Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister, Nachman Shai, said this week that “we may lose America” due to progressive causes like Black Lives Matter and the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement.
“The other day, I briefed the cabinet and said: ‘If we see more of the radical left and progressive liberal Jews continuing to support BDS and Black Lives Matter, and similar to the Palestinians they relate to Israel as a genocide state or an apartheid state, we may lose America,’” Shai said on the American Jewish Committee’s “People of the Pod” podcast in a recent episode.
“The bridge to the Democratic Party and the Republican Party goes through the American Jewish community, and that’s the only bridge I believe in,” he continued.
Shai added later that Jews in America “may be very critical of what’s going on in Israel — I also have a lot of criticism — it doesn’t matter. We should share the same values, we should believe in the same things, we should get together and help each other for a common future.”
He went on to say that he mentioned to his colleagues that they should prioritize improving relations between the two countries since the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding in regards to military aid is set to end in 2026.
“I don’t want to hear those voices coming from the Democratic Party’s sidelines of refusing to sell arms to Israel, or to support us internationally,” Shai said.
He also appeared to criticize the tactics used by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who attempted to reach out to American Christian evangelicals during his time as Israel’s head of state.
“There were ideas to rely on other groups in America today,” he said. “You know exactly who I mean. No, I believe only in you and I have to make sure that hundreds of thousands of you will stay with us.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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