With Bernie Sanders leaping ahead of the pack in the Democratic Party, chances have greatly increased that he may well become the first Jewish nominee to reach the general election for President of The United States. Both Barack Obama as the first black nominee, and Hillary Clinton as the first female nominee, wore those distinctions as a badge of pride in their respective quests for White House. So, why does Bernie seem to only mention his Jewishness to criticize Israel or accuse Trump of being anti-Semitic?
Here to answer that intriguing question is David Rubin, the former Mayor of Shiloh, Israel and the author of “Trump and the Jews”.
Suggested Q&A:
- Does Senator Sanders avoid talking about his Jewishness on the campaign trail? In 2016, he certainly did. This time around he’s been less elusive and even came out with a “Proud to Be Jewish” campaign video, in which he talks about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism and concludes that President Trump is responsible for the rise in anti-Semitic attacks in recent years, even though the most shocking rise in anti-Semitism has come from Bernie’s supporters on the far Left.
- Are you saying that he’s using his Jewishness to attack the President? First of all, let’s be clear about something. Jewish pride has nothing to do with being a people that has suffered from slavery and mass persecution, even though we have. A Jew who is in touch with his heritage is proud to be a member of the people who provided the moral basis for Western Civilization in the Ten Commandments and the Hebrew Bible, the same values that the founders of the United States were so knowledgeable about. That’s real Jewish pride. Yes, it’s important to know about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism, but it’s not a badge of pride for Jews, rather it’s a badge of shame for those who allowed such atrocities to happen.
- You explain that well, but is there anything to Sanders’ argument that President Trump has fomented anti-Semitism? Unlike Bernie Sanders, President Trump’s actions have enabled genuine Jewish pride, not as campaign spin to get votes, but as a sincere show of love for the Jewish people. This has included the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the recognition of the strategic Golan Heights as part of sovereign Israel, halting support for the Palestinian Authority until it stops funding terrorism, and leading the fight against a nuclear Iran.
- That being the case, why is it that a majority of Jewish Americans would support Sanders, who says that all of Israel’s leaders are racist, against Trump, who has been so good to the Jewish State of Israel? Because they are as disconnected from their Judaism as is Bernie Sanders. We Jews in Israel, as well as the minority of religiously connected Jews in America care deeply about Jewish survival and the future of our people and our large Jewish families reflect that. Bernie has done nothing in his life that indicates that he shares those concerns. There actually is a very relevant joke about the Jewishness of Bernie Sanders: What is the difference between Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump? The answer? Donald Trump has Jewish grandchildren!
- Tell us more about your book, “Trump and The Jews,” that details President Trump’s role in Middle East Peace.
- Where may we get a copy “Trump and the Jews”?
Answer: They can go to www.DavidRubinIsrael.com or just go to Amazon.com and type in the words “Trump and the Jews”.
Bio: David Rubin, former Mayor of Shiloh Israel, is the author of the book, “Trump and the Jews” and five other books. Rubin is the founder and president of Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, established after he and his then three-year-old son were wounded in a terror attack. He can be found at www.DavidRubinIsrael.com or at http://www.ShilohIsraelChildren.org
