Predictably Democratic
Rabbi YY Rubinstein’s column, “The Loyal Non-Jews And The Disloyal Jews” (May 26), resonated with me. It was excellent and poignantly relevant. I often wonder what it is within the Jewish psyche that produces such an abundance of reverse thinking that defies common sense.
Surely the greatest example of that is the loyalty that millions of Jews bestow on a non-deserving Democratic Party. It’s more than the blatant antisemitism and hatred of Israel that Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib exhibits every few days. Much more. It’s the “squad” of four that emulates and exceeds Tlaib in their dislike and disdain for all things Jewish and/or Israel related. It’s a growing number of other Democrats in the House that feel free to libel Israel on every occasion while ignoring the antisemitism that many Jews are experiencing.
It’s Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, in a position to certainly rebut and challenge the above mean-spirited diatribes, but chooses, in effect, to hide under his desk. And, at the top, it’s Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, doing as Schumer does: nothing.
Some might fault the Biden/Harris tandem most because, as the heads of our republic, they owe the most to the tenets of our Constitution. I, however, blame Schumer most of all. As a Jewish American, he owes a degree of loyalty to his brethren. Not any special favors, not any special treatment, simply a menchlechkeit awareness that what he’s silently and impassively observing is not right, not the American way, not to be accepted as normal, especially by one with the power to be heard and, presumably, to be heeded.
Why no outcry from Schumer and other Jews in both Houses? Why are the objections coming from non-Jews, all Republicans? My belief is as simple as it gets. Every Democrat running anywhere in America knows, as surely as night follows day, that they’ll get the overwhelming portion of the Jewish vote every time. Why? Not being a psychiatrist or a psychologist, I can only speculate, only surmise that part of it is genetic: bubbe and zayde were across-the-board Democratic voters, as were mom and dad. What better reason to “keep the line moving?” Positions, comments, votes in the House that ignore or harm Israel go unpunished by Jewish voters.
The bile and the vicious lies and distortions emanating from the Democratic Party daily denigrating Republicans with hateful smears are dutifully accepted by so many Jews, many with multiple university degrees. Love or hate Donald Trump, who could possibly argue that he was the best friend that Israel ever had in the White House? It is beyond ingratitude and stupidity to not only refuse to acknowledge what he accomplished but to also denigrate and insult him at every turn. I cannot and will not ever relate to these people as co-religionists. I’ll lay it out simply:
To me, they aren’t Jews. Their religion is the Democratic Party and has been for decades. It’s their Torah, synagogue, rabbi and Ark of the Covenant.
It’s what gets more loyalty, more love and more adoration than the Jewish institutions above. Condemn me to hell if you wish, but that’s what I firmly believe. Fortunately, so far, Israel lives and thrives and excels despite the disloyalty of so many Americans identifying as Jews, in great measure because of the highly loyal support of America’s Evangelical Christians. They’ve earned my loyalty, my respect and my love, not my so-called fellow Jews. It is what it is. I’d like to quote a great Jewish leader from our past, but what seems more appropriate, is the quote from Martin Luther: “Here Istand. I can do no other.” Am Yisroel chai.
Myron Hecker
Via Email
Antifa Look-alike?
The polarization of society is progressing rather than abating. Extremism in any direction is never ideal but most disturbing has been the emergence of the violent radical anarchist movement in Israel that is akin to Antifa.
Their demonstrations were never about judicial reform; they wish to overthrow the duly elected Israeli government and impose their radical ideology upon the masses.
It is my understanding that they will now be acting to disrupt various events here in the United States as well, including the Salute to Israel parade.
This violent rhetoric and action cannot be accepted and must be addressed post haste. Mob rule is not acceptable and must be quashed; groups of violent radical anarchists need to be shown the door.
I wonder, just as here in the United States, whether any of these criminals have been charged and brought to justice. It does not seem to be the case here, nor does it appear to be true in Israel. Free and fair elections are the voice of the people and should promulgate policy.
Furthermore, a return to civility is long overdue. Destruction of property and assault must be prosecuted to the fullest extent. May we see law and order, as well as common decency restored.
George Weiss
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Squad Vendetta Continues Apace
Were there any remaining doubts about the existence of an “Extreme Haters of Israel” House of Representatives caucus, they should now be dispelled. Of course, there are other fellow Squad travelers, but these six Democrats (Ilhan Omar and Betty McCollum (MN), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Cori Bush (MO), Jamaal Bowman and AOC (NY) are the worst of the worst. In a staggeringly contemptible move, Tlaib has tabled a bill, H.Res.388: Recognizing the Nakba and Palestinian refugee rights. Compounding the outrage was her incorporating it into the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Act of 2018. Talk about genocide appropriation. The other five are cosponsors.
Under its provisions, a team of specially trained foreign service officers would be charged with monitoring “treatment of Palestinians by Israel (both state and nonstate actors),” and provide support and protection for civil society and human rights groups “working to monitor, document, prevent, and respond to atrocities.” Nakba “injustices towards the Palestinian people” were claimed as “the root cause” of continuing conflict. Israel is accused of ongoing genocide and “increasingly threatening a second Nakba.”
Further asserted is a right of return for Palestinian refugees and states that “the United States is complicit in Israel’s ongoing Nakba against the Palestinian people by providing Israel with weapons and diplomatic support. It calls for restrictions on the use of military aid to Israel, an end to U.S. diplomatic support for the destruction of Palestinian homes or forcible relocation of Palestinians and for the U.S. to “refrain from building any diplomatic facility on land expropriated by Israel.”
The resolution reeks of absolute animus toward the Jewish State. While it has no chance of passage, it is an integral part of an unending campaign to demonize Israel and anathematize any support for it. Its attempted weaponizing of Elie Wiesel’s lifelong fight against physical and cultural genocidal acts is particularly reprehensible, and can only cheapen and weaken such further efforts. And as part of their vicious vendetta against Israel, those six legislators are fully complicit in that.
Richard D. Wilkins
Syracuse, N.Y.
