DNC Tries to Use Netanyahu to Pressure Republicans

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday met with representative delegates of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) and the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC). But while the meeting was meant to shore up bipartisan support for Israel from American Jewish political organizations, it quickly became a partisan bickering match, with the chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Debbie Wasserman Schultz, using the platform to tell Republican Jews to stop doing what they're doing.... Sitting in front of Netanyahu, the DNC chair asked the RJC to "pledge to refrain in 2012 from using Israel as part of the issues in campaigns...." RJC executive director Matt Brooks [said]... ""They decided to hijack these meeting in order to, in front of the prime minister, put a gag order in effect to prevent us from speaking out on Israel...." Asked about Netanyahu's reaction, Brooks said Netanyahu was "clearly uncomfortable and at one point said, 'do you guys want me to leave the room and give you guys some privacy?'"