The results of last week's weighty U.S. election for the White House are irrelevant to Jews in America. And the rest of Diaspora Jewry ought to take notice.
This is profound writing my friend. You have outdone yourself today. No comment needed from me except to suggest to people to read it again and make note of all of the points.
Just as an aside, the percentage of Jews who voted blue as opposed to red is completely false. Here is an article which parses what really happened on election day. For some reason those who put together the poll didn't bother to actually go into conservative Jewish neighborhoods to get their information. Wonder why?
Listen every Jew in the world cannot move to Israel. There is no room for another 6 million people. We have to make our homes here. We also need to work within the system in the US. That Jews elected to high office don't necessarily care about Israel should also not come as a surprise (the new Senator from Michigan, Slotkin, comes to mind as Levine before her). But then again, alot of them do, it's just that their job revolves around making a city or a state function and that has to be their priority because that is their job.
But as with any pol if they have a large Jewish voting bloc in their city or state they will also support Jewish concerns if the Jews voice them. The question is what is the priority of the Jewish community in the US and how do the Jews use the American political system to their benefit like every other American citizen?
This is the best article I’ve read about Judaism and politics and our post 10/7 world. Thank you. You have not only spoken the truth covering every corner but also make me feel seen and heard. I have been leaning into my Jewish communities more than ever. I have posted in my website that I am Jewish, going to Hebrew school, and started an online Jewish support group. We can’t see blue, red and other political figures as magical saviors. We are our own savior.
But I’ll add… since I cannot change the election results, it is what it is. There would have been scary appointees and policies likely also if Harris had been elected. I will continue to hope and pray that the current slate of dangerous, mostly unqualified appointees and Musk can do something “disruptive” (per Clay Christensen) to move us/Israel to more peaceful, lasting existence and hostage release. And then, I will celebrate and rethink. Again, to channel Josh, am trying to be open to new information and willing to incorporate that (minus the identity politics).
The Christian Far-Right believe in 'End Time Prophecy' which condemns all Jews who do not accept Christ as Saviour. So be careful what you wish for. Mass-Emotion-Religion is NOT Rational, in both Israel and in The USA, nor anywhere else in fact.
You are right, that we Jews must unite or we will be dead.
This election was incredibly problematic to me because there were enemies on all sides, for a number of issues.
> Islam is not just a religion. It is a political doctrine which perceives infidels and women as sociopolitically inferior.
Actually, the US is deeply sexist and has been for all of its existence. You don't realize just how bad it's been unless you do the research. You don't realize how bad it is until you live it. I had to do extreme things in my working life to be respected and never really got there. The adage you have to be ten times better to be thought half as good is very true. Since I'm old now, what happens to women will not much affect me, but remember Margaret Sanger fought for birth control because families were starving because there were too many mouths to feed. The right will take away birth control, and we'll be back there. The unmarried can be celebate, but married women cannot.
I know feminists not only abandoned Israeli women on 10/7, they joined in the verbal attack thereafter. I will never forgive them for this betrayal. Nonetheless, they are the only thing holding off the kind of desperation and physical drudgery and hunger women used to endure because their bodies wanted to reproduce and reproduce and reproduce. The right isn't going to defend women from that. The right would set families up to starve.
The right is also going to steal our Social Security, which frankly is a life and death issue for many seniors. Social Security isn't welfare. It isn't an "entitlement." It's a social contract whereby we put money away every single paycheck for our entire working lives, with the agreement we'll get it back when we are old. The Republicans have said right out we can forget about that, contract broken. The right would set the elderly up to starve.
I used to be a Progressive. I used to be an activist. The betrayals of the Progressives — peace for everyone but Jews — are unforgivable. I agree we have to be Independents, and we have to weigh each candidate for their stances.
Yes, the treatment of Jews is a life-and-death issue. It's not the only life-and-death issue. Yes, as Jews we need to speak with a unified voice. But protection of the poor and the elderly are a Jewish value. In the Tanach, G-d destroys whole Jewish populations for neglecting their poor and elderly. When we speak as Jews with a unified voice, we have to take into account not just Jewish issues, but also the welfare of women, children, and the old.
