The obnoxious ones stick out like a sore thumb

 Was gratified to see the numbers for the House vote on Iron Dome:

The US House of Representatives on Thursday approved a stand-alone bill to provide Israel with $1 billion for replenishing the Iron Dome missile-defense system, following two days of contentious debate within the Democratic Party. The vote passed with an overwhelming 420-9 majority, with two Democrats, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Hank Johnson, effectively abstaining by voting “present.”

Eight Democrats — Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Cori Bush, Andre Carson, Marie Newman, Jesus Garcia, Raul Grivalva — and one Republican, Rep. Tom Massie, voted against.

The bill is now headed to the Senate, which will need to approve it as well.

Now, I realize that the eight Dems who were thumbs down all represent districts where their fetid views on Israel find resonance. (Massie is a different case. He comes at this from a different - that is, to say, libertarian-ish  - motivation for objecting.) But there are a whole lotta folks of various stripes in the people's house who aren't anywhere near such a position. 

Tlaib had to subject us to the contents of her pie-hole on the matter:

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) called the Israeli government an “apartheid regime,” and announced she would oppose the bill. “I will not support an effort to enable and support war crimes, human rights abuses and violence. We cannot be talking only about Israelis’ need for safety at a time when Palestinians are living under a violent apartheid system,” she said.

Israel’s Ambassador to the US and the UN Gilad Erdan rejected Tlaib’s remarks and tweeted, “You know the truth but chose to ignore it. The Iron Dome defends Israel from Hamas’s war crimes, including firing rockets toward civilian population.

“The US recognizes Hamas as a terror organization. Your actions help to protect terrorists,” Erdan added.

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tennessee) slammed Tlaib’s remarks.

“We heard right now from my colleague across the aisle a shocking statement. She opposes this because they have a vocal minority in the majority party that is anti-Israel. That is antisemitic, and as Americans, we can never stand for that.

“I reach out to the majority and I say, condemn what we just heard on the floor, condemn terrorism. This is a defensive weapon system. Stop playing your procedural games,” Fleischmann added.

Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Florida) rejected Tlaib’s comments, as well.

“I cannot allow one of my colleagues to stand on the floor of the House of Representatives and label the Jewish democratic state of Israel an apartheid state. I reject it,” he said. “Today, the House of Representatives will overwhelmingly stand with our ally, the State of Israel in replenishing this defensive system. If you believe in human rights, if you believe in saving lives, Israeli lives and Palestinian lives, I say to my colleague who just besmirched our ally, then you will support this legislation.

“We could have an opportunity to debate lots of issues on the House floor, but to falsely characterize the State of Israel is consistent with those who advocate for the dismantling of the one Jewish state in the world. And when there is no place on the map for one Jewish state, that’s the antisemitism. And I reject that,” Deutch continued. “I stand in support of this important legislation.” 

It's heartening, though, to see that so few, relatively speaking, of them go in for that sewage. 

Maybe the West is more viable than is often assumed these days when push comes to shove.