Three Points on Trump's Comments About American Jews & Israel

A week after dropping a bombshell of former President Trump saying "f*#k him" about former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid dropped another about TFG through an audio interview. This one concerns American Jews and Israel:

People in this country that are Jewish no longer love Israel. I'll tell you, the evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country. It used to be that Israel had absolute power over Congress. And today I think it's the exact opposite. I've said this for a long time: The Jewish people in the United States either don't like Israel or don't care about Israel. The New York Times hates Israel, hates them. And they're Jewish people that run The New York Times — I mean, the Sulzberger family.

There are kernels of truth in some of Trump's statements, but these bits of truth are obscured by an oversaturation of hyperbolic demagoguery loaded with language which has the effect of making anti-Semitism socially acceptable. With this in mind, I have three quick points.

First, while it is true there is an increased hostility towards Israel among younger American Jews, a majority of American Jews have a strong affection for the Jewish State. 

Second, although The Squad was temporarily able to defund the Iron Dome last September, House Democrats worked to restore the funding within 48 hours. Trump's quarrel ought to be with Rand Paul who has been holding up funding in the Senate. Israel does not and never has had "absolute power" over Congress much less "owned" it. To use such incendiary language suggests Jews have undue influence in society which is Anti-Semitism 101.

Finally, it is certainly true The New York Times' coverage of Israel has been dubious whether through publishing an anti-Semitic cartoon depicting Benjamin Netanyahu as a guide dog with a Star of David neck collar leading a blind Trump wearing a yarmulke or its coverage of Hamas' missile attacks into Israel back in May and June which prompted ADL National Director Emeritus Abraham Foxman to call it "blood libel" and cancel his subscription. But for Trump to focus on "the Jewish people who run The New York Times" is unhelpful and counterproductive. For all intents and purposes, Trump essentially declared "Jews own the media." 

Now I suspect many who object to Trump's statement are perfectly happy to turn a blind eye to the anti-Semitism of Ilhan Omar or Rashida Tlaib. Perhaps it is fear of being accused of racism. Whatever the reason, if one condemns anti-Semitic rhetoric from Trump but is unwilling to condemn Democrats in Congress of the same behavior then you don't really care about anti-Semitism. Conversely, if one condemns the anti-Semitic behavior of The Squad while ignoring Trump's egregious remarks then you don't really care about anti-Semitism either. As for Trump, whether it's COVID, the 2020 election or American Jews attitudes towards Israel, his interventions invariably do more harm than good. I wish he would engage in some non-interventionism.