Bernie Sanders Suspends Jewish Outreach Coordinator After Reports of Her Criticisms of Israel

[geek tragedy]

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/04/14/bernie-sanders-suspends-jewish-outreach-coordinator-after-reports-of-her-criticisms-of-israel/?_r=1

Two days after the announcement of her hiring, the Sanders presidential campaign suspended its national Jewish outreach coordinator, Simone Zimmerman, on Thursday after revelations that she had posted vulgarities about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Facebook.

“She has been suspended while we investigate the matter,” Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs wrote in an email.

Ms. Zimmerman’s suspension comes after a report on Wednesday in the Washington Free Beacon which found a Facebook post in which she used a vulgarity and described Mr. Netanyahu as “arrogant, deceptive, cynical,” and “manipulative.” She then used more aggressive language and continued that he had “sanctioned the murder of over 2,000 people this summer.”

But members of the American Jewish establishment had been attacking her and the Sanders campaign since her appointment for her record of criticizing Israeli settlements and its policies in the West Bank and Gaza. Abe Foxman, the president of the Anti-Defamation League, also called for her firing.

[King_David]

1. Ha ha

[geek tragedy]

2. I'm sure you're stunned. nt

[King_David]

3. Just happened quicker than I thought it would.

[geek tragedy]

4. I couldn't believe the hire.

I saw some of the stories--written from a favorable point of view--and I was like, do they really think this is going to work?

Right before a primary in New York?

[King_David]

5. Bad timing

[branford]

6. I believe her hiring was not careless, but quite intentional and a little bit disingenuous.

Bernie's primary electoral base is mostly the very far left of the Democratic Party, a group often hostile to Israel (and some would argue Jews generally) and out of step with most of the rest of the Democratic Party and its leadership, no less the wider electorate.

Since her time as senator from New York, Hillary has cultivated an extremely strong record concerning Israel and very warm relationship with mainstream Jewish (and overwhelming Democratic) voters and important political donors. It would have been a monumental task for Bernie to make significant inroads with mainstream Jewish and pro-Israel voters, and dong so would likely have cost him credibility and support among his current political base. The only chance Bernie would have had was to play up his Jewish identity. However, since he never did so before and normally tries to avoid the topic, such a strategy would not be viewed as credible and might have badly backfired.

I surmise that Bernie hired Simone Zimmerman far more as a sop to or means to placate his more radical left, anti-Israel political base, than an actual demonstration of his claimed pro-Israel bona fides. Zimmerman was an attempt at trying to maintain (or not lose) support, or at least neutralize, the Israel issue with the appointment of a Jewish outreach director.

Until her foolish and tone-deaf Facebook screed, Zimmerman was probably serving her intended purpose. However, her vulgar and aggressive Facebook post attracted far too much national attention and a was a political bridge too far, no less right before the New York primary as Bernie is campaigning in NYC.

I wouldn't at all be surprised if the "investigation" is concluded and Zimmerman's suspension quickly ends within days of the NY primary (and with more than enough time for her to cause new problems before the NJ and CA primaries in early June).

Regardless of one's position on Israel, it's hard to conceive of Zimmerman as someone who could actually cultivate mainstream Jewish and pro-Israel Democratic voters. She may be Jewish and an activist, but her positions are definitely fringe (no matter how much some here might agree with her).

[grossproffit]

8. Excellent analysis!

Brava!

[geek tragedy]

10. that makes sense except they threw her under the VW minibus

they only succeeded in making themselves look bad in everyone's eyes

she got suspended for stuff she wrote in 2015, I thought.

I think she finds a new opportunity pretty quickly. The negative attention won't go away.

[branford]

12. I believe the original Facebook was written in 2015.

However, Zimmerman's beliefs and activism is the same now as it was a year ago. She is who she is. She's always been a hardcore activist, and never particularly diplomatic, no less qualified as an "outreach director" to Jews and mainstream pro-Israel supporters.

Even giving the Sander's campaign the total benefit of the doubt and assuming Bernie himself was not directly involved, at best this was a case of terrible vetting before hiring Zimmerman. At worst, it was a cynical attempt by campaign insiders to push what would be considered by most Democrats and general voters as an anti-Israel perspective despite knowing it could both hurt Sanders in the NY primary, and more importantly, the Democratic nominee in the general election.

As I indicated earlier, I still wouldn't be surprised if Zimmerman was reinstated soon after the NY primary, likely with a perfunctory apology about her "youthful enthusiasm" causing "impolitic" language and the purported "investigation" determining some vague lack of malice. Given the demographics and beliefs of Sander's current political base, it probably does more harm than good to his campaign to permanently throw Zimmerman under the bus. However, I don't expect the Democratic leadership to provide her or those like her much attention at the Convention lest it seriously anger a very key and politically and financially active Democratic constituency, no less concerning an issue where the general voting public is significantly pro-Israel and anti-BDS.

The Zimmerman hiring and suspension simply proves that Sanders is a lifelong politician who's capable and willing to make self-serving and opportunist decisions just like ever other politician during a competitive campaign. It's up to each individual to determine whether any comprises or pandering by Sanders, Clinton or anyone else renders them undetectable at the voting booth.

[geek tragedy]

13. to me it seems amateur hour

this is one of the worst hires I've ever seen this side of Brownie.

And that's not her fault--she is who she is, and they should have known that.

[branford]

14. Ironically, Zimmerman probably comes out ahead in this mess.

If she's terminated from the campaign, she can portray herself to her far left supporters as a victim of the Democratic establishment and those dastardly fascist Zionists. She'll be a martyr to the BDS and related crowd. She'll probably be hired as editorial writer for The Guardian.

If she's reinstated, she'll have influence with a major political campaign and provided ample resources to spread her ideas.

In all scenarios, she and her pet issues will receive far more attention than before, no matter the negative effect and diviseness such attention may have on our Party in the general election.

[shira]

11. Very well put! n/t

[branford]

7. If you give someone like Simone Zimmerman

actual power, position and attention, something bad is bound to happen.

She's a hardcore activist with views on Israel most certainly not shared by the vast majority of Jews, no less the rest of our Party or general electorate. Her political conflagration was inevitable, and she might not yet be done causing problems for Bernie or Democrats. She now has the attention of the press during an election. Will she be more loyal to Bernie and our Party or her ideology and activism?

[shira]

9. BS. It's not criticism. Zimmerman supports JVP, BDS, is friendly w/ Max Blumenthal...

Last edited Fri Apr 15, 2016, 10:53 AM - Edit history (1)

That's not criticism, it's hatred.

My only question is WTF was Bernie thinking by appointing her? Bernie needs to separate himself from Israel haters who will sink his campaign with their extremism.

It's probably the BDS freaks who gave him the idea 10,000 innocents were killed in Gaza in 2014. These BDS holes are a toxic cancer to his campaign.