This is true. Margaret Sanger was evil in some ways but the cause of saving families from starving because they couldn't support their children was valid.
You wrote that protection of the poor and elderly is a Jewish value. This is true. But abortion (which Sanger and her legacy - Planned Parenthood - promote) is not a Jewish value and I doubt that birth control is, either - although I don't see any prohibitions to birth control in the 613 mitzvoth. Judaism obliges children to take care of aging parents (along with the community if there are no children) and also obliges the community to care for the sick. Our communities survived centuries of persecution and constant eviction because of our laws and values, per the Torah, Talmud, etc. The Enlightenment may have allowed us to acquire knowledge of the sciences (a good thing) but its secular philosophies and political ideologies did nothing to save anyone from starving. On the contrary: take a look at the poverty in so many countries or even in America. Lots of homelessness; lots of women on welfare living with hoards of kids despite easy access to birth control and abortion. Not an endorsement for Sanger and any of her ideas.
The Women's march a few years back with all the anti semites assembled on stage starting with Ocasio Cortez, Linda Soseur. So vile women had to organize an alternative march. The thoroughly despicable "dyke march" where the Magen David anywhere was a "trigger." So much for women being the superior sex. I'm not convinced Trump intends to steal my social security checks. Better Melania than Dr. Jill. Give Melania a Red Book cover at least. At long last.
You ought to be more careful in the wording of your title.
Do you honestly think it is better for world Jury to have a pro Israel president and party leading the world’s only superpower or an anti Israel party led by an ignoramus?
What is a “pro-Israel party” or “pro-Israel president”? We have neither now, and will have neither starting in 2025. As Josh accurately points out, there is no such thing. People in power will do whatever suits their agenda, and/or on a more local level, whatever serves their constituents.
Don’t be fooled by the rhetoric or the “pro-Israel”/anti-anti-semitism appointments … just look at the party-shifting of some of those nominated for key positions such as Elise Stefanic. One day’s “anti anti-semitism” performance (which in many ways, I appreciated), does not equal unyielding loyalty. Power is a fickle friend.
Imho, your analysis of facts on the ground were spot on (and refreshingly presented) until you bashed the right for harboring repressed anti-Semitism which with some trickery of your mind reduces the obviously unparalleled, overt caustic and damaging anti-Semitism that exists on the left to an equal equation with the right. That the majority of American Jews still embrace a party that even funds this persecution needs a deep examination by all of us not ignoring its implications!
It should be noted that the Orthodox Jewish communities clearly voted for Trump because they view support for Israel and stopping anti Semitism that has emerged since 10/7 as paramount to their self interest
“The way I see it, there is only one group that truly has the Jews’ best interests in mind: the Jews.”
I can relate to what you’re saying—it highlights the essential importance of Jewish identity and self-determination. At the same time, I believe modern Christianity has become increasingly sympathetic and supportive of the Jewish people. As Christians gain deeper scriptural understanding and embrace the freedom to engage with the Bible, many are becoming more aware of their spiritual ties to Judaism. Today, we see many Christians supporting Israel’s sovereignty and standing with the Jewish population in advocating for their rights. Movements like Christian Zionism and organizations such as Christian Friends of Israel demonstrate how much this solidarity has grown in recent years. While no group can claim exclusive ownership of the Jewish people’s best interests, it’s heartening to witness how Christianity has evolved, acknowledging past mistakes and now standing united with the Jewish community.
They are following popular trends. These are the ones not grounded in the deeper, historical roots of the Christian faith, which are profoundly connected to Jewish heritage. One of the worst stenches that has infiltrated Christendom is replacement theology, which distorts this connection and undermines the biblical foundations. That’s why I encourage my Christian brothers and sisters not only to read the Bible but also to study history and explore the often-overlooked details hidden in the cracks of religious tradition, which I’m always trying to expose in my writings.
