Year End Reflections, Part IV (Sometimes Big News Stories Break)

Article II, Section 2 of the US Constitution says "The President...shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in case of Impeachment."  So. impeachments are excluded, but so are offenses under state law, as the power applies to pardons for offences against the United States, which would be federal law.  

I don't know about you, but I was not surprised by Biden's pardon of his son Hunter.  Yes, it seemed as if Biden promised dozens of times that he would not pardon Hunter.  Yes, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre seemed to say dozens of times that Biden would not pardon Hunter.  But absent a conviction for murder, rape or other violent offense, did anyone really think Biden would not pardon his son?

Biden justified the pardon factually by saying that the filling out of a gun form (lying actually) almost never results in a felony charge.  That may be true.  Then he said his son was late in paying his taxes because of his serious addiction; and he eventually paid the taxes with interest and penalties.  Well, his serious addiction did not prevent Hunter from splurging on various things, rather than using that money to pay his taxes...but that's another topic.

Let's talk about Biden's legal justifications for the pardon.  "No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's case can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son.  And that is wrong."  Yes, well, Hunter was definitely singled out.  First, the special counsel let many of the possible charges lapse due to the running of the statute of limitations.  Who else would get such slow walking of a prosecution?  Who else would get such a favorable plea deal?  But the Judge saw it differently, and refused to accept the special treatment given to Hunter.  So, yes, he was singled out - favorably.

Biden:  "I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice..."  There's the rub.  So, President Biden, exactly when was it that "raw politics" infected your son's prosecution?  Clearly not when you said so many times that you would not pardon Hunter.  Or, were you lying all those times to the American people?  And you let your press secretary lie also?

Karine Jean-Pierre, after also telling us many times that Biden would not pardon Hunter, said "how politically infected these cases are."  Once again, just when did she and the president become aware that the cases against Hunter might be politically infected?  Which, of course, brings me to my next question:  Are you freaking kidding me?  Let's talk about politically infected cases.

President Biden, here is what you said about your hand-picked Attorney General, Merrick Garland, when speaking with your "inner circle."  As reported by the New York Times in 2022:  "As recently as late last year, Mr. Biden confided to his inner circle that he believed former President Donald J. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted, according to two people familiar with his comments.  And while the president has never communicated his frustrations directly to Mr. Garland, he has said privately that he wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action over the events of Jan. 6."

The President never said anything to Mr. Garland directly?  He sure as hell did, because unless you believe in everything being a coincidence, that conversation was leaked, and Mr. Garland got the message loud and clear.  The next thing you know, we had Jack Smith appointed as special counsel, bringing charges against President Trump.  What about the unspoken rule that says presidents should not be involved in deciding who gets prosecuted?  Clearly, Biden did not care about that.  (Well, he did not care about lying numerous times either, so no surprise I guess.)

Every case brought against President Trump has been, allow me to say, "infected"...by "raw politics."  But it's worse.  Not only did Biden place his hand on the scales of justice, he did so against the likely (and eventual) Republican nominee for president.  In other words, Biden wanted political prosecutions to defeat his political opponent.  Biden acted like a third world dictator.  Many of Trump's associates who faced prosecution, did so because they had been affiliated with Trump.

I think we can all agree (or should agree) that Biden just opened the door for Trump to pardon, or commute the sentences of, the January 6 defendants (and others).  Obviously, it should be on a case by case basis.  Anyone who committed violence, especially against a police officer, should not necessarily get a pardon.  But if the sentencing was disproportionately long compared to others, that would warrant a commutation.  And, if Biden means what he said about politics infecting prosecutions, he should immediately pardon President Trump.  I won't hold my breath,

Year End Reflections, Part III (Are The Jewish People Safe Anywhere?)

When the pro-Hamas crowd talks about globalizing the intifada, take them seriously.  In London, someone or some group distributed leaflets in a Jewish neighborhood.  This is what the leaflets said:  "Zionists leave Britain or be slaughtered."  Meanwhile, in Stamford, England, north of London, a 16 year old Jewish girl "was pelted with bottles and suffered injuries to her head and face in a deliberate and violent attack."  (As described by the Jerusalem Post.)

