In 2020, the majority of American Jewish voters cast their votes for Joe Biden. He represented the liberal, socially conscious vision most Jews consider to be at the core of their beliefs. There were exceptions, of course. Some voters saw the Republicans as more likely to keep taxes down. Others, particularly the more observant, saw Trump as more likely to support Israel and school tax vouchers.
Pew Research estimates that 70% of American Jews voted for Biden and 27% for Trump. Prior to Israel’s war with Hamas, estimates were for an even higher turnout for Biden among American Jews. The current president has a long history in Congress as one of the most ardent supporters of the Jewish state. He was the go-to guy on all issues of support for Israel in his 36 years in the Senate.
The love was mutual. The current president was the single biggest recipient of campaign donations from pro-Israel organizations over that period.
At the beginning of the war, Biden came out strong for Israel. He warned Iran to back off. He positioned aircraft carriers where they could strike Hezbollah and other Iranian-supported groups if they joined the war. He pushed arms and intelligence to Israel.
In recent weeks, there has been concern that Biden’s defense of Israel was wavering. The administration admonished Israel to avoid civilian casualties. The president has feuded with Benjamin Netanyahu, and certainly the recent speech from Sen. Chuck Schumer was initiated by the Biden administration.
In politics, words are cheap. Very cheap. They are meant to satisfy the masses. The president has a political problem. The progressive wing of his party has supported the rights of Palestinians and positioned the Israelis as racist oppressors of the Palestinians. Biden has a very tight race. He can’t afford for those voters to sit on their hands on Election Day. He has offered the progressives a few public tidbits.
For all the warnings and scoldings, the Biden administration continues its dramatic support of Israel. Ignore cheap words. Notice actions. