all of our votes, using TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code, with virtually no audit/recount controls, in the new (2002-2004) Tom Delay-engineered, electronic election theft system:

Nowhere.

[earthside]

3. Simple Answer: Yes

Hey, three and a half years after the unprovoked, Bush-ordered attack, invasion and occupation of Iraq, you still cannot get most Democrats in the U.S. House or Senate to say this was a huge mistake and that the troops need to come home now.

So, why should anyone be surprised that the Dems are again (like Hillary Clinton yesterday) praising and commending Bush for his leaderhip over the current crisis?

Democrats could be more like President Carter and ask for a balanced, fair approach to peace for the Middle East. But, I guess Dems are still so petrified of the possibility of Karl Rove calling them naughty names that they just fall all over themselves to support war.

It's too bad, uh?

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

5. Very unusual for a democracy

If we had a parliamentary form of government, with representatives from a wide spectrum of parties and ideologies, you would expect even perhaps just a few voices to support or oppose almost any issue. Here, the lock-step unconditional support for Israel where never is heard a discouraging word is strange indeed. I would think there is probably more dissent expressed in Israel's Knesset over Israel's actions and policies than you hear in the Senate and House.

[CuteNFuzzy]

6. If I recall correctly

A couple of years ago there was an Israeli attack in the West Bank that killed a number of Palestinian civilians. Bush stated that Israel should have used more restraint. Democrats then came out and criticized Bush for criticizing Israel. So yes, there are some differences.

[KoKo]

7. A Dem Rep from West Virginia was on C-Span criticizing the Resolution

the House is going to vote for "Supporting Israel." He was very articulate in his reasoning for why the Resolution shouldn't pass and did very well when someone called in raving he was a terrorist or something.

I didn't get his name but he followed a Repug Congressman who is sponsoring the Resolution (whose name I didn't get either) and so at least C-Span showed both sides. The Democrat was someone not familiar to DU'ers and neither was the Repug or I would have recognized them and I just didn't have time to look at the C-Span caption for their names.

[High Plains]

8. I can understand Hilary taking the position she did.

Given the nature of her constituency. But what about the rest of the Democrats?