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| Netanyahu campaign Posters plastered all over Israel |
It is no secret that most Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians
enthusiastically support the President. A man who has violated a moral code based on biblical precepts. Violations that are anathema to religious leaders. How is it possible for the right wing of Orthodox Jewry to support a man who has prided himself on his ability to sexually exploit
women because of his celebrity? And who has had an affair with - among others - a prostitute while he was married!. It would be like supporting Hugh Hefner for President! Can anyone imagine any religious leader ever supporting him?! No matter how pro Israel he might be?
To say this is counter intuitive is an understatement. And
yet almost every religious Jew I know, is an avid supporter of the President. (There are some exceptions to this who would never
vote for the man and oppose - and have opposed him from the very start. But that’s what they
are: exceptions.)
I believe the answer is obvious. Policy is more important
than personality. Substance over image. There is not a doubt in my mind that
the President’s behavior is about the last thing any religious individual would
support. Condemning behavior such as his has been the theme of many a clergyman. Modesty in sexual matters is one of the most
discussed subjects in religious circles. The more right wing - the more it is focused upon. Behavior such as the President’s would surely garner extreme condemnation and scorn. Can
anyone imagine any other reaction to a a married man having an affair with a prostitute?
Or talking about what he could do at will to any woman he wanted because of his celebrity - as
he did on that fateful bus ride to a taping of a TV soap opera a few years ago?
Nonetheless, his is a policy that favors religious rights and a policy of support for
the biblical land of Israel. Both in word and deed. Moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem; recognizing
Israel’s dominion over the Golan Heights; and the close bond between the President and Israel’s
current Prime Minister is a very pleasing image for a religious voter.
On the other hand the opposing party and most of their candidates
seeking the President’s job have been increasingly critical of Israel’s leadership. That surely contributes to the support enjoyed by the President from the religious right. His behavior is overlooked.
It isn’t that there is anything wrong with criticizing Israel’s
leaders. The religious right (mostly but not exclusively in Israel) does it all the time when it suits their
purposes. But when outsiders do it, it is unappreciated – even if it isn’t
antisemitic. Especially when those outsiders have an agenda for Israel that differs with Israel’s agenda for itself. Foreign nations that want to impose their own solutions to a country’s problems are not viewed as favorable by supporters of that country. Nor is criticism of that country for not following those solutions - looked upon favorably.
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| Beto O’Rourke |
Which brings me to Beto O’Rourke. He has recently called
Israel’s Prime Minister a racist. Even though he explained why he said that in the same breath, it
does not breed confidence in his claimed support for the Jewish state. It is much more reassuring to those that care
deeply about the Jewish state to support the President whose support is
unparalleled.
The President’s strong support is not lost on the Israeli electorate. It is so appreciated that Netanyahu plastered campaign posters all
over Israel with a picture of himself and the President smiling in close
friendship. It is almost as if a vote for Netanyahu is a vote for Trump!
What about Mr. O’Rourke? First let me excerpt the New York Post:
Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “racist” while speaking about the US-Israel relationship at a campaign event in Iowa on Sunday.
(He) added… that he does not believe Netanyahu “represents the true will of the Israeli people.”
“The US-Israel relationship is one of the most important relationships that we have on the planet, and that relationship, if it is successful, must transcend partisanship in the United States, and it must be able to transcend a prime minister who is racist, as he warns against Arabs coming to the polls,” O’Rourke said.
The idea that one nation – even a friendly one - can dictate policy to another under an implied threat like that – should give anyone that cares about Israel pause.
I do not believe Netanyahu is a racist. I do believe he is a shrewd and calculating politician that uses every trick in the book to get elected. But he is no more racist than Trump is antisemitic.
Although a lot of his political enemies characterized Trump’s comments after the mêlée in Charlottesville to be a dog whistle to racists and antisemites. Maybe. But to both of these gentleman – it’s all about getting re-elected and retaining power.
The problem with Beto O’Rourke is that he’s charismatic. He
has a JFK quality about him. He’s young, tall, thin, lots of hair, with a charming
smile and an ‘aw shucks’ manner whose rhetoric sounds idealistic. That makes him
a very attractive candidate. Especially for young voters. Just like Kennedy
was.
If he were to win the nomination and then the Presidency, I
fear his policies towards Israel would make even former President Obama’s support seem like gold
by comparison. God forbid he succeeds!
And the other Democrats running are not much better. In most
cases their support is conditional on an agenda that is not necessarily in concert
with Israel’s interests as understood by either major party there.
This – in my view – is why the President is so popular with Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians. They are the most pro Israel voters
in America. They are the ones that have cheered the loudest at Trump’s pro
Israel polices. It is their belief system that is responsible for
that.