Back to London, there were 2 buses of Jewish kids going home from a Jewish school, when rocks were thrown at them.  Four teenagers from another school got on the buses and shouted at the Jewish kids:  "Fuck Israel!"  And:  "Fuck Israel!  Nobody likes you!  Fuck off you bitches!"  Needless to say, the Jewish kids were terrified.  Said the Campaign Against Antisemitism:  "Is it any wonder that 69% of British Jews now hide visible signs of their Judaism in public?"  (Again, as reported in the JPost.) 

In Melbourne, Australia, a fire was set at a synagogue.  Two people were injured, and, not surprisingly, there was extensive damage to the building.  It was reported by the police that the fire was set deliberately.  Meanwhile, Australia joined 156 other countries in the UN General Assembly, voting yet again in favor of an anti-Israel resolution.  The resolution called for Israel to withdraw from Gaza, the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and so-called "East Jerusalem."  

When the countries of the world vote against Israel, is it any surprise that antisemitism and outright Jew hatred then spreads around the world?  If Israel is so bad, then anyone supporting Israel must be bad, and Zionists support Israel.  Jewish people who believe in the right for Jews to have a home in the land of Israel are, by definition, Zionists.  As I hold the same belief in the Jewish people's right to their homeland, that makes me a Zionist.  

In Cape Town, South Africa, an IED was thrown at a Jewish Community Center.  Thankfully, it failed to explode.  I wonder what the pro-Hamas crowd makes of this story, as reported by The Guardian.  They say that UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine) has suspended aid deliveries to Gaza.  Why?  Because of the "hijacking of nearly 100 aid trucks last month."  Even though armed gangs were hijacking these trucks, Israel was blamed.  Of course.  Might it be Hamas terrorists taking the trucks for their fighters?  How dare you ask!

How are things here on the home front?  A man in Massachusetts was guilty of threatening to kill Jewish kids, and bomb a synagogue.  Here is what this evil man wished for:  "kill of all Jews," and "stomping their babies dead in the ground."  Lovely.  

About 25 people were arrested at the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, when they sat down in the street, in an effort to block the huge balloons.  Of course, these pro-Hamas protesters accused Israel of genocide.  The people who came to see the parade were not amused, with one yelling at the protesters "get the hell out of here!"  Meanwhile, the pro-Hamas crowd was shouting "Free Free Palestine."  And the now common:  "globalize the intifada."  Said one Brooklyn cop:  "This is a day for families to enjoy and not be interrupted by these a-holes."  Thank you, officer.

Joe Biden wanted a black woman for his vice president and he got one.  He wanted a black woman on the Supreme Court and he got Ketanji Brown Jackson.  Too bad.  KBJ (it's easier) recently attended a convention of the National Council of Teachers of English.  She should not have gone.  The speakers included pro-Hamas "activists."  One of the speakers tore down posters of the hostages being held by Hamas.  One, with a Palestinian flag, said:  "This is the only flag I fly with pride."  I've said it many times before - the Israel haters are also America haters.  So, obviously, this person would have no pride in the American flag.  Some of these people justified the October 7 assault on innocent Israelis.  And they teach our children.  Disgusting!  Does Biden's SCOTUS pick agree with these pro-Hamas people?  I'd like to know.

I'll end with this.  November 29 was the 77th anniversary of the UN General Assembly vote to partition the British Mandate into a Jewish state and an Arab state.  Israel then declared their independence as a state in May, 1948.  A mere 76 years ago - a single lifetime.  Said Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres (of NY's 15th district, and a democrat not afraid to speak up on behalf of Israel):  "Never in human history has a nation of so few done so much so quickly in the face of so many threats to its survival and security.  The achievements of the Jewish state are nothing short of astonishing."  Some might say miraculous.  Thank you Congressman Torres. 

  

Year End Reflections, Part II (Are The Jewish People Safe Anywhere?)

It turns out that all the member countries of the European Union are signatories to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC.  The United States and Israel are not.  While Canada, and a number of EU members have said they would enforce the arrest warrant should Netanyahu set foot in their countries, some are on the fence.  Agreeing to enforce the arrest warrant are the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Lithuania, Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Austria and Slovenia. It appears that Germany is backing off, given what we might say is their rather blemished history vis-a-vis the Jewish people.

Josep Borrell is the EU Foreign Policy chief.  As such, he declared that every EU member is obligated to execute the arrest warrant against Israel's Prime Minister.  Borrell's comments took a rather nasty turn when he also said:  "I have the right to criticise the decisions of the Israeli government, be it Mr. Netanyahu or someone else, without being accused of antisemitism.  This is not acceptable.  That's enough."  There are two words that I have for Mr. Borrell, words that I do not use in the blog, unless those words are in a quote from someone else.  You know what I mean.

