Internal American Politics | The American Task Force on Palestine

Jews Shift Toward GOP, Survey Claims
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Josh Nathan-Kazis - February 3, 2012 - 12:00am

Jewish support for the Republican Party has grown dramatically since 2008 nationwide, a new analysis of survey data out from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press suggests. The data found that the shift in the GOP direction has been more significant than among the general public. The findings could point to trouble for the Democrats in the 2012 presidential election, where both parties are counting on strong showings among Florida’s Jewish voters in particular.

The Adelson Factor
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
(Editorial) January 31, 2012 - 12:00am

Any discussion of Sheldon Adelson’s dominant role in both American and Israeli politics must begin with a fundamental ackowledgement: Everything about it is legal and transparent. But that is what makes it even more troubling.

Is Gingrich’s Hard Line on Palestine Paid for by Sheldon Adelson?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Wayne Barrett - (Analysis) January 25, 2012 - 12:00am

The linkage between campaign contributions and compromised candidates has grown so familiar that it no longer shocks, and indeed rarely even interests, most of us. But in the super-PAC era, when a single, $5 million, donation can resuscitate a broken Newt Gingrich, the search for a quid pro quo explanation expands with the enlarged dimensions of the donation. In the case of Las Vegas casino king Sheldon Adelson, Gingrich’s Daddy Warbucks, the size of the subsidy can literally shape a candidate’s views on matters of war and peace, and I’m not talking about a battle for gaming rights.

The Israel Lobby Finds a New Face: Black College Students
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Color Lines
by Seth Freed Wessler - January 18, 2012 - 12:00am

When Vincent Evans arrived as a bright-eyed first-year at Florida A&M, the country’s largest historically black university, he knew he wanted to get involved in politics. So when an older student leader approached him one afternoon after a student government meeting to ask if he wanted an all expenses paid trip to D.C., Evans jumped at the opportunity.

JINSA Leadership in Flux After Ouster
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - January 18, 2012 - 12:00am

Washington — Torn by internal strife, a leading conservative Jewish organization known for its hawkish views is struggling to find its footing after firing a key staffer and losing prominent members of its advisory board.

College Leaders Balance Israel and Speech
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Naomi Zeveloff - January 17, 2012 - 12:00am

As the debate about Israel rages on college campuses across America, there is one figure for whom the conversation takes on strikingly personal dimensions: the Jewish college president. About 20 Jewish men and women hold the highest positions at universities across the country, including campuses that have become hotbeds of political activism on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For these individuals, the role of president entails a constant balancing act between encouraging free speech on campus and honoring their personal, often supportive, views of Israel.

A Dose of Nuance: Prophets and guardians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Daniel Gordis - (Opinion) January 5, 2012 - 12:00am

There is, it seems, a bit of an occupational hazard to this column-writing business. It probably holds for all sorts of topics, but it’s undoubtedly true when thinking aloud about Israel. Here’s the choice: You can either plant yourself firmly on one side of the political divide, being predictably “right wing” or “left wing,” or you can, depending on the issue, say what you think but appear a bit less consistent. The advantages of the first option are clear.

Is Newt Gingrich good for the Jews?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Marc Lewyn - (Opinion) January 3, 2012 - 12:00am

Newt Gingrich for president? My gut reaction is that he so weighed down by personal baggage that his candidacy will ultimately evaporate. Recent trends in Iowa and New Hampshire suggest that Newt’s campaign is losing steam. On the other hand, he is a remarkably resilient politician, and candidates who lose early primaries often bounce back to win their parties’ nomination.

Gingrich's words show his ignorance
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by Adel Safty - (Opinion) December 19, 2011 - 12:00am

When the Republican presidential hopeful and former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich recently affirmed that the Palestinian people were an invention, he had one thing in mind: scoring cheap points against his rivals. The truth of the matter did not interest him; nor did he show any regard for the impact of such a fantastic proclamation on the suspended peace process, or indeed on his own country’s longstanding policy on the conflict.