This past Friday, New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind attacked presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders for his recent comments on the 2014 Gaza war. "That's a blood libel against Israel! What's wrong with you?" Hikind shouted at Sanders as he visited the apartment building in Brooklyn where he grew up.

But Hikind and others who continually take candidates to task for failing to toe the line on Israeli issues, using extreme language, don't represent the majority of American Jewish voters.

The great Biblical prophet, Jeremiah, proclaimed G-d's message to all of Diaspora Jewry: "Seek out the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray for it to the Almighty, for through its welfare will you have welfare." (29:7). This message has been a cornerstone of Jewish conduct in exile throughout history. Wherever Jews have lived over the last two thousand years, they have been loyal citizens and supported the leaders of their country.

Under American democracy, this principle takes on additional meaning. We have the right to choose our leaders, but our choices should be based on what we feel is best for America - not for a foreign country.

It is our position that dragging the conflict surrounding the State of Israel into American politics fuels anti-Semitism and creates a potential danger to Jews worldwide, including those in the Holy Land.

That's why it's disturbing when a prominent Jewish politician gives the impression of American Jews as people who vote on one issue: the State of Israel.

This impression would be far from correct. The vast majority of Jews, especially the Orthodox, vote on other issues such as values, the economy and foreign policy.