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Donald Trump’s justified critique of American Jews

Writer, Ruthie Blum
(photo: Jewish Journal)
"The response to the former U.S. president’s Truth Social post has been nothing short of a hysterical, purposeful misreading of his words, which were neither threatening nor anti-Semitic."  A column by Ruthie Blum in Israel.
 
The latest brouhaha surrounding former U.S. President Donald Trump pertains to comments he posted on Sunday about—and directed to—American Jews.

“No president has done more for Israel than I have,” he wrote on his platform, Truth Social. “Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S.”

 All true, other than the “surprisingly” part. The majority of Jews in the United States wouldn’t support a Republican if their lives, or Israel’s, depended on it. A befitting quip that circulated in Jerusalem ahead of the 2012 election was that if then-President Barack Obama were to nuke Tel Aviv, the Jewish vote for him might drop to 75%.

Trump continued, “Those living in Israel, though, are a different story; highest approval rating in the world. Could easily be P.M.!”

Israeli Premier Netanyahu with Presidents Obama & Trump
(photos: Mark Israel and Amos ben Gershon)

Again, though characteristically self-congratulatory, what he said is accurate. During his tenure, many adoring Israelis joked about wanting to elect him to the premiership. And with good reason.

He canceled the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal with Iran. He moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which he recognized as Israel’s capital. He ceased funding for the terrorist-supporting UNRWA. He shuttered the PLO mission in Washington. He recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. His State Department removed the word “occupied” from references to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). He designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization. And he brokered the historic Abraham Accords.

Still, his political and personal foes were furious that he dared to take credit for being the best friend that Israel ever had in the White House. What really got their bilious juices flowing was his warning that “U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel, before it is too late!”

The response has been nothing short of hysterical, and not in the funny sense.

“We don’t need the former president, who curries favor with extremists and antisemites, to lecture us about the US-Israel relationship,” tweeted Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “It is not about a quid pro quo; it rests on shared values and security interests. This ‘Jewsplaining’ is insulting and disgusting.”

Greenblatt is actually the one who has no business talking about “shared values” with Israel, whose harshest critics he regularly defends. It is he who could use a hefty dose of “Jewsplaining,” to remind him of what his role is supposed to entail.

The Jewish Democratic Council of America spewed equally vile vitriol. “More unabashed anti-Semitism from GOP leader Donald Trump,” the group tweeted. “His threat to Jewish Americans and his continued use of the anti-Semitic dual loyalty trope fuels hatred against Jews. We will not be threatened by Donald Trump and Jewish Americans will reject GOP bigotry this November.”

This is particularly worthy of note in its idiocy. Trump issued no “threat,” and he certainly wasn’t invoking the “dual loyalty trope.”

On the contrary, he was calling on Jews to be more, not less, invested in Israel’s future and well-being. And he was warning that failure in this regard would have negative consequences for the Jewish state. What about this is wrong, let alone anti-Semitic? The answer is: nothing.

Nevertheless, White House Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre parroted the false accusation, though “plagiarized” would be a better depiction.

“Donald Trump’s comments were anti-Semitic, as you all know, and insulting both to Jews and to our Israeli allies,” she told reporters on Monday. “But let’s be clear, for years, for years now, Donald Trump has aligned with extremist and anti-Semitic figures. … We need to root out anti-Semitism everywhere it rears its ugly head. We need to call this out. With respect to Israel, our relationship is ironclad and it’s rooted in shared values and interests. Donald Trump clearly doesn’t understand that either.”

Really? Maybe she ought to tell her boss to “root it out” of the Democratic Party and its backers in academia, where it’s been “rearing its ugly head” with a vengeance.

Perhaps, as well, she might want to review the definition of “ironclad.” You know, since the Biden administration refers to Palestinian terrorists and the Israeli military as “both sides” when urging restraint and de-escalation.

This brings to mind comedian Jay Leno’s 2014 barb about then-President Barack Obama knowing “just how unbreakable the U.S.-Israel bond is, since he’s been trying to break it for years.”

It was Trump who turned this around, to the dismay of the very progressive Jewish organizations that have been slandering him for his Truth Social post. They and numerous media outlets have been going so far as to compare his statements to those of rapper/designer Kanye West (a.k.a. Ye), whose recent rants have been filled with unapologetic Jew-hatred with violent rhetoric.

It’s a neat trick, since West is a pro-Trump conservative. But, comparing Kim Kardashian’s ex-husband—who boasted of his intention to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE”—to Israel’s proven ally isn’t merely disingenuous. It’s also transparent.

Not only does it serve to highlight the subpoenaing of Trump to testify before the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riots; it also constitutes a Hail Mary pass on the part of all those praying to stave off a likely defeat for Democrats in the upcoming midterms. Prominent among the worriers are Jews.

Though Trump is not alone in bemoaning their counter-intuitive ballot-box behavior, he makes the mistake of taking the age-old phenomenon personally. As the late sociologist Milton Himmelfarb famously pointed out in Commentary magazine in 1973, “Jews earn like Episcopalians and vote like Puerto Ricans.”

Fortunately, there are exceptions to that rule. The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), for example, announced on Friday that it will be awarding Trump its Theodor Herzl Medallion. The honor will be bestowed on the “best friend Israel ever had in the White House” during the organization’s gala on Nov. 13 in New York City.

Kudos to the ZOA for giving gratitude where it’s due.

Dr. Charles Jacobs, a pioneer in combating modern-day slavery and fighting anti-Semitism (co-founded The David Project, Boston's CAMERA, Americans for Peace and Tolerance, and now the Jewish Leadership Project) expresses his experience with the Anti-Defamation League and how its leaders co-opted it to service (or cover for) the Democrat Party.

Celebrating Jewish holidays, Sukkot through Simchas Torah, with the Carlebach "Happy Minyan" of Los Angeles

Cantor Yehuda Solomon shakes the lulav in all directions of the sukkah
at Happy Minyan's 2020 Hoshana Rabbah prayer service in L.A.

Sukkot, followed by Hoshana Rabbah, Shemini Atzeret and Simhat Torah is the culminating celebration of the High Holiday period. Following the weighty days of personal reflection and repentance on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, these joyous days spent feasting in outdoor booths and dancing with the Torah help us balance the disparate observance of these holidays. This fall harvest festival brings us back to the reality of the outside world, integrating our "new" selves with our "old" lives.

The four species: Willow leaves (aravah), date-palm tree frond
(lulav), myrtle tree bough w/leaves, and citron-tree fruit (etrog)
Hoshana Rabbah is known as the last of the Days of Judgment which began on Rosh Hashana. The Zohar says that while the judgment for the new year is sealed on Yom Kippur, it is not "delivered" until the end of Sukkot (i.e., Hoshana Rabbah, the last day of Sukkot), during which time one can still alter their verdict and decree for the new year. Chabad.org offers a good description of these holidays.

Consequently, the blessing which Jews give each other on Hoshana Rabbah, פתקא טבא (piska tova or pitka tova), which in Yiddish is "A guten kvitel", or "A good note", is a wish that the verdict will be positive. In this spirit, the cantor wears a kittel as on the High Holidays. Since Hoshana Rabbah blends elements of the High Holy Days, Chol HaMoed, and Yom Tov, in this spirit the cantor, in the Ashkenazic tradition, recites the service using High Holiday, Festival, Weekday, and Sabbath melodies interchangeably. 

The Carlebach Happy Minyan of Los Angeles has relocated from temporary synagogue locations (seen above) to its own, new permanent location in the Pico-Robertson district (with prayers led by Cantor Yehuda Solomon in video above and at end; Jonathan Hoenig (not shown here), and Jeffrey Rohatiner (shown below).


 

At the annual Hoshana Rabah service at L.A.'s Happy (Carlebach) Minyan in 2020, Rabbi Aaron Parry and Cantor Yehuda Solomon teach us their thoughts about Hoshana Raba, the concept of "Mechilah" (which means seeking forgiveness) - and how long beyond Yom Kippur may we still influence our fate for the coming year?

Improve your fate for the New Year 5783 - How to repent & forgive - with other people and with G-d

Rabbi Moshe Parry  teaches us about repentance and forgiveness protocols for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement of the New Year.


Heaven obligates us to pursue forgiveness from others we may have offended- and for those recipients of sincere appeals- to grant forgiveness, wipe the slate clean, and start afresh in the New Year. Just how long do we have to atone in a way which will enhance our fate for the New Year? It doesn't end at Yom Kippur's Neilah prayer.


 

Rabbi Moshe Parry breaks his absence from YouTube to overcome his Bell's and deliver this message for atoning and redeeming ourselves through these acts now.

 

Judaism teaches that we can influence Heaven's forgiveness of our sins for the year though demonstrating charity, repentance, and prayer. These acts can alleviate the severity of His decree for our fate for this Hebrew New Year 5783, which we're only days into.

In "Teshuvah, Tefillah, and Tzedakah: Alleviating the severity of the Decree," in Mark's BlogSpot:

"We are told that the proof text for this central assertion of Unetaneh Tokef comes from a verse in 2 Chronicles 7:14: R. Yudan [said] in the name of R. Leazar: Three things discharge the decree, and they are: Tefillah, Tzedakah, and Teshuvah, And these three are found together in a single verse: “when My people… pray,” – this is tefillah “seek My face,” – this refers to tzedakah, as it says: “and I, with righteousness (tzedek) will grasp Your face,” (Ps 17:15) “and turn from their evil ways,” – this is teshuvah- then, “…I will forgive their sins…” (Midrash Bereshit Rabba 44.)

Rabbi Moshe Parry encourages you (and your family and friends) to donate charitably to sustain the efforts of JewTube.Info, North America's original, Zionistic Jewish video news and information magazine. JewTube, in it's tenth-year, illuminates the quest for Jewish survival and dignity in a world of resurgent anti-Semitism. 



Please don't let the light burn out. Use this charitable opportunity to sustain JooTube's effort by making a one-time or (even better) recurring donation (via the icon in the right margin). May you and your family merit heaven's judgement for a year of good and health!

Leftist protest of Yom Kippur kosher (but not Eid halal) ritual sacrifices persist

Police apprehend leftist activists for bribing workers to release chickens

As Jews perform atonement rituals in the approach to Yom Kippur, leftists (including Muslims) announced protests to kapparot rituals outside a Los Angeles synagogue yesterday and today. (Update: it was reported that a demonstrator spat upon the person of a Jewish attendee). The ritual transfer of one's sins to a sacrificial fowl is nowadays typically practiced by Sephardics, Persians, and ultra-orthodox Jews. We re-post our news coverage of the challenge to a similar demonstration from 2013. The complacency by counter-protesters has not deterred antagonists.

Jay Michaelson in The Forward posited: "If these animal rights activists wanted to protest the egregious violence our culture does to animals, they should stand outside not synagogues, but restaurants and grocery stores, that mainstream which facilitates the industrial suffering and slaughter of chicken."

In "Animal-activists confront orthodox Jewish sin-offering ritual - but lacking any Halal protests, how much is anti-Semitism?" JewTube showed our complete video of a leftist 2013 protest against kaparos/kaparot in Los Angeles.  
Camels are among the mammals permitted for Muslims to
ritually sacrifice on Eid as Qurbani.
This in Pakistan, but animal sacrifice is also conducted
in western Muslim communities.
This condensed version shows the counter-protestors, led by Rabbi Moshe Parry, challenging the protestors, led by progressive activists Rabbi Jonathan Klein, executive director at the progressive advocacy group CLUE-LA (Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice) and Muslim-Iranian born, Ms. Niloo Khodadadeh.

While giving other religions a free pass, PETA India, which is known to selectively target Hindu traditions and customs, has on its website recommended a ‘resource’ set up by PETA US which advocates ‘Islamic Teachings On Compassion but they don't object to Muslim animal sacrifice.

Rabbi Parry argues that their conduct reveals a number of the activists to be hateful of Jews. The movement discriminates by protesting solely against Jews- who conduct this kosher ritual only one week a year, and disregard the more inhumane Halal slaughter which is conducted 52-weeks per year. Rabbi Parry calls for Jews to develop physical vigilance to deter future anti-Jewish protests and confrontations.




In the Jewish Journal, (The battle over kapparot goest to courtSept 8) writer Edmon Rodman reports that 
on Aug. 26, a group of attorneys (led by David Simon) representing seven plaintiffs seeking to stop public kapparot ceremonies in Los Angeles filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court. 

When asked whether he believes Jews are being singled out unfairly, especially by animal rights activists, Simon said he has seen “some evidence” of this. For some “fringe people,” there “may be some anti-Semitic component to their perspective on this,” he said.
Protestor gets the finger from Hasid for antagonizing outdoor kaparot in B'klyn

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn a
 Hasid 'flipped-off' a protestor photographing him performing kaparos. Jay Michaelson took-up his cause in The Forward "Why This Hasid WAS RIGHT to Flip the Bird to Kaparot Protestor"

I can imagine it (kaparot) being more cathartic – and thus more worthwhile – than most Yom Kippur services that will be held later this week. ... So why are the protesters protesting?  ... I can’t imagine any of the mostly-white English-speaking protesters standing outside carnicerias and protesting traditional Latin American methods of animal husbandry and slaughter. But the Jews – well, they’re just right. Easy to mock, yet safe to mock.