ALBANY, N.Y. – After Steve gave a speech here recently to Jewish community leaders, a woman asked why former president Jimmy Carter was so hostile to Israel. Her meaning was clear: anybody who favored negotiations with the Palestinians was automatically a foe of Jewish interests.

Later, a man approached with a friendly smile and a stern message. For a smart guy, he told Steve, you don’t know anything about the Middle East. He said that the Palestinians are all “mamsers” – Yiddish slang for “lying bastards” – and that there’s no dealing with them. Negotiations are impossible.