Opinion

The third Democratic debate was last week, and in the two and a half hours, many topics were discussed. Healthcare, guns, China, education, and of course, Trump, were just some of the flashpoints of argument between the candidates. One topic that wasn’t discussed at all, and barely discussed in the ten hours of debate so far in 2019, was the Middle East and Israel.

Three years into his administration, president Donald Trump is showing no signs of change concerning his public persona. “I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty,” the president told reporters last Tuesday during an Oval Office meeting with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

For seven hours on CNN last week, Democratic presidential candidates yammered on about “the greatest existential threat in the world”: Climate Change. For good reason, the Democratic National Committee voted against having a debate dedicated to Climate Change. This is because while Democrats feel they can win elections on Climate Change being a problem, they will lose spectacularly when showcasing their solutions. The CNN town hall proved just that.

Last week, President Trump found himself in hot water again when he referred to Jews who vote Democrat as “disloyal.” He later clarified that “if you vote for a Democrat, you’re being disloyal to Jewish people and you’re being very disloyal to Israel.” This has all the connotation of a dual-loyalty smear, which is incredibly anti-Semitic, but that’s not what Trump’s mistake was. His mistake was using identity politics the same way Democrats do.

To the surprise of both of her fans, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ended her campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination this past week. Gillibrand, who never achieved more than three percent on any poll, quietly faded away after not qualifying for the third Democratic debate, scheduled for September 12. New York is now stuck with her until 2024, but her political flip-flops should leave New Yorkers wondering why she deserves her Senate seat at all.

For the longest time, my response to critics of Israel online and in person has been that all American citizens have the ability to visit Israel without a visa. It is as easy as paying for a flight ticket. Certainly, one should keep in mind the enhanced security measures at Ben Gurion Airport and the 2017 law that bars entry to individuals actively engaged in the movement to boycott Israel.