The Nation - 09.23.2019

September 23, 2019 The Nation. 11

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Jewry feared accusations of being more loyal to other

Jews—eventually represented by Israel—than to their

home country. Many American Jews opposed Zionism

until they learned of the Holocaust and remained cool to

Israel after its 1948 founding right up until the Six-Day

War, at which point it became the central component of

their ethnic and religious identity. Today nearly half of

American Jews say Trump favors Israel “too much”—far

more than Protestants or Catholics. As Israel becomes

more like the apartheid state its enemies have accused it

of always having been, more and more American Jews—

especially the young—are turning away from it and look-

ing for new ways to express their Jewish identities.

Trump has taken this moment to flip the script and

accuse Jews of being insufficiently loyal—not to America

but to Israel—by remaining Democrats. The accusation

has an anti-Semitic implication when Trump and his

fellow right-wing gentiles level it, as it implies that Jews

are not Americans first and hence cannot be trusted to

put their home country’s interests ahead of those of a

foreign nation. And yes, Trump is really catering to his

evangelical base, not to Jews. And yes again, he is doing

it in his own ridiculous way, retweeting an anti-Semitic

conspiracy theorist. But it is not so different from what

the Podhoretzes, the Kristols, Peretz, and company have

been peddling all these years.

The neocon scolds were never willing to face up to

the possibility that Israel’s interests were not always

those of the United States and vice versa. Trump,

naturally, has confused the question with his unique

combination of stupidity and cupidity. But the truth is,

to oppose both Trump and Netanyahu has no bearing

on whether one is a good Jew. It means only that one is

a decent human being. Q

The neocon

scolds were

never willing to

face up to the

possibility that

Israel’s interests

were not always

those of the

United States.

SNAPSHOT / TYRONE SIU

Back to School

Students boycott their classes as they take part in a

pro-democracy protest at the Chinese University of

Hong Kong on September 2. Organizers predicted

that approximately 10,000 pupils from more than

200 secondary schools and universities would not

attend class on the first day of the school year.

Calvin Trillin

Deadline Poet

Politicians Respond

to Mass Shootings

The pols all offer thoughts and prayers

To comfort those still living.

Their thoughts concern the NRA,

Their prayers that it keeps giving.