Why do I say that?  The ICC was a creature of the UNGA, although it is independent of that body.  But it maintains the same anti-Israel attitude as the UN.  For example, according to UN Watch, from 2015 through 2024, the UNGA has passed how many resolutions concerning Israel?  164!  And the rest of the world combined?  84.  How about the UN Human Rights Council?  Surely they must have condemned Russia and Iran and Syria more than Israel.  Nope.  From 2006 through 2024, the UNHRC passed 108 resolutions against Israel.  And the really bad actors in the world?  Venezuela, 3.  Russia, 8.  Iran, 15.  And Syria, 44.

But surely Israel's war with Hamas has resulted in far more civilian deaths than elsewhere, right?  Nope again.  The Syrian civil war, from 5/21 through 3/24, resulted in an estimated 580,000 to 617,000 deaths.  Sudan's civil war?  Over 61,000 civilian deaths.  Russia's war with Ukraine?  Estimated at 1 million by the WSJ, including fighting troops on both sides.  How about in Gaza in the latest war?  44,000 is the number frequently reported.  I would bet many of my readers are aware of the 44,000 in Gaza.  The DP-MSMC reports on it daily.  Would anybody have a clue as to the other numbers?

So, what is the explanation for this non-stop reporting of civilian casualties in Gaza?  What is the explanation for these non-stop anti-Israel resolutions at the UN?  It's antisemitism, Mr. Borrell, you #%$&@!  Unless you care to debate me as to why you believe that Israel is the worst country on the face of the earth, you sonofabitch!  (Oops.)  Mike Waltz is Trump's choice for National Security Adviser.  Said Waltz:  "You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC and UN come January."  That may be the toughest language he can use before assuming his office. 

Chabad is the fastest growing branch of Judaism.  Personally, I have found the sermons given by the Chabad Rabbis to be the most inspiring and meaningful.  Chabad sends young Rabbis, known as emissaries, all over the world to minister to Jews wherever they might live.  Recently, a 28 year old Rabbi, Zvi Kogan, was kidnapped and murdered in the UAE.  His body was found in Abu Dhabi.  Israel considers it to have been a terrorist attack.  While the UAE says they have arrested the likely perpetrators, I would have preferred that they were captured by the Mossad, and dealt with accordingly.  (If it turns out that Iran had a hand in his death, I don't doubt that the Mossad will find out and then act accordingly.)  May Rabbi Kogan's memory forever be a blessing to his family.      

How are Jews faring here in America?  More of the same at Columbia University.  More pro-Hamas protests in NY and NJ.  At the University of Rochester, these pro-Hamas people put up hundreds of "wanted" posters with the names of Jewish faculty members.  At the University of Washington, the President's home and car were both vandalized with anti-Israel messages. such as "Free Palestine," and "Blood on your hands."  The inverted red triangle, a symbol used by Hamas to target Jews, was also seen. 

I am so grateful that President Trump will be back in office soon.  (See the Mike Waltz comment above.)  Also, here is what President-elect Trump had to say about all the antisemitism on college campuses and elsewhere.  "My first week back in the Oval Office, my Administration will inform every college president that if you do not end antisemitic propaganda they will lose their accreditation and federal taxpayer support."  

And this:  "I will inform every educational institution in our land that if they permit violence, harassment, or threats against Jewish students, the schools will be held accountable for violations of the civil rights law.  Jewish Americans must have equal protection under the law.  They're going to get it."  Not sure what else to say about that other than  "Welcome back, Mr. President, and Amen." 

Year End Reflections, Part I (Are The Jewish People Safe Anywhere?)

(Note.  It may be a little bit early to start my Year End Reflections.  But we have two major stories this year.  One is the attack on Israel and on Jews everywhere.  The other, of course, is the return of Donald Trump to the White House.  There are other major stories, such as the war between Russia and Ukraine.  But the rising Jew hatred and antisemitism, along with the reelection of Donald Trump, are the major stories affecting our country.)

