From The New York Times, I'm Michael Barbar. This is The Daily.

Today, in the weeks since they've taken office, two freshmen Democrats, Ilhan Omar and

Rashida Talee have been engulfed in controversy over their criticisms of Israel.

My colleagues Cheryl Gastolber and Jonathan Weissman, on how after decades of unwavering

commitment to Israel, the Democratic Party is now dealing with charges of anti-Semitism.

It's Tuesday, February 19th.

New York, Friday, May 14, 1948. The United Nations General Assembly is in special session.

To understand the long relationship between Democrats and Israel.

A new nation is being born. You really have to go back to the founding of the Jewish state.

Israel, they have named their state. This is what they have waited for. This is what they have prayed for.

It is my attitude that the American government couldn't stand idly by

me. While the victims of Hitler's madness are not allowed to build new lives.

Harry Truman, who was a Democrat, was the president who recognized Israel.

Hitler had been murdering Jews right in the left. It's estimated that he killed six million Jews.

Buried most of them up in furnaces. It was a horrible thing. I saw it and I dream about it even to

this day. An automatic count. The Jews needed some place where they could go.

So what is associated with a Democrat and Democrats felt a real affinity for the state of Israel?

The concept of the Kibbutz is relatively simple to explain. Everyone shares everything they have.

They work together and they live together. The labor and the manager have the same wages.

The alliance was one of values. Israel was a very aspirational state. It was a state about social

justice, about a socialist way of thinking, giving an oppressed people a homeland.

So all of those things really appealed to Democrats who envision themselves as the fighters for

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