The Graham Platner implosion

The Graham Platner implosion should prove to the Jewish community that it can prevail over these arrogant “progressives” who are stomping all over us to build a political empire.

We need to vigorously stand up to the anti-Israel mob before they achieve significant power in America. The effort could be relatively easy because they lack substance, or the “true grit” that is credited to John Wayne’s character in the movie True Grit.

Graham Platner’s world collapsed at 6:30 Monday night once CNN host Jake Tapper heard Platner’s former girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, accuse the Maine U.S. Senate candidate of raping her five years his current run to oust five-term Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. He was overwhelmingly nominated in the Democratic primary last month to challenge Collins. He swiftly denied Racicot’s accusation on Monday night.

Within an hour of Tapper’s interview, Democratic leaders clamored for Platner to drop out of the race so the state party can replace him on the ballot with someone who is not neck-deep in scandal. Wednesday night, Platner announced that he will remove his name from the ballot by Monday, and state Democrats are required to name a replacement by July 27.

Platner and likeminded Democratic candidates are empty suits who have galvanized voters desperate for better government. They trot out a series of social reforms that they will seek to enact if elected and pay for it by ending military aid to Israel. Many of their followers believe that all Jews must be blamed for the actions of the Israeli government, so harming Jews is a blow against Israel.

They fault Democrats in Congress for neglecting to stand up against President Trump. How can they? Incumbent Democrats are in the minority in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives and therefore have sorely limited power. What have four-term anti-Israel congresswomen like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar accomplished?

If Democrats retake the majority in the House and/or the Senate, are progressives going to take all the credit if Congress does anything positive? If President Trump blocks their efforts, will they accept the blame?

And why are they mixing Israel with these proposals for social change? American Jews can be a useful ally for making social reforms a reality, but candidates like Platner are alienating many Jews with his approach to criticizing Israel.

What is wrong with criticizing Israel? Nothing. The problem is their way of doing it. They limit their criticism to Israel and ignore the acts of other parties in the Middle East. It was at best rare for anti-Israel candidates to demand that Hamas release the Israeli hostages they kidnapped from southern Israel in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. No criticism of Iran, which transported weapons to Hamas. Silence over Egypt’s refusal to admit most Gazans into its country. Nor of Turkey, another enabler of terrorists in Gaza. What are Jews supposed to think?

They also distort the issues when they attack Israel by lying or leaving out relevant details. One critic accused Israel of expelling 80 percent of the Arab refugees during the 1948 war. It was probably the other way around. They conveniently fail to mention that the Arabs invaded Israel and many Arabs left to allow them space to exterminate the Jews.

Let’s not forget – well, how can we? – “Free Palestine” and “Globalize the intifada,” the most common slogans they chant at demonstrations. We recognize those lines as code for destroying Israel, but these people do not clarify what they mean. Free Palestine for what? What is Palestine? Can they define intifada? Does “globalize” mean spreading the war worldwide?

Until now, Americans and citizens of most other countries have failed to challenge them. Few legal systems prosecute them for mid-level crimes, which can lead to severe crimes that they do get prosecuted for. Democrats largely treat them with kid gloves, presumably in hopes that they will vote for the party’s candidates, particularly in presidential elections.

The Jewish community’s silence has been conspicuous. Some of Israel’s critics may well believe that Jews in America and elsewhere are part of a vast conspiracy in league with the Israeli government.

My sense is that diaspora Jews were quiet because of fear and confusion. The present environment of antisemitic harassment has clearly petrified many Jews and they are not sure what to do about it.

The confusion derives from Israeli actions in Gaza that critics call war crimes. I do not understand what the Israeli government is trying to do, and I don’t see how anyone outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his closest advisors can understand it.

Obviously, progressive candidates who won their primaries in Democratic districts are headed for Congress in January, which makes one wonder how we can fight them.

In the lead-up to the November election, their Republican rivals are likely to harshly attack them. Trump has already called them communists, though that does not appear to be true.

These progressives may well be safely ensconced in Congress next year, but we cannot let them relax. The Jewish community can pressure them whenever an important issue arises.

House members will need to run for re-election in two years, and they will be forced to defend their records.

They appear awfully frightful on the surface, but my bet is that most of them cannot justify their work in Congress. We will only find out if we confront them.

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Bruce S. Ticker is a Philadelphia-based columnist.