There are so many disturbing stories, it is difficult to know where to start.  This may be hard to believe, but while Israel has been in a fight for its survival since October 7, 2023, self-hating Jewish Senator Bernard Sanders introduced resolutions seeking to cut off military aid to Israel.  Now maybe you might think that with our close ally Israel at war for over a year (against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Syria, Iraq and Iran) and with 100,000 Israelis being displaced from their homes in the north and south, with Hamas promising another October 7 style attack "over and over and over again," with Hezbollah having fired 8000 rockets and missiles into Israel since last October 7, with Iran launching hundreds of missiles into Israel, (anyway you get the picture) that Sanders would not be able to get more than a handful of Senators to go along with his Israel-hating resolutions.  You would be wrong.

Currently, the Senate consists of 49 Republicans, 47 Democrats and 4 Independents.  As the Independents caucus with the Democrats, the Democrats control the Senate.  Not a single Republican voted for these resolutions.  But 17 Democrats and 2 Independents did.  Imagine that.  That amounts to over 37% of the Democratic caucus voting against aid to Israel.  I think it's important to name these Senators.  Independents:  Sanders (Vt), and Angus King (Maine).  The Democrats:  Durbin (Ill), Heinrich (NM), Hirono (Hawaii), Kaine (Va), Lujan (NM), Markey (Mass), Merkley (Ore), Murphy (Conn), Ossoff (Ga), Schatz (Hawaii), Shaheen (NH), Smith (Minn), Van Hollen (Md), Warnock (Ga), Warren (Mass), Welch (Vt), and Helmy (NJ).  Baldwin (Wis) voted "present.."

You may have heard about the violence in Montreal committed by a pro-Hamas crowd.  It was organized by a group called "Divest for Palestine."  This group smashed store windows, lit cars on fire, and generally engaged in antisemitic violence.  (Yes, they also opposed NATO.)  And where was Prime Minister Trudeau at the time?  Dancing at a Taylor Swift concert.  More on Trudeau in a minute. 

The Toronto Sun editorial of November 23 had this title:  "Jew hatred is now a national emergency."  The Sun:  "...some demonstrators have gone beyond calling for the destruction of Israel to advocate for the extermination of Jews in Canada and around the world."  Jews are less than 1% of the population in Canada, and .001875% of the world's population.  According to the paper, police report a skyrocketing of "hate crimes against Jews."  And this sad commentary:  "Jews have been targeted and threatened in the communities where they live, work, worship and go to school - both at the elementary and university levels."  

At a recent soccer match in Amsterdam between the Dutch team, Ajax, and the Israeli team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, things did not end peacefully.  Ajax apparently has both Arab Muslim and Jewish fans in the Netherlands.  There were claims that Maccabi fans yelled insults at the Arabs.  But there were violent attacks against Israelis at the game.  Some described it as nothing short of a pogrom against the Jews.  It was so bad that Israel sent 6 EL AL planes to rescue the Jews from Amsterdam.  What?  Jews had to be rescued from Europe?  That sounds appallingly familiar.  Yet, Jews were also attacked at a soccer game in Berlin.  

Last week, the the ICC (International Criminal Court) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.  Of course, this is all related to Israel's ongoing war with Hamas and others.  The ICC has jurisdiction over signatories to its establishment.  The US and Israel are not signatories.  And the Court made up a Palestinian state in Gaza, in order to justify the warrants.  As the Democratic Party-Mainstream Media frequently reports, the ICC asserts too many civilian deaths in Gaza and insufficient humanitarian aid/intentional starvation of the civilian population of Gaza.

But, as the Wall Street Journal has reported:  the Israeli "military may have achieved the lowest ratio of civilian-to-combatant deaths in the history of urban warfare."  That's because Israel warns civilians to leave a building or an area before they attack.  But Hamas does not want them to leave.  They know that the more civilian deaths there are, the more the fools in the Western world will side with Hamas.  The Journal also says that the claim of starvation is "absurd."  "Israel has facilitated the transfer of more than 57,000 aid trucks and 1.1 million tons of aid, even though Hamas's  rampant theft means Israel is provisioning its battlefield enemy, something the law can't require."

Post Election Reactions and Reflections, Part II

As readers know, I like to look at the letters to the editor in whatever paper I may be reading.  One letter said it particularly well.  "I am stunned by the Democratic Party's reaction, from its leadership and pundits, to the recent election.  Their cries that racism, fascism and misogyny are the cause of their rejection by the voters reflects blindness to reality and serious self-delusion."

