Furor Over Trump's 'Disloyalty' Remarks is a Diversion
Trump said what others are wondering: How can American Jews still vote for Democrats? The New York Times and Washington Post are purposely distorting Trump's point when he said that Jews voting Democratic in the coming election showed either gross misinformation or disloyalty. The disloyalty charge was to other Jews, not the United States. The President's comments were not a dog whistle for the "Dual loyalty" canard as his critics well know.
By attacking the President, Trump's detractors are trying to divert attention from the disturbing Democratic support for the anti-Semitic Representatives Tlaib and Omar. Rather than condemning the offensive and defamatory tirades of these two anti-Semites, Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) accused Ambassador Friedman of dual loyalty for supporting Israel's position of banning these two agent provocateurs.
Senator Bernie Sandersrushed to the defense of Tlaib and Omar and put in question US foreign aid to Israel if Israel stood by its ban. Not to be left behind, Senator Elizabeth Warrenjoined the pummeling of Israel calling Israel's actions "shameful".. Democratic Congressman MarkPocan (D-Wisc),co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, threatened that foreign aid to Israel would have to be re-examined by the Congress.
And of course, Rep.Omarquestioned whether foreign aid should be continued for Israel. No Democrat came forward to oppose the suggestion. Not Pelosi, not Biden, and not one Democratic candidate for President.
The vaunted bipartisan support for Israel has now definitely been revealed as a mirage. Democrats hastened to attack Israel rather than the anti-semites who support Israel's destruction.
SpeakerPelosijoined the fray of attacking Israel rather than the anti-semitic stances of the Democratic Congresswomen, thus enmeshing the Democratic party into their nefarious web of undermining support for Israel in the US. Not Joe Biden, who claims to be a stalwart friend of Israel, defended Israel's decision or took to task criticize the two anti-semites. Not even House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who actually has been a true friend of Israel, until this transformation of the Democratic party. He, too, attacked Israel's actions as "outrageous."
Not one Democrat pointed out that many nations bar enemies from entering their country. The US for many years denied entry to members of the Communist party. In fact, the Obama administration in 2012 denied entry to a Jewish member of the Knesset because of his political views.
Not one Democrat or any of the mainstream media pointed out that these two Congresswomen refused to participate in the recent trip with other first-year members of Congress and chose instead to take one sponsored by a virulentlyanti-semitic group, Miftah. Miftah showcased on its website claims that Jews murdered Christian children to use their blood for baking matzos at Passover. The organization also published neo-Nazisand calls for the destruction of Israel. Somehow the media managed to omit these details of the sponsoring group.
It was in the context of this whirlwind dervish of Democratic denunciations of Israel, that Trump reacted with anger and amazement at a reporter's question about cutting foreign aid to Israel.
President Trump exploded: "Five years ago, the concept of even talking about this … cutting off aid to Israel because of two people that hate Israel and hate Jewish people — I can't believe we're even having this conversation," he said. He condemned Democrats for defending Tlaib and Omar and their comments against Israel and the Jewish people.
"I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty," he said.
Recent polls quoted in a Washington Post article, "The Democrats' Shift Away from Israel" ( 3/26/19) show that Democrats are equally split in their support for Israel and the Palestinians. This contrasts with Republican supportfor Israel which is 76% for Israel vs. the Palestinians. As the two Muslim Democratic Congresswomen defame Israel and lie about its history, the other Democratic members of Congress cower in silence.
Can Jewish Democrats visualize what US-Israel relations will be like with a Democratic President from the current crop of candidates egged on by a Democratic Congress?
President Trump was just being honest, or, at worst, is guilty solely of thinking that all Jews want to prevent the destruction of Israel. He was just reminding American Jews of Hillel's dictum: If I'm not for myself who will be for me?
