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| Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, Senator, Tim Kaine |
I hate to keep talking politics. But I can’t let this one
go without comment. It seems that Forward columnist Ari Feldman has decided that Democratic
Vice Presidential nominee, Tim Kaine would be the Jewiest of Vice Presidents.
I’m not sure exactly what it means to be ‘Jewy’. Maybe what he
means that Kaine is an exceptionally pro Jewish and pro Israel candidate. So much so that
he should be considered an honorary Jew.
I don’t really know much about Tim Kaine. He seems like a
nice guy. But to claim that he is especially pro Israel is ridiculous. Especially
since he boycotted Netanyhu’s speech to congress last year.
The explanation Kaine gave is that he ‘did not agree with
the timing of the talk, and Netanyahu’s perceived political motivations for
delivering it before the Israeli elections’.
OK. I can understand his objection even if I didn’t agree
with it. But does that mean you dishonor the sitting head of state of America’s
closest ally? Do you boycott a leader that was invited by the sitting Speaker
of the House to address both houses of congress? Kaine was one of the few senators
that did that. There were many Democrats that had similar misgivings about the timing of the speech. But only 8 senators
out of 100 boycotted it. He was one of them.
This is not the behavior of someone that is exceptionally
pro Israel. It may not make him an antisemite. But I can’t see calling such
behavior Jewy. He could have done what other Democratic senators did and
expressed those same reservations about Netanyahu without boycotting him. To
the best of my knowledge Kaine has never boycotted any other head of state, let
alone one that is such a close ally of the United States.
What about the other reasons that Feldman gave that make him
Jewy? Let me answer one of them -reason number 3 - with a question: Hummus?
Really? That Kaine wanted an Israeli Hummus
company to set up shop in his state that would provide create jobs is not what
I would call being Jewy. I would call it wooing an industry that would help boost
his state’s economy.
That he supports a two state solution for Israel and the
Palestians (reason number 1) makes him no more pro Jewish than it does pro
Palestinian. I’m not saying that he’s wrong about that. But that does not make
him Jewy either.
That Kaine is a religious Catholic is cited as reason number
2. I agree that this is a plus. Religious values have increasingly been challenged
in recent years. I think we could use a little more of those values these days –
as more people than ever are rejecting them on the alter of instant personal gratification,
humanism, and political correctness.
But I don’t see those values being translated into policy. Catholicism
opposes abortion even more than Judaism does. And yet Kaine is pro choice. I am
pro choice too. But that’s because my religious views require me to leave that
medical option open to women who would be permitted – and even required by
Halacha to have an abortion. For Kaine,
however, what is the point of having religious values if they don’t inform you
policies? If you believe in the righteousness of your values, then you ought to
be promoting them.
But even if he did, being a devout Catholic does not him any
more Jewy than the Pope.
Another thing that is cited is that as Virginia’s Governor
he hosted a Passover Seder (reason number 4). OK. That’s a nice gesture. But not enough to make him Jewy if you factor in the other stuff.
All of that said - I am still supporting the Democratic
ticket this year because of who is running against them. Even though I do not
see Kaine as particularly Jewy, he is not an antisemite. I just can’t stand it
when the secular Jewish media needs to go to ridiculous lengths to show how pro
Jewish a candidate is. The truth matters and it ought not to be stretched in
order to get more Jews to vote for a favored Presidential ticket.
Both Clinton and Kaine will continue the current status quo.
Their policies with respect to Israel will be a carryover from the current
administration. Which is by far not the end of the world. But it isn’t the best
of all possible worlds either. Not even close.