The writer continued:  "They ran an unpopular, ill-prepared candidate who offered no changes from the past four years, which produced a high level of inflation, wide-open borders and attendant crime, a weakened international posture, tepid support for Israel and a military increasingly encumbered by wokeness.  It's no wonder voters rejected the Democratic offering."  Ironically, when Harris was given an opportunity in an interview to say what she would change from the way Biden did things, she said she would not change anything.  That is what may be referred to as an inability to read the room.

Just how did people vote.  The BBC gave a breakdown based on exit polls.  They had men breaking for Trump 55% to 42% for Harris.  But women went 53% for Harris and 45% for Trump.  It turns out that abortion was not the main issue in this election, as some expected.  Whites voted 57% for Trump and 41% for Harris.  Blacks went 85% for Harris and 13% for Trump.  Blacks had previously gone as high as 95% Democratic.  Latinos went 52% for Harris, with Trump coming in strong at 46%,

Trump got 55% of the Latino vote in Texas.  He even captured 14 of the 18 counties within 20 miles of the border, with several having 90% plus Latino population.  Trump was also the first Republican in over 30 years to win Miami-Dade County in Florida.  What about the Jewish vote?  One research poll claimed that 79% of the Jewish vote went for the Democrats, with only 21% going for the Republicans.  But it made no sense.  The poll only covered 10 states, and left California, New York and New Jersey - three states with large Jewish populations.

Apparently, Fox reported that Jews broke 66% for Harris and 32% for Trump.  But in New York, they reported 54% for Harris and 46% for Trump.  The NY Post concurred, saying that Trump got 45% of the Jewish vote in NY State, compared to the 30% he got in 2020.  And in Rockland County, New York, with the highest concentration of Jews, and where Biden won by 2 points in 2020, Trump won by 12 points.  

College graduates did break 55% for Harris and 42% for Trump.  Those without a college degree voted 56% for Trump and 42% for Harris.  Trump also did surprisingly well with young voters.  In the 18 to 29 year old range, he captured 43% of the vote.  In the 30 to 44 year old range, Trump got 48% of the vote.  And in the 45 to 64 year old range, Trump got 54% of the vote.  65 and above were split 49-49. 

Thankfully, with Republican control of the House, we won't have to deal with non-stop impeachment proceedings.  But things could change in 2 years when the entire House is up for reelection.  So, Trump has a two year window to get done what he wants to see accomplished.  Of course, the Democrats can be expected to challenge everything he does with non-stop litigation.  And several governors, in California, Illinois and New Jersey, have already announced their intentions to fight Trump.  Think about that.  What if these Democrat governors had instead said:  "While Donald Trump was not our choice, he did win this election.  Therefore, we will do our best to work with him in order to benefit the people of our state and the American people."

It does remind me of how the Democrats, and their allies in the media, created so much dissension and chaos during Trump's first term, and then turned around and said:  "look at all the chaos and dissension with Trump in the White House."  

So, getting back to what I said in the second paragraph of Part I...one family member compared Trump to Hitler.  It is a ridiculous comparison, and serves only to minimize the horrors of the Holocaust.  That same family member said anyone who voted for Trump will have to beg for his forgiveness.  Not only will I obviously not be doing that, but why alienate friends and family like that?  Why not wait to see what Trump actually does, and then criticize as necessary.  I have never been a believer in letting politics divide families, or friends from one another.  Closer to home, one family member has not spoken with me for the 12 days since the election; although we have had some rather heated text exchanges.  

As I mentioned in Part I, I do not intend to suffer abuse from others quietly, and I let that be known.  Quite aggressively.  This same person even inquired of their siblings why they were still talking to me.  That is beyond infuriating.  So, as we approach Thanksgiving, and the rest of the holiday season, I am disappointed by those who have chosen to sew discord within the family.  I am reminded of the Biblical verse:  "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind."     

Post Election Reactions And Reflections, Part I

For Republicans and conservatives it was a very good night.  Trump ended up with 312 electoral college votes (58%) compared to Harris' 226 (42%).  Some call that a landslide.  In terms of the popular vote, the latest numbers I saw had Trump with 76,429,164 votes, with Harris getting 73,736,923 votes.  Republicans also captured the Senate, 53 seats to 47.  As for the House, Fox says it's 218 seats (enough for control) for the Republicans, and 212 for the Democrats.  But Real Clear Politics says it's 220 for the Republicans to 213 for the Democrats.  The governors' mansions?  27 for the Republicans vs 23 for the Democrats.  A clean sweep.   

