This is a delicious forensic takedown of vice president J.D. Vance on the issue of anti-Israel sentiment among young people in America. It is no less delicious for being condescending ("naive"; Vance "is new to this [antisemitism]", "charming") by a late 20's-early 30's dude on the 42-year old veep.

Elliot Kaufman's substantive putdown is on Vance's argument that one has to appeal to young people on the American national interest in support of Israel. That's wrong, says the mature Mr. Kaufman. The appeal should be made on the moral basis of support for Israel. (?) I guess because young people like Elliot are considered to be activated more by morality in politics than by national interest. "The moral case for the Jewish state will need an update to connect", writes he. "If Mr. Vance would like to make the interest-based case for supporting Israel, that would still be welcome."

I am 71 years old. I have turned against Israel since Oct. 7 on moral and interest grounds. Much of the Democratic Party, of which I am also a member, a majority of Americans, and an overwhelming majority of nations are anti-This Israel, as I like to put it. Not incidentally, the Prime Minister, the current Defense Minister, and the prior Defense Minister are all under indictment in international criminal court. As Elliot welcomes Vance to make the interest-based case, I welcome Elliot to make the morality-based case. It cannot be done, not to me at least.

Vance: "...I think what we have to do is articulate why [the American-Israeli relationship] is in the best interest of the United States.”

“I think it’s very, very important,” Mr. Vance concluded...

...

The moral case for the Jewish state will need an update to connect.

...

...I can’t agree that support for Israel among young Americans will be repaired by appeals to the national interest...

...

[Vance] has stressed how U.S. and Israeli interests sometimes “diverge.” But that much is obvious; they are separate countries.

Elliot also will have a hard time convincing Millennials, Gen Z'ers and this Baby Boomer that that is a distinction with a difference.

...

Where is Mr. Vance’s emotion? His advice to drop the old arguments for Israel’s moral meaning, and instead advocate the alliance in the language of interest alone, is a poor fit for our times, when even the “realists” have never been more moralistic.