Longtime Democrat and Harvard University law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz expanded on why he might not vote for President Joe Biden in the November election on Tuesday, saying how the Democratic leader handles the Israel-Hamas war will be a determining factor.
The Biden administration abstained in the UN Security Council, which allowed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza to pass on March 25. Dershowitz, who said he has voted for a Democrat in every presidential election since 1960, warned that the Biden campaign’s effort to win the battleground state of Florida could fall short because of its high Jewish population who are concerned about how the administration is addressing the Israel-Hamas war.
“You’re not going to win Florida if you don’t support Israel,” Dershowitz said during the podcast, which was slated to discuss the expansion of a gag order on former President Donald Trump imposed by New York judge Juan Merchan that drew criticism from legal experts. “If you think you’re gonna lose Michigan because of 200,000 or so Muslims or Arabs, that’s nothing compared to what’s gonna happen in Florida, where there’s so many pro-Israel voters, so many Jewish voters, indeed, so many Israeli voters.”
Read: Alan Dershowitz: Joe Lieberman’s Last Words on Israel
“Many of us who are Jewish or pro-Israel, you can’t take our vote for granted,” Dershowitz said. “Yes, I voted Democrat for every president since John Kennedy, but you can’t take my vote for granted in this case.”
Biden has become increasingly critical of Israel’s operations, particularly since Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan called on voters in the Democratic primary to vote for an uncommitted slate of delegates in protest of Biden’s support for Israel on Feb. 18. The protest vote garnered significant support in Michigan, Washington and several Super Tuesday states.
Other Democrats have attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, who called for a new election to replace the long-time Israeli leader during a March 14 speech on the Senate floor.
“South Florida has many, many dual citizens, Israeli and American, and they’re not gonna vote for President Biden if they don’t think that President Biden is being supportive of Israel’s right to defend itself, particularly if they think he’s changed his views for political reasons,” Dershowitz said.
Read: Alan Dershowitz Says Alvin Bragg Should Be Investigated For Bringing ‘Made-Up Case’ Against Trump
Israel began military operations in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas, during which the radical Islamic terrorist group killed over 1,200 people and took over 200 hostages. Netanyahu authorized operations in the city of Rafah on March 15.
First published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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