Intro: After Congresswoman Ilhan Omar insinuated that businessman Leon Cooperman is only backing Michael Bloomberg because they are both Jewish, there was controversy over this latest seemingly anti-Semitic attack. But according to a former New Yorker and Israeli Mayor David Rubin, who is the author of the book, “Trump and the Jews”, Omar’s obsession with Jews is problematic, but it does hit on a question about whether Jews would or should support the former New York mayor against President Trump.
Let’s explore this issue with David Rubin.
Suggested Q&A:
- How problematic was Ilhan Omar’s tweet about former Mayor Bloomberg? Obviously, her obsession with Jews is problematic, but her selection of Bloomberg as the target of her Jew-hatred is actually quite ironic.
- Why is it ironic? Ilhan Omar notwithstanding, Michael Bloomberg’s Judaism is irrelevant. As with Bernie Sanders, he is totally secular, his wife and children aren’t Jewish. Jews who strongly identify with their heritage won’t support a candidate of a party that opposes Jewish consensus positions.
- What positions are you referring to? Every Jew who observes the holiday of Passover, whatever his or her spiritual level, sings at the end of the festive meal – “Next year in Jerusalem!” (Clearly Referring to Jerusalem as the Eternal Capital City of Israel). President Trump took the bold step of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, while most Democrats, including Bloomberg, either criticized the move or avoided commenting.
- Do any other issues stand out that would cause Jews to support Trump over Bloomberg? There is Trump’s recognition of the existentially strategic Golan Heights as sovereign Israeli territory, as well as the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran, and the cutting of aid to the Palestinians until they stop financing terrorism. These are all Jewish-consensus issues.
- Does the fact that both candidates come from heavily Jewish New York play into this at all? New York is a powder keg of action and New York Jews reflect that passion on both sides of the political spectrum, but this isn’t a geographic issue, even though Trump’s boisterous personality reflects the tough outer boroughs of Queens, where he grew up and Brooklyn where I grew up. It’s more a question of values. Those Jews with more traditional, family-oriented, pro-Israel values will go for Trump.
- Where can people get a copy of your book, “Trump and the Jews”? You can go to my website www.DavidRubinIsrael.com or just go to Amazon 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”. 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
