Democrats Need to Stop Floating Conspiracy Theories That Netanyahu is Influencing The Election

On Wednesday, Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was trying to influence the outcome of next month's U.S. elections. Murphy told CNN's Erin Burnett:

Listen, I certainly worry that Prime Minister Netanyahu is watching the American election as he makes decisions about his military campaigns in the north and in Gaza.

I hope this is not true, but it is certainly a possibility that the Israeli government is not going to sign any diplomatic agreement prior to the American election as a means potentially to try to influence the result. I hope I’m wrong about that, but I don’t think you have to be a hopeless cynic to read some of Israel’s actions as some of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s actions as connected to the American election.

Today, President Biden said he "didn't know" if Netanyahu was trying to influence the outcome of the election but didn't do much to discourage such talk. 

This is simply unhelpful.

First and foremost, last I checked it was Hamas who has taken hostages. The public pressure should be put on them, not upon Israel. Whatever concerns President Biden, Senator Murphy or any other member of the U.S. government have with Israel should be kept in private. Casting blame on Israel gives Hamas no incentive to release the hostages.

Second, Murphy himself is making a political calculation when he pushes Netanyahu to produce a ceasefire because it operates on the assumption that this would help the Biden Administration and by extension Kamala Harris. But even if such an agreement were to come to pass before the election that it would influence voters in supporting Harris. The Camp David Accords didn't do much for Jimmy Carter's political fortunes while the Oslo Accords didn't stop the Republican Revolution of 1994. Most Americans aren't basing their voting decisions on the Middle East. And among those that do, I doubt a ceasefire agreement would assuage the uncommitted vote. 

Third, in suggesting Netanyahu is trying to influence the outcome of the election it gives legitimacy to anti-Semitic tropes of Jewish control and undue Jewish influence in American politics. Anti-Semitic incidents in this country reached an all-time high last year and show no signs of slowing. Publicly musing about Jews influencing the outcome of the election undermines the efforts of the Biden Administration to counter anti-Semitism.

I have a bad feeling that Democrats, including Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, might push this narrative. They would be wise not to do so.