Charlie Kirk is a co-founder of the conservative action group Turning Point USA. Kirk also has his own radio show, and is a big supporter of President Trump. Following the recent terror attack on the group "Run For Their Lives" (a group that marches weekly post 10/7 to remind the world that hostages are still being held by Hamas), Kirk opined as follows: "If you are a Jewish person in this country, you should never leave your house without a firearm. If you're a Jewish person, you should have a firearm on you at all times." The individual who attacked these Jewish marchers (allegedly) was an Egyptian national, and was yelling "Free Palestine," while throwing Molotov cocktails at the crowd.
Kirk's comments telling Jews to protect themselves, are clearly not the words of an antisemite. Unfortunately, Kirk then deviated from his apparent defense of the Jewish people to these comments, which he predicted would result in his being called an antisemite. "To the Jews of America, how are you still voting Democrat, and why are you still giving money to the institutions and the charities and the political parties that hate you and want you dead?" Much of that is a fair question. As readers know, I raise those questions myself.
But here is where Kirk (and others I personally know) diverge. Kirk: "My tolerance with the American Jews that are giving money and playing footsie with the American left is nothing. In fact, my patience has completely run out." Those two sentences are so wrong for so many reasons. In no particular order, I will address some of my concerns. First, he is blaming the victim. To me, that is akin to those on the left blaming the gun for a shooting instead of the perpetrator. The alleged perpetrator here is an Egyptian national who believed all the lies about Israel; and who is blind to the fact that Gaza/Hamas has received billions of dollars in aid which they squandered on tunnels and weapons to be used to kill Jews, instead of building a modern and productive society for the people of Gaza.
Second, is Kirk suggesting that if the majority of Jews voted Republican and not Democrat, that would have guaranteed neither Obama nor Biden would have won the presidency? Has he said the same things about the leftwing Christian denominations, such as the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church USA, or the Anglican Church?
Third, the Jewish people have been around for about 3,500 years. Throughout our long history, Jews have been persecuted and murdered and blamed for all sorts of things. It is always easier to find a scapegoat for why things in your life or your country are not going as you would like, instead of blaming yourself, or the actual perpetrators of evil. Here are some simple questions for Kirk and those who agree with him. Do you think Hitler and the Nazis ever asked which Jews are loyal citizens of Germany? Or if they voted for the National Socialist Party? Or did they just round up every Jew regardless of party affiliation, and regardless of loyalty to the state, and murder them?
Now I'll ask the same of Hamas. Some of those Jews living in Israel near the Gaza border, gave jobs to the Arabs living in Gaza. Some worked for getting the "Palestinians" their own state. Others worked to get them needed medical care. Did the Hamas terrorists give a damn about which Jews supported them and which Jews did not? Of course not. The goal of these Jew haters in every generation is the same: kill all the Jews. From the ancient Egyptians to the Babylonians to the Assyrians to more modern times, these Jew haters all have the same goal - kill ALL the Jews. Never do they ask which Jews are on "our" side. Does Kirk think that it matters to the Jew haters if their victims are Democrats or Republicans?
Merely suggesting that is, if not outright antisemitism, then at a minimum encouraging antisemites to take action against the Jewish people. The young couple that was brutally gunned down in D.C.? The woman was Jewish but the man was Christian. What if there were Christians marching for the hostages in Boulder, and they were injured? Would you say you lost your patience with them, Kirk? You lost your patience for those reminding the world that hostages are still being held by Hamas? The perpetrator (yes, I know, alleged perpetrator) sides with Hamas. The focus should be on the evil perpetrated by the evil perpetrator - not on the "gun."
Fourth, the Jewish people have a long and proud history of charitable giving, of "tzedakah." It is part of our tradition to care about those who are less fortunate. Now, one could debate which party today is most closely associated with caring for those in need. But one cannot legitimately argue the correctness of tzedakah, which is not only seen as charitable giving, but as a moral obligation.
As a Jew, I have neither the liberty nor the luxury of giving up my patience and tolerance for my fellow Jews. If Kirk thinks he does, he is sorely mistaken. The antisemites, the terrorists, the Jew haters - do not care who you are. You think Hamas hesitated to take Americans hostage? You think the students on college campuses who interrupt classes and graduation ceremonies care that they're also affecting Christian students? You think the perpetrator in Boulder cared about whether Christians might be marching with Jews? Stop blaming the victim, Kirk; stop blaming the "gun."
Kirk has at times referred to the Torah, the first Five Books of the Hebrew Bible. So he would do well to recall that G-d promised Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse." It's also said that G-d promised to bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel. Of course, the biblical "Israel" is nothing other than the Jewish people. Think about it, Kirk.
Am Yisrael Chai! The People of Israel (the Jewish People) Live!
