[url]http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/710179/posts[/url]
The defeat of a black House Democrat who opposed pro-Israel resolutions has sent shock waves through the party and
raised concerns about a widening rift between blacks and Jews.
"It's going to have other implications in other races," says Rep. Earl F. Hilliard, Alabama Democrat, whose opponent raised
more than $300,000 from Jewish donors outside the state. "I just don't think that the black community is going to sit still and let
it happen."
Mr. Hilliard, a five-term incumbent who is regarded as sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, lost to Artur Davis by 12
percentage points in a Democratic runoff last week. Mr. Davis, a lawyer who also is black, is regarded as all but certain to win
the seat in November in the safely Democratic district.
"They have targeted Cynthia McKinney in Georgia; they have targeted Jesse Jackson Jr. of Chicago and Donald Payne of
Newark [N.J.]," Mr. Hilliard says. "Many African-Americans were not pleased with the manner of Jewish influence in the
African-American district. I don't think that they're going to be pleased with that influence in Cynthia McKinney's district, or
Jesse Jackson, or Don Payne or anybody else that represents a predominantly African-American district."
All three Democrats, like Mr. Hilliard, have voted against resolutions that express solidarity with Israel and condemn
Palestinian suicide bombers.