It’s like the “speak with unity” people can only understand unity if it’s through the Democratic Party. The democrats stabbed American Jews in the back and their multiethnic coalition they supported on the left turned on them in their “brown people good/white people bad” DEI worldview. In a couple of decades it will be clear this was the election when American Jews recognized reality. Greenfields essay is more reflective of reality than a Democrat exit poll.
Many American Jews get the Second Amendment wrong:
On October 7, the Hamas terrorists were armed, the Israelis massacred were defenseless. The unanswered question is why did Israel disarm its citizens most of whom are IDF veterans and leave them vulnerable to mass rape and murder by Hamas? An incredibly stupid decision and the Israeli government is clearly culpable. Every Jewish family in Israel (and the US) should have a 9 mm handgun, an AR15 rifle and plenty of ammunition for both. Every adult and teenage member of the family should be proficient in their use. Every adult should carry their concealed handgun at all times. I live in relatively peaceful America and I do. Have anti-gun Jewish politicians in both countries learned nothing from the Holocaust and the latest slaughter? Isn’t it time for the Jewish people to tell them to go fuck themselves?
The poll claiming that "79% of Jews voted for Kamala" was promoted by J Street and JDCA, two groups that benefit from the perception that most Jews are Democrats.
This is profound writing my friend. You have outdone yourself today. No comment needed from me except to suggest to people to read it again and make note of all of the points.
Just as an aside, the percentage of Jews who voted blue as opposed to red is completely false. Here is an article which parses what really happened on election day. For some reason those who put together the poll didn't bother to actually go into conservative Jewish neighborhoods to get their information. Wonder why?
https://www.frontpagemag.com/trump-won-jewish-neighborhoods-across-america/
Listen every Jew in the world cannot move to Israel. There is no room for another 6 million people. We have to make our homes here. We also need to work within the system in the US. That Jews elected to high office don't necessarily care about Israel should also not come as a surprise (the new Senator from Michigan, Slotkin, comes to mind as Levine before her). But then again, alot of them do, it's just that their job revolves around making a city or a state function and that has to be their priority because that is their job.
But as with any pol if they have a large Jewish voting bloc in their city or state they will also support Jewish concerns if the Jews voice them. The question is what is the priority of the Jewish community in the US and how do the Jews use the American political system to their benefit like every other American citizen?
Thanks for the link to Greenfield's article.
Thanks for article.
Like others, I want to thank you for the link it was most informative and I plan to post it on my FB group. all the best to you papa j
This is the best article I’ve read about Judaism and politics and our post 10/7 world. Thank you. You have not only spoken the truth covering every corner but also make me feel seen and heard. I have been leaning into my Jewish communities more than ever. I have posted in my website that I am Jewish, going to Hebrew school, and started an online Jewish support group. We can’t see blue, red and other political figures as magical saviors. We are our own savior.
Trump is for Jews. And Israel. We will all thrive.
Until he’s not.
But I’ll add… since I cannot change the election results, it is what it is. There would have been scary appointees and policies likely also if Harris had been elected. I will continue to hope and pray that the current slate of dangerous, mostly unqualified appointees and Musk can do something “disruptive” (per Clay Christensen) to move us/Israel to more peaceful, lasting existence and hostage release. And then, I will celebrate and rethink. Again, to channel Josh, am trying to be open to new information and willing to incorporate that (minus the identity politics).
The Christian Far-Right believe in 'End Time Prophecy' which condemns all Jews who do not accept Christ as Saviour. So be careful what you wish for. Mass-Emotion-Religion is NOT Rational, in both Israel and in The USA, nor anywhere else in fact.
Not all gentile supporters of Israel are end-times believers.
True. Best wishes. Also, most Christian Zionists are not Far Right. Many thanks for your continuing support, Frau Katze.
Agree. Good point.
You are right, that we Jews must unite or we will be dead.
This election was incredibly problematic to me because there were enemies on all sides, for a number of issues.
