The point of all this is that while the GOP can fight Obama tooth and nail over domestic issues, it is inappropriate for the opposition party to intervene on foreign policy, whether it’s in Israel and the settlement issue or last year’s Iranian civilian uprising. Looking at it in the reverse situation, it would be inappropriate of Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni to promise Obama that she’s going to “check” the Netanyahu government. Indeed, politics ending at the waters edge was a good rule that should be adhered to for proper governing.

I’m dissapointed with Cantor for another reason - whether he realizes it or not, he’s a prominent Jewish politician (even if the vast majority of Jews don’t vote for him or his party), and the sad state of affairs is that anti-semites are waiting to pounce on ill-thought out statements such as these as “proof” of paranoid “Jewish conspiracies”. All it takes to see this in action is to take a dip in the HuffPo comment sewer of that article.

Finally, the fears of some Jews and involvement in politics is not a new issue. I recall that back in the 2000 elections there were Jewish retirees in Florida who refused to vote for the Gore/Lieberman ticket out of fear that a Jew would reach the highest office and become a lightening rod for antisemitism. Cantor, with his ignorance and/or political ambition, is not making things easier, to put things gently.