This Week: If You Could Address One Paragraph Each to Trump and to Biden, What Would You Tell Them?
A cousin came by and spent a little time with us this week. Decades ago, it was with these cousins that we went on our pilgrimage to our Jewish homeland of Israel, four American Jews and a guide for two weeks, inspiring. These cousins are no less “pro-Israel” than us, but looking this week in a direction other than at the Trump sign on our lawn, our cousin said “despite what Trump’s done for Israel, we’re voting for Biden.” They’re “pro-choice” and maybe a few other things that we’re not, but I think that their view of presidential character and temperament underlay their voting decision. I don’t share their comparative assessment on that, but I appreciate their appreciation of the Trump-Israel relationship.
How starkly divergent is their view on Trump-Israel from that, alas, of the majority of American Jews. The Jewish Press ran an article this week, Tuesday, 10/20/20, titled Poll: 75 Percent of American Jews Would Vote for Biden, While 22 Percent for Trump. That’s more for the Dem candidate than in 2016 (71-24 for Hillary over Trump), but what’s most disturbing, to me, is the poll’s breakdown of American Jews’ presidential candidate assessment by issue. By 54 percent to 42 percent, American Jews “believe that Biden would be better suited to strengthen U.S.-Israel relations.”
Israel isn’t the only issue. Let’s each do a “thought experiment,” embracing the U.S.-Israel relationship as one among the many presidential election issues influencing the voting decision of American Jewish voters. If you could address one paragraph each to President Trump and to former Vice-President Biden, what would you tell them? Perhaps your statements would be different from mine, but here’s one pro-Trump pair of examples.
To President Trump
“Mr. Trump, I’m with you, e.g., on the importance of manufacturing and energy independence, on conservative judges and securing our borders, your building of our economy and handling of the corona virus. But I most particularly appreciate your being the first American President not to have lied to Israel and us American Jews about recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving our Embassy. You defied strong opposition to this, not least from America’s European allies, and you followed it up with recognition of Israeli sovereignty on the Golan Heights, with your peace plan recognizing Jewish homeland equity in the land of Israel beyond the Israel-Jordan ceasefire lines of 1949, and in accomplishing the Arab-Israeli peace breakthrough of the appropriately named Abraham Accords. Fulfillment in our lifetime of the Dream of Generations for the Jewish homeland’s sovereign redemption means a great deal to my people, Mr. President, and for your deep involvement in that, I thank you.”
To Vice-President Biden
“There are rumors flying around, Mr. Biden, that if your party takes control of the government it will end the Senate filibuster, pack the Supreme Court, abolish the Electoral College, and make D.C., Puerto Rico, Guadalcanal and the Gaza Strip states; that it will build low-cost public housing in the midst of single-home suburban communities, abolish school choice, phase out fossil fuels, rejoin the Iran deal and Paris Climate Accords; that it will restore “daylight” between the U.S. and Israel, including by reaffirming UNSC 2334, declaring historic Jerusalem (Temple Mount, Western Wall, City of David and all) and Judea-Samaria “occupied Palestinian territory,” adopted with U.S. abstention after your party lost the 2016 election, on your way out the door. In the second Presidential Debate, you ended by comparing your character and integrity to that of President Trump. There appears to be electronic evidence, Mr. Biden, unlikely put out there by Russia, of your family having profited from influence-seeking foreigners, possibly with your knowledge and even involvement, from your position as Vice-President, which you have not specifically unequivocally denied as totally and utterly false. Say it ain’t so, Joe.”