Before I get to the current reactions, let's recall for a minute the hand-wringing of the Left back in 2016, after Trump won.  The "resistance" began before Trump was even sworn in, because the world was going to end.  Of course, it didn't.  On a personal level, one colleague got in my face in court and was yelling at me.  A friend of 25 years also thought it was appropriate to yell in my face; and as he stormed off, yelled "I'm done with you."  Another friend of 40 years was not able to speak with me anymore.  And, one of my first bosses, for whom I had a great deal of affection, was done with me after 45 years.  This time around, I resolved not to put up with any of that abuse.  (More on that later.)   

Sonny Hostin, of The View, might be typical of the Left in her reaction.  She blamed Harris' defeat on "uneducated white women" and Latino men.  (She later apologized and said she meant "non-college educated white women."  These after the fact apologies are meaningless.  And less than sincere, in my opinion.)  But the significance of her comment, and why I'm discussing it, is the Leftist/elitist belief that college education makes you "smarter."  Book smarts, perhaps.  And that college gives you "wisdom."  It decidedly does not.  And. college definitely does not give anyone "common sense."  Not these days, anyway.  

Nobody needs a college education to figure out whether or not the household budget can pay for all the necessities.  Nobody needs a college education to realize that open borders, along with the attendant criminal aliens and gang members, are a danger to their communities and their families.  And, it is only a college education that will teach you that men can give birth. 

Laura Helmuth is resigning as the editor-in-chief of Scientific American.  She thought it was appropriate to refer to Trump voters as the "meanest, dumbest, most bigoted" group, and also "fascists."  (Another phony apology followed.)  But I am curious about one thing.  I wonder how  many of these "bigots" had previously voted for Obama and/or Biden.  Were they bigots when they voted Democrat, as some likely did?  Trump very wisely campaigned in areas of the country where he had no reasonable expectation of winning.  But by doing so, he won the popular vote.  On one site, it was reported that Trump won 40% of the popular vote in California, although Fox had Trump getting 38%.  Either way, it was an increase from the 31% he received in 2016, and the 34% he received in 2020.  

Trump won all the swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada  and North Carolina.  Rachel Zegler is a 23 year old actress, who will be playing the role of Snow White in a Disney remake of the classic.  Here is what she posted on Instagram:  "I find myself speechless in the midst of this.  Another four years of hatred, leaning us towards a world that will will be hard to raise my daughter in.  Leaning us towards a world that will force her to have a baby she doesn't want.  Leaning us towards a world that is fearful."  She described the country has having a "deep sickness."  Then her hope:  "may Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace."  And:  "Fuck Donald Trump."  I would ask Ms. Zegler to take a look in the mirror and tell me exactly who it is that is filled with hate.   

But notice how Ms. Zegler makes things up.  Things she likely hears from MSNBC or CNN.  Why won't she be able to raise her daughter?  Maybe in a few states she might not be able to get an abortion on demand.  But why is it always the worst case scenario for the Left?  Why do they live in permanent fear?  How does she know her daughter will someday want an abortion?  Or that she will live in a state where it is difficult to get one?  And why is she worried about that now, at age 23?  Laws change all the time.  

At the mere mention of Trump's name, I have seen a look on the faces of colleagues and family members that I would not describe as mere anger.  Rather, it is best described as a look of rage.  And it can be quite frightening.  I have described it to a friend as going from zero (a normal facial expression) to sixty (outright rage) in about a half of a second.  I would seriously be worried about being around a group of such individuals if they knew I voted for Trump.  A mob is always a greater danger than a single individual.  Along the same lines, family members are unable to understand how I could possibly vote for Trump.  It never, and I mean never, occurs to them that I might wonder how they could possibly have voted for Obama, Biden and Harris.  After all, isn't that how all the smart, decent people vote?      

Is It Enough Yet? Part I

I ask this question in regards to two different Op-Eds in the New York Times.  On October 6, 2024, we have Bret Stephens piece:  "The Year American Jews Woke Up."  Stephens had been a conservative writer at the Wall Street Journal, but as an anti-Trumper he left and went to the Times.  Then, on October 13, 2024, we have the article by Dr. Feroze Sidhwa:  "What 65 Doctors, Nurses and Paramedics Saw in Gaza."  Dr. Sidhwa worked as a trauma surgeon for approximately two weeks in Gaza.  Both articles merit discussion.

