Notable Jews in Politics
From The Peopling of NYC
There are many notable Jews that take part in politics in America. Jews are very well represented in Washington. One of the current Jewish politicians in Washington is Michael Chertoff who is the secretary of homeland security and works under President Bush. Tom Lantos is a current congressman from California who has been the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress. New York has many successful Jewish politicians. Charles Schumer is one of the two current New York Senators and has been in office since 1998. Michael Bloomberg is the mayor of NYC and has been running the city since 2002. Along with Schumer and Bloomberg, Eliot Spitzer has become the new governor of New York. The success of Jewish politicians in New York shows just how much influence they have.
Local Concerns of Jewish Politicians
Jews in America have often tended towards the political left. Today, 13% of the senators are Jewish and most of them are Democrats. Jewish politicians have been leaders in socialist and labor movements. They have also been leaders of the civil rights movement. Just like African Americans, they too faced discrimination and as a result banded together to fight for equal rights. As time went on, these politicians succeed in forming strong unions and decreasing anti-semitism in America.
International Concerns of Jewish Politicians
Jewish views towards international politics changed a lot after World War II and the Holocaust. American Jews were not particularly strong Zionists before the Second World War, believing that America, with its freedom for the Jewish people, was already what the Zionists hoped for. However seeing the effects of the Holocaust, they changed their minds. Jews wanted the American government to support Israel and the pro-Zionist movement. The politicians were successful in getting the government to help Israel with all the problems it has faced dealing with the Palestinians as well as other problems. Today, Israel is one of America’s greatest allies.