> Islam is not just a religion. It is a political doctrine which perceives infidels and women as sociopolitically inferior.
Actually, the US is deeply sexist and has been for all of its existence. You don't realize just how bad it's been unless you do the research. You don't realize how bad it is until you live it. I had to do extreme things in my working life to be respected and never really got there. The adage you have to be ten times better to be thought half as good is very true. Since I'm old now, what happens to women will not much affect me, but remember Margaret Sanger fought for birth control because families were starving because there were too many mouths to feed. The right will take away birth control, and we'll be back there. The unmarried can be celebate, but married women cannot.
I know feminists not only abandoned Israeli women on 10/7, they joined in the verbal attack thereafter. I will never forgive them for this betrayal. Nonetheless, they are the only thing holding off the kind of desperation and physical drudgery and hunger women used to endure because their bodies wanted to reproduce and reproduce and reproduce. The right isn't going to defend women from that. The right would set families up to starve.
The right is also going to steal our Social Security, which frankly is a life and death issue for many seniors. Social Security isn't welfare. It isn't an "entitlement." It's a social contract whereby we put money away every single paycheck for our entire working lives, with the agreement we'll get it back when we are old. The Republicans have said right out we can forget about that, contract broken. The right would set the elderly up to starve.
I used to be a Progressive. I used to be an activist. The betrayals of the Progressives — peace for everyone but Jews — are unforgivable. I agree we have to be Independents, and we have to weigh each candidate for their stances.
Yes, the treatment of Jews is a life-and-death issue. It's not the only life-and-death issue. Yes, as Jews we need to speak with a unified voice. But protection of the poor and the elderly are a Jewish value. In the Tanach, G-d destroys whole Jewish populations for neglecting their poor and elderly. When we speak as Jews with a unified voice, we have to take into account not just Jewish issues, but also the welfare of women, children, and the old.
Margaret Sanger was also a believer in eugenics and believed in "culling" the poor in America, which were often black.
This is true. Margaret Sanger was evil in some ways but the cause of saving families from starving because they couldn't support their children was valid.
You wrote that protection of the poor and elderly is a Jewish value. This is true. But abortion (which Sanger and her legacy - Planned Parenthood - promote) is not a Jewish value and I doubt that birth control is, either - although I don't see any prohibitions to birth control in the 613 mitzvoth. Judaism obliges children to take care of aging parents (along with the community if there are no children) and also obliges the community to care for the sick. Our communities survived centuries of persecution and constant eviction because of our laws and values, per the Torah, Talmud, etc. The Enlightenment may have allowed us to acquire knowledge of the sciences (a good thing) but its secular philosophies and political ideologies did nothing to save anyone from starving. On the contrary: take a look at the poverty in so many countries or even in America. Lots of homelessness; lots of women on welfare living with hoards of kids despite easy access to birth control and abortion. Not an endorsement for Sanger and any of her ideas.
The Women's march a few years back with all the anti semites assembled on stage starting with Ocasio Cortez, Linda Soseur. So vile women had to organize an alternative march. The thoroughly despicable "dyke march" where the Magen David anywhere was a "trigger." So much for women being the superior sex. I'm not convinced Trump intends to steal my social security checks. Better Melania than Dr. Jill. Give Melania a Red Book cover at least. At long last.
You ought to be more careful in the wording of your title.
Do you honestly think it is better for world Jury to have a pro Israel president and party leading the world’s only superpower or an anti Israel party led by an ignoramus?
What is a “pro-Israel party” or “pro-Israel president”? We have neither now, and will have neither starting in 2025. As Josh accurately points out, there is no such thing. People in power will do whatever suits their agenda, and/or on a more local level, whatever serves their constituents.
Don’t be fooled by the rhetoric or the “pro-Israel”/anti-anti-semitism appointments … just look at the party-shifting of some of those nominated for key positions such as Elise Stefanic. One day’s “anti anti-semitism” performance (which in many ways, I appreciated), does not equal unyielding loyalty. Power is a fickle friend.
