- WASHINGTON - Jewish help
in defeating two black members of Congress who had been critical of Israel
is threatening to aggravate long-standing tensions between two uneasy allies
in the Democratic Party.
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- The chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus warned
after recent primaries that many blacks are angry at the way Jewish money
helped defeat incumbent Reps. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia and Earl Hilliard
of Alabama, even though the money went to black challengers.
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- ''I've been receiving angry calls from black voters all
day saying they should rally against Jewish candidates,'' said Rep. Eddie
Bernice Johnson, D-Texas. ``To have non-African Americans from around the
country putting millions into a race to unseat one of our leaders for expressing
her right of free speech is definitely a problem.''
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- McKinney and Hilliard had voted against a resolution
last May expressing solidarity with Israel in its clashes with Palestinians.
McKinney also had urged a reexamination of U.S. foreign policy supporting
Israel, and likened Israel's treatment of Palestinians to South Africa's
treatment of blacks under apartheid. Hilliard had expressed support for
a Palestinian state.
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- Jewish reaction to their rhetoric underscored how increasing
violence between Israel and Palestinians is inflaming relations in the
United States between those who support and those who criticize Israel.
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- If tension between the Democratic Party's two most reliable
constituencies grows, it could also hurt the party in the fall elections.
Turnout is critical in a midterm election when there is no presidential
race on the ticket to lure voters, and Democrats need heavy turnouts from
both groups.
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- Blacks aren't the only ones angry. Arab Americans feel
they lost an important supporter in McKinney.
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- ''The echo of this race is being felt all over the United
States,'' said Osama Siblani, editor of the Arab American News in Dearborn,
Mich. ``McKinney is a very popular [lawmaker] to our community. She was
known for standing up for the civil rights of our community.''
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- He said the flow of Jewish money to McKinney's challenger,
which helped her win, signaled that ``the Jewish community wants to kick
out any members of Congress who are outspoken against the state of Israel
and their occupation of the Palestinian land.''
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- Appearing on Atlanta television before Tuesday's primary,
Georgia state Rep. Billy McKinney was asked why his daughter was in trouble.
He spelled out his answer: ``J-E-W-S.''
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- Josh Block, a spokesman for the American Israel Public
Affairs Committee, an influential Washington-based pro-Israel group, insisted
that Jews and blacks will remain close political allies.
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- ''There are no two communities closer with more common
interests than Jewish Americans and African Americans,'' he said. ``Tensions?
There are tensions between the best of friends. But these communities have
a historic bond.''
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- He also argued that the Jewish influence on the McKinney
race was exaggerated.
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- ''These elections are decided by voters who live in the
district, not by anything else,'' Block said. ``In the case of Cynthia
McKinney, she had over a period of years moved farther and farther away
from the mainstream of her constituency. They decided to fire her.''
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- McKinney's criticism of Israel was not a prominent issue
in her campaign. Rather, her increasingly outspoken and confrontational
style appeared to motivate voters the most. For example, she outraged many
voters when she suggested that President Bush might have known about the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks ahead of time and might have let them happen
to benefit friends financially.
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- The primary ''was mostly a referendum on McKinney's style,''
said Merle Black, a political scientist at Emory University in Atlanta.
``Her style really polarized voters in the district.''
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- Still, McKinney's challenger never would have had enough
money for a credible campaign without outside help.
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- Denise Majette raised more than $1.1 million, a stunningly
large amount for a challenger, much of it from pro-Israel groups or individuals
from outside Georgia. Hilliard's challenger, Artur Davis, also raised more
than $1 million, much of it from pro-Israel groups or individuals.
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- http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/3927698.htm
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