After recounting various antisemitic incidents across America over this past year, Stephens makes a very important assessment of what it means to be a Jew in America.  "At some point, an awakening of sorts occurred.  Perhaps not for every American Jew, but for many.  I've called them the Oct. 8 Jews - those who woke up a day after our greatest tragedy since the Holocaust to see how little empathy there was for us in many of the spaces and communities and institutions we thought we comfortably inhabited.  It was an awakening that often came with a deeper set of realizations.  One realization:  American Jews should not expect reciprocity."

Stephens discusses the history of American Jews supporting many progressive causes, only to see those same progressive individuals and organizations turning on us after October 7, 2023.  A second realization:  "'Zionist' has become just another word for Jew."  "Anti-Zionists" claim that they have nothing against Jews, but rather the political idea of Zionism, reflecting a return to the land of Israel for the Jewish people.  Stephens makes it clear that the attacks on "Zionists" have become indistinguishable from attacks on individual Jews.  At that point, "the distinctions between anti-Zionist and antisemite blur to the point of invisibility."

A third realization:  "This isn't going to end anytime soon."  In part because American politics has moved "towards forms of illiberalism."  Stephens is referring to a move away from classical liberalism; something this writer has discussed many times, and particularly in the July 17, 2016 post "Classical Liberalism."  Stephens:  "Unless this changes, the American Jewish community is on its way to living how the European Jewish community has for decades:  apprehensive, suspected and under ever increasing layers of private and state protection."  

Stephens then discusses the current "grand theory of "settler colonialism," a label which the antisemites place on the Jews (settler colonialists).  Stephens:  "Zionism, which since the days of the Maccabees has been the most enduring anticolonial struggle in history, is now the epitome of what college activists seem to think is colonialism, the only solution to which is its eradication."

Noting that the college educated are often the worst offenders, Stephens tells us:  "When people argue that education is the answer to bigotry, they often forget that bigotry is a moral failing, not an intellectual one - and few people are more dangerous than educated bigots."  Where Stephens and I diverge is on his apparent emphasis on the right-wing, and the unnamed Trump, moving us away from classical liberalism - towards illiberalism.  But that has been going on for some time, well before Trump came on the scene.  

Citing a book discussing where German Jews had gone wrong politically, we are told:  "They had, in tolerant Prussia, lost their instinct for danger, which had preserved them through the ages."  That is a discussion which my conservative friends and I have frequently had.  When will American Jews wake up?  Many are so consumed by their hatred of Donald Trump, that they have remained blind to all the dangers of the radical left, and of radical Islam.  

Stephens:  "Are we going to be proud Jews or (mostly) indifferent ones?  And if proud, what does that entail?  It's an open question that each of us will have to answer for ourself."  For Stephens:  "To be a Jew obliges us to many things, particularly our duty to be our brother's, and sister's, keeper.  That means never to forsake one another, much less to join in the vilification of our own people."  Finally, it means "to embrace - often as a thoughtful critic, but never as a hateful scold - the great, complicated, essential project of a Jewish state.  To imagine we can do without it is to forget how close we came to extinction before it was born." 

So, is it enough yet?  Have my fellow Jews seen enough antisemitism and outright Jew hatred to awaken from their slumber?  Have they seen enough to realize that, no matter how much they may detest Donald Trump, the problem is far wider and deeper than Trump.  I don't expect them to recognize Trump as the best President for Israel and the Jewish people.  But maybe they will awaken to the fact that the these college protesters, and their anti-Israel professors and administrators, are on the Left.  That most of the mainstream media is on the Left.  The same applies to Hollywood.  It is a mistake to assume that these Leftists are on our side.

I have said in the blog that antisemitism, whether from the Right, the Left or Radical Islam - is all bad.  I made it a point of criticizing Tucker Carlson twice, for his apparent antisemitism, because he is such a prominent voice on the Right.  It's past time for my fellow Jews on the Left to criticize those on the Left, such as Bernie Sanders and members of the Squad, for their anti-Israel and anti-Jewish/antisemitic comments. 

My Chabad Rabbis teach that this is not the time to shrink from one's Judaism.  This is the time to be a proud Jew.  Put a mezuzah on the entry to your home.  Wear your yarmulke (kippah) in public.  And go to services.  And, as I have advocated previously, speak out for Israel and against antisemitism everywhere - on social media, in print media and at every opportunity you have.  As a friend said to me, if we don't speak up now, Never Again will happen again.