Trump loves Jews; it is libelous to deny it
I am writing this letter to protest the inflammatory and improper op-ed written by Rabbi Engelmayer in the September 6 edition of the Jewish Standard.
The headline of Rabbi Engelmayer’s piece is: “Trump is an anti-Semite. We ignore that to our peril.”
At times, his analysis aimed at criticism of President Trump and his policies is contrived but can be dismissed and ignored as a function of political partisanship. However, this week he crossed the line. The substance of his article is false. The evidence he cites is colored by his obvious enmity toward President Trump. The headline is wildly inflammatory and dangerous.
No President in modern times has been an anti-Semite. While some were not as sensitive to Jews or Israel as others (eg, FDR in not bombing death camps or admitting enough refugees; Barack Obama in entering into the Iran deal and abstaining in an important UN vote; Richard Nixon in making disparaging comments about Jews) none was remotely close to being an “anti-Semite.”
To state that Donald Trump as president who has an approval rating in Israel the highest of any U.S. president in recent memory, does it for the evangelistic Christian vote undermines the credibility of the article which is dripping in partisan bias. Donald Trump’s closest friends, business associates, appointees, and family are Jewish and he is the single most emotionally tied president to Israel and the Jewish people since President Truman.
The Jewish Standard is a Jewish newspaper subsidized by the Jewish community. It is thus responsible for what appears on its pages. The paper can allow articles that are critical of President Trump but it should carefully edit pieces and headlines to avoid a libel of the president. It needs to issue a public apology.
Ben Chouake MD
Englewood
National President, NORPAC
Trump’s promotion of anti-Semitic tropes is a danger to us all
Kudos to Rabbi Shammai Engelmayer for his September 6 op ed, “Trump is an anti-Semite. We ignore that to our peril.”
Rabbi Engelmayer clearly identifies and lists 10 statements demonstrating Donald Trump to be an anti-Semite.
When Trump said any Jewish people who vote for Democrats are showing “great disloyalty” or “lack of knowledge,” it promotes anti-Semitic stereotypes. Trump’s comments have to be disturbing to all Jews.
We as a Jewish community must care about racism and it is our duty to stop it. I am concerned that if we ignore Trump’s anti-Semitic tropes, they will not stop. This president is intolerant and irrational.
Thank you, Rabbi Engelmayer, for a thoughtful write-up that should be read by all Jews. I quote your last sentence, “If we do not stand up to hate today, there may not be a tomorrow for us to wish we had.”
Grace Jacobs
Cliffside Park
Communities have
to think about each other
The video deployed by the Rockland County Republican Party is deplorable and rightly rejected (“Emotions erupt at Rockland meeting,” September 6). However, it is always helpful to understand the components of issues. Nowhere in the article does it mention that the chasidic and charedi communities are often self-isolating, undemocratic, authoritarian, and theocratic in nature, and in the past have presented difficulties to those that are not members of their communities. These characteristics are not helpful for building mutual understanding and broad local satisfaction.
While there is no place in our world for such despicable anti-chasidic and charedi videos, there is a responsibility on the part of those communities to think about their fellow townspeople and work with them to achieve mutually beneficial public interest practices.
Rhoda Schermer
Ridgewood
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