Despite what you think, never look a gift horse in the mouth, and grab every opportunity as it comes, because it may never come back again.
Make hay whilst the sun shines.
Be grateful for what you have.
I hope you get my point.
The Republican Party is far more pro Israel and has been for decades. That may change but for now it’s true. And it’s not even close.
Imho, your analysis of facts on the ground were spot on (and refreshingly presented) until you bashed the right for harboring repressed anti-Semitism which with some trickery of your mind reduces the obviously unparalleled, overt caustic and damaging anti-Semitism that exists on the left to an equal equation with the right. That the majority of American Jews still embrace a party that even funds this persecution needs a deep examination by all of us not ignoring its implications!
It should be noted that the Orthodox Jewish communities clearly voted for Trump because they view support for Israel and stopping anti Semitism that has emerged since 10/7 as paramount to their self interest
“The way I see it, there is only one group that truly has the Jews’ best interests in mind: the Jews.”
I can relate to what you’re saying—it highlights the essential importance of Jewish identity and self-determination. At the same time, I believe modern Christianity has become increasingly sympathetic and supportive of the Jewish people. As Christians gain deeper scriptural understanding and embrace the freedom to engage with the Bible, many are becoming more aware of their spiritual ties to Judaism. Today, we see many Christians supporting Israel’s sovereignty and standing with the Jewish population in advocating for their rights. Movements like Christian Zionism and organizations such as Christian Friends of Israel demonstrate how much this solidarity has grown in recent years. While no group can claim exclusive ownership of the Jewish people’s best interests, it’s heartening to witness how Christianity has evolved, acknowledging past mistakes and now standing united with the Jewish community.
The least sympathetic Christians are the progressive Protestants. Mind you, there’s not that many of them, they’re kind of a joke.
They are following popular trends. These are the ones not grounded in the deeper, historical roots of the Christian faith, which are profoundly connected to Jewish heritage. One of the worst stenches that has infiltrated Christendom is replacement theology, which distorts this connection and undermines the biblical foundations. That’s why I encourage my Christian brothers and sisters not only to read the Bible but also to study history and explore the often-overlooked details hidden in the cracks of religious tradition, which I’m always trying to expose in my writings.
90% of the Jews in 🇺🇸 are secular or atheist, so no surprise they vote for the liberal leftist agenda.
Are you sure about that? They have a typically low birth rate compared to the religious Jews. Even if it’s 90% it will be going down.
It’s like the “speak with unity” people can only understand unity if it’s through the Democratic Party. The democrats stabbed American Jews in the back and their multiethnic coalition they supported on the left turned on them in their “brown people good/white people bad” DEI worldview. In a couple of decades it will be clear this was the election when American Jews recognized reality. Greenfields essay is more reflective of reality than a Democrat exit poll.
Should say "Red-Green-Brown alliance as actual national socialists are involved with them now
Many American Jews get the Second Amendment wrong:
On October 7, the Hamas terrorists were armed, the Israelis massacred were defenseless. The unanswered question is why did Israel disarm its citizens most of whom are IDF veterans and leave them vulnerable to mass rape and murder by Hamas? An incredibly stupid decision and the Israeli government is clearly culpable. Every Jewish family in Israel (and the US) should have a 9 mm handgun, an AR15 rifle and plenty of ammunition for both. Every adult and teenage member of the family should be proficient in their use. Every adult should carry their concealed handgun at all times. I live in relatively peaceful America and I do. Have anti-gun Jewish politicians in both countries learned nothing from the Holocaust and the latest slaughter? Isn’t it time for the Jewish people to tell them to go fuck themselves?
XXX
Who Won the Jewish Vote?
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/jewish-vote-elections-2024
The poll claiming that "79% of Jews voted for Kamala" was promoted by J Street and JDCA, two groups that benefit from the perception that most Jews are Democrats.
The polls are not accurate. They did not include States where there is a large number of Jews.