With Israel at war and Jews attacked globally, including here in the USA in academia and corporate America, we understand the stakes are very high.
Who we choose as our member of Congress will have monumental implications for Israel and for our own safety, security, and prosperity.
At the outset, I want to acknowledge our good fortune that in this upcoming special election, we have two unabashed stalwart advocates for Israel and the Jewish people.
On the GOP side, we have Mazi Melesa Pilip. Mazi is a true leader for Israel and the Jewish people. She is a shining and rising star and will be a pro-Israel pro-Jewish force for many years to come.
However, while I am a big fan of Mazi and her unabashed energetic support for Israel and the Jewish people, I am throwing my full support behind Tom Suozzi for reasons you may not be thinking about.
Let me tell you why, and why I believe that all NY-03 voters (Democrats and Republicans alike) should vote for Suozzi over Mazi. Mazi will get her chance, but this is not the time.
All true stalwart Zionists need to honestly evaluate what is most concerning.
Is it not a Democratic party that is too woke and too anti-Israel? Is not your first reaction perhaps “the heck with the Dems, I am voting for the GOP?,” especially since there is a strong pro-Israel, pro-Jewish candidate in Mazi?
I believe this knee-jerk reaction would be a huge mistake and would hasten our worst nightmare come true.
We need to strengthen the pro-Israel voices in the House Democratic caucus. With Tom Suozzi we have a rare chance to add a proven, respected, and effective pro-Israel voice into the House Democratic caucus.
Suozzi is a leader who has the wherewithal to influence other members of Congress to do what’s right for Israel, and who will fight members of his own party. How do we know? Because he has done it before, time and again, during his 6 years in Congress.
I, and most of my friends in the GOP, know how urgently important this task is. Any Republican who does not use this opportunity to shore up the pro-Israel voice in the Democratic Party is weakening this essential element of a strong bi-partisan pro-Israel Congress.
Moreover, if Tom Suozzi as a true centrist is defeated it increases the chances that future Democratic candidates will be more aligned with ultra-progressives on the Left.
There are three other key issues of concern to most of my friends in the GOP and Democratic Parties: the state of our democracy; crime; and abortion rights. Suozzi is pro-Democracy, pro-police and pro-choice.
A Word on Experience
After 11 months of George Santos delivering nothing but embarrassment for NY-03, we need someone who can hit the ground running with deep experience and a proven track record.
This is not the time for yet another GOP on-the-job-training candidate with very little experience. Mazi has two years as a Nassau County legislator, period.
Suozzi has vast political experience, including as our highly respected member of Congress from 2016-2022.
As a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, he has a proven track record of getting things done. Before that he was the Nassau County Executive for eight years and before that Mayor of Glen Cove for eight years.
For all the foregoing reasons, I urge every NY-03 voter to come out and vote Suozzi on Feb. 13.
For Jews who care about rising anti-Semitism and authoritarianism, protecting women’s reproductive healthcare, and keeping our communities safe, there has never been a more important vote for NY-03.
Arnie Herz
Port Washington