Antisemitic undercurrent
In “Donald Trump is not a friend of the Jews”(August 13), Amy Neustein rails against the Trump campaign for reducing the chances that Kamala Harris would select for her running mate someone who would have helped her win a critical state.
Although Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro happens to be Jewish, Neustein offers no evidence that this entirely rational political maneuver was anti-Jewish. The suggestion is that Trump had an obligation to affirmatively help a Jewish potential candidate even at the risk of losing the election.
Interestingly, Neustein rejects the obvious antisemitic undercurrent of Harris’s ultimate decision, choosing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. He has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Rep. Ilhan Omar, an antisemitic Squad member from Minnesota. By choosing Walz, Harris cast her lot with the execrable far left wing of her party. During my time as assistant US special envoy to combat antisemitism, I was amazed and gratified by the unstinting support from the Trump White House in the battle against Jew-hatred. Compare Trump’s support for Jews and Israel throughout his presidency with his Democratic opponent’s actions.
Harris’s occasional statements of support for Israel are lukewarm and conditional. She accepts without question the blood libel that the IDF ignores the safety of Gazan civilians. Her strongest criticisms are aimed at Israel’s army and prime minister, while she ignores Hamas’s use of its own people as human shields. Nor does she denounce Iran as the ultimate enemy of Israel and the US.
Trump has proved his deep affinity for the Jewish people in both word and deed. Harris’s selection of Walz for vice president is one in a series of actions that prove the opposite regarding the Democratic presidential candidate.
EFRAIM COHEN
Zichron Ya’acov
Trump is notorious for saying things off the cuff which are inappropriate. While I strongly agree with the statement that any Jew who votes for the Democratic ticket needs to have his “head examined,” it is not smart for Donald Trump to say it. Jews are notorious for voting against their own interests, and any Jew who is thinking of voting Democrat is not going to be persuaded to do otherwise by being told he is an imbecile.
Trump’s record and history are strongly pro-Jewish. This is not a recent thing. His father was known to have many Jewish friends and is on record as having donated large sums to Jewish causes, including helping to build a synagogue in New York. Trump himself has a Jewish daughter, a Jewish son-in-law and Jewish grandchildren.
More importantly, he was the most pro-Israel American president in history, recognizing Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, and moving the US Embassy to Israel’s capital in Jerusalem, against all the objections in the State Department. He also censured Iran, the sworn enemy of both Israel and the US, and was instrumental in creating the Abraham Accords, a major breakthrough for peace in the Middle East. Unfortunately, President Joe Biden’s policies, dictated by the numerous Obama retreads in his administration, have succeeded in undermining or even reversing much of the progress created by Trump.
If it’s true that Trump’s campaign managers succeeded in sabotaging Josh Shapiro’s bid for vice president, that is just good political strategy; Shapiro would have been a formidable opponent, possibly bringing Pennsylvania, a critical swing state, into the Democratic camp. In any case, it would not have been difficult to persuade the Democratic Party, heavily influenced by its extreme left-wing, anti-Jewish elements to veto Shapiro, known to be a proud Jew and an ardent supporter of Israel.
However, the most important reason for voting for Trump is that he will make America stronger. A comparison between the United States under Trump’s presidency and the disasters under Biden makes it very clear who is best for America. A strong US is good for Israel and the Western world. Another four years of Democratic policies would be disastrous for both America and Israel.
STEPHEN COHEN
Ma’aleh Adumim
Antisemitism in Israel
Kudos to Herb Keinon andThe Jerusalem Postfor “Tisha B’Av lessons: Compromise over conflict to avert catastrophe”(August 13). I was dumbfounded to read that Tel Aviv couldn’t wait to legislate hatred of Jews against Jews. The law forbidding a mehitza, a partition between men and women, during prayer in a public area on Yom Kippur is tantamount to antisemitism in Israel.
Can the non-observant Jews not tolerate not playing ball or riding scooters in that area on the holiest day of the year? How can those who do not believe that the Torah is God-given not tolerate those who do believe? Was October 7 and 9 Av not enough to teach us that even if you do not “love your neighbor as yourself,” at least “live and let live?”
When will we ever learn?
SHIMON GALITZER
Jerusalem
Turbulent defense minister
Regarding “‘Netanyahu’s total victory is nonsense’” (August 13): Defense Minister Yoav Gallant asserts that total victory over Hamas is impossible. As defense minister, he is responsible for Israel’s ability to vanquish its enemies. Not only was he defense minister for close to a year before October 7, he was also IDF southern commander when Gilad Schalit was captured, and oversaw two mini-wars against Hamas that failed in their objectives. There might be a pattern here.
In recent years, the IDF has decided to reinvent the wheel and has abandoned 6,000 years of military history. In every war to date, worldwide, the aim of an army is to deny the use of territory to the enemy and break the enemy’s will to fight (which can be achieved by other means than a set-piece battle).
However, the current IDF strategy, since 2006, is to enter a territory, expend blood and treasure to capture it, perhaps killing a few enemy combatants, and then to withdraw, handing it back to the enemy. It’s no wonder that this strategy neither breaks the will of the enemy to fight, nor does it win wars.
As prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu must fire his turbulent defense minister and appoint one with the knowledge, expertise and drive to achieve victory.
KOBI SIMPSON-LAVY
Rehovot
Good for America?
In “A great existential threat”(August 12), Martin Oliner brings to the fore a very disturbing question. Should American Jews vote more for what they perceive, rightly or wrongly, is good for America or good for Israel?
It unfortunately gives credence to the antisemitic accusation that Jews have a dual loyalty; how much more so, when American Israelis, some who have not lived in the US for over 40 years, are urged to try to influence the American election by using their absentee votes.
MARION REISS
Beit Shemesh