Berl Falbaum
“So, what do you think of President Trump now?”
That was the e-mail I received from a Jewish supporter of Trump who has not been happy — actually pretty angry — with my 10 years of unrelenting criticism of the president.
Well, sadly, I have to tell him nothing has changed.
Yes, I am happy that Trump managed to accomplish the release of the hostages and a cease-fire (albeit temporary it appears) in the Israel-Hamas war. He deserves credit for that. And I pray, like everyone else, that all the difficult remaining issues will be resolved and lead to a lasting peace.
It is also true, if I lived in Israel and/or had a loved one who was a hostage, I, too, of course, would praise Trump. Who would not? I would enlist and/or hire organized crime figures if I thought they could win my loved one’s freedom from Hamas.
But you cannot judge Trump in such a political vacuum.
Israel has not lived and does not live under Trump. It has not experienced a leader who has given us 10 years of lies, sexual perversion, corruption, two impeachments, threats to our democracy, continuous illegal policies, and so much more that I have scribbled about over the years.
Israelis did not suffer an insurrection at its Knesset (Parliament), nor would they have condoned that “day of love.” Nine people died directly and indirectly in the attack and 150 police officers were injured.
For instance, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has felt the anger of Israelis on at least two issues that mirror Trumpism:
When Netanyahu proposed undermining the country’s judiciary, which would have threatened Israel’s democracy, Israelis were up in arms. We face such threats to our democracy daily.
A second Trump element: Netanyahu is on trial for corruption on three different charges.
Here is just one very recent Trumpian “minor” example that Israel, a vibrant democracy, would not accept politically: The enactment of a new policy by its military that would require reporters to sign an agreement that they will only publish information that has been “explicitly approved” by the IDF.
Israel would explode to such a threat to its press freedoms. Yet, that is exactly what happened here when the Department of War (formerly Department of Defense) adopted this policy.
Consider the following analogy to emphasize the point separating emotion from the ugly and corrupt politics.
PLO Chairman Yassar Arafat was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for signing the Oslo Accords. Does that wipe the slate clean for this murderous terrorist? Did that make him a statesman?
After all this was the man who introduced the world to the terrorist tactics of blowing civilian planes out of the sky as well as a “pay for slay” program under which Palestinian parents would receive stipends if their children became “martyrs” in suicide bombings against Israelis.
If that was not enough, he stole billions of dollars intended to be used to build infrastructures and improve the lives for Palestinians.
Yet, despite the signing of a peace accord, the Times of Israel, separating the man from the enactment of a peace treaty, ran a column headlined: “The Worst Man Ever to Win the Nobel Peace Prize.”
As we all know too well, Trump wants nothing less than winning this coveted prize. His saliva runs and he takes every opportunity to publicly crow about how much he wants this honor.
Should he receive it next year, would that negate all we — and the rest of the world — have lived through for the last 10 years?
While we are talking about foreign affairs let us not forget that Trump has made enemies throughout the world, including allies. Remember Canada? Greenland? Denmark? Mexico? NATO? Or the U.N. and others.
So, given this diplomatic success do we ignore Trump’s daily lies, his unrelenting attacks on the legal community, the media, universities, his revenge at perceived “enemies,” his operating numerous businesses out of the White House, his illegal immigration policies, turning the Justice Department into a political bludgeon or all the rest of the inherent poison of Trumpism?
Again, I totally understand the embrace of Trump by Israelis. But I also don’t believe they envy us for having to endure Trump and live under his leadership.
That was the e-mail I received from a Jewish supporter of Trump who has not been happy — actually pretty angry — with my 10 years of unrelenting criticism of the president.
Well, sadly, I have to tell him nothing has changed.
Yes, I am happy that Trump managed to accomplish the release of the hostages and a cease-fire (albeit temporary it appears) in the Israel-Hamas war. He deserves credit for that. And I pray, like everyone else, that all the difficult remaining issues will be resolved and lead to a lasting peace.
It is also true, if I lived in Israel and/or had a loved one who was a hostage, I, too, of course, would praise Trump. Who would not? I would enlist and/or hire organized crime figures if I thought they could win my loved one’s freedom from Hamas.
But you cannot judge Trump in such a political vacuum.
Israel has not lived and does not live under Trump. It has not experienced a leader who has given us 10 years of lies, sexual perversion, corruption, two impeachments, threats to our democracy, continuous illegal policies, and so much more that I have scribbled about over the years.
Israelis did not suffer an insurrection at its Knesset (Parliament), nor would they have condoned that “day of love.” Nine people died directly and indirectly in the attack and 150 police officers were injured.
For instance, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has felt the anger of Israelis on at least two issues that mirror Trumpism:
When Netanyahu proposed undermining the country’s judiciary, which would have threatened Israel’s democracy, Israelis were up in arms. We face such threats to our democracy daily.
A second Trump element: Netanyahu is on trial for corruption on three different charges.
Here is just one very recent Trumpian “minor” example that Israel, a vibrant democracy, would not accept politically: The enactment of a new policy by its military that would require reporters to sign an agreement that they will only publish information that has been “explicitly approved” by the IDF.
Israel would explode to such a threat to its press freedoms. Yet, that is exactly what happened here when the Department of War (formerly Department of Defense) adopted this policy.
Consider the following analogy to emphasize the point separating emotion from the ugly and corrupt politics.
PLO Chairman Yassar Arafat was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for signing the Oslo Accords. Does that wipe the slate clean for this murderous terrorist? Did that make him a statesman?
After all this was the man who introduced the world to the terrorist tactics of blowing civilian planes out of the sky as well as a “pay for slay” program under which Palestinian parents would receive stipends if their children became “martyrs” in suicide bombings against Israelis.
If that was not enough, he stole billions of dollars intended to be used to build infrastructures and improve the lives for Palestinians.
Yet, despite the signing of a peace accord, the Times of Israel, separating the man from the enactment of a peace treaty, ran a column headlined: “The Worst Man Ever to Win the Nobel Peace Prize.”
As we all know too well, Trump wants nothing less than winning this coveted prize. His saliva runs and he takes every opportunity to publicly crow about how much he wants this honor.
Should he receive it next year, would that negate all we — and the rest of the world — have lived through for the last 10 years?
While we are talking about foreign affairs let us not forget that Trump has made enemies throughout the world, including allies. Remember Canada? Greenland? Denmark? Mexico? NATO? Or the U.N. and others.
So, given this diplomatic success do we ignore Trump’s daily lies, his unrelenting attacks on the legal community, the media, universities, his revenge at perceived “enemies,” his operating numerous businesses out of the White House, his illegal immigration policies, turning the Justice Department into a political bludgeon or all the rest of the inherent poison of Trumpism?
Again, I totally understand the embrace of Trump by Israelis. But I also don’t believe they envy us for having to endure Trump and live under his leadership.
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