In a famous (well, infamous) statement of President Joe Biden’s, on May 22, 2020, he said: “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.” Stuff and nonsense. Trump did more for the Black community then Biden ever did. The Donald’s economic policies boosted the economy, while Joe’s had the opposite effect, and a rising tide boosts all boats.
But I am not here today to talk about that claim. Instead, I am here to emulate our present president with regard to my fellow Jews. I now aver: “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, then you ain’t Jewish.”
When he was president, Donald Trump moved the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He was instrumental in instituting the Abraham Accords, an initiative which is still paying dividends in the Middle East despite the present difficulties in that corner of the globe. A significant part of his family if Jewish, for goodness sakes.
Jews, ask yourselves, who boycotted Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent speech to Congress, Republicans or Democrats? Who insisted that Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria were consistent with international law? Why did Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Trump as “the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House.” Who favored the Iran nuclear accord, which put tons of money in that country’s coffers, and who opposed it? Then, tell me you are going to vote Democratic, you meshigena.
Trump has been called, and rightly so, “The most pro-Israel president in American history.”
Compare that record not to the rhetoric but to the actual practices of the Biden-Harris administration. They have been continually carping at Israel as it attempts to defend itself against its barbaric enemies. Their Monday morning quarterbacking included warnings against entering Gaza with overwhelming force, going in to Rafah, not sufficiently protecting enemy civilians, using the wrong choice of weapons, threats to stop contractually obligated weapon transfers, continually calling for cease fire agreements which would leave Hamas and Hezbollah strengthened, etc., etc.
Taken all together, these interferences amount, almost, to a demand that the only democracy in the Middle East commit national suicide. A Harris presidency will be captive to the views of such anti-Semitic politicians as AOC and her fellow “squad” members and their colleagues such as Bernie Sanders.
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Nor is the anti-Semitism of the Democratic Party limited to international affairs. The leadership of our most prestigious universities are solidly aligned with that political organization. Anti-Semitic acts have been on the rise on campus. Jewish students are reviled, denigrated, put upon, threatened, actually assaulted, made to walk in fear. And what has been the reaction of the Democrat oriented administration of places like Harvard, Columbia, Berkeley, Stanford? To ask this is to answer it. These outrages simply would not occur in a second Trump presidency.
Ordinarily, members of the Jewish faith overwhelmingly vote for the Democratic Party. This time around, a bit of the wind has already been taken out of the sails of that particular occurrence. That is not enough by any means. A fifty – fifty split, while to be welcomed at least compared to past practices, is simply insufficient. A complete reversal would be more conducive to Jewish safety not only in Israel, but all around the world, certainly including the United States.
We Yidden are supposed to be so smart. Anything less than a 99 to 1 vote in favor of not only Trump, but of all candidates lower on the ticket, would put paid to any such contention.
Walter E. Block is the Harold E. Wirth Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair and professor of Economics at Loyola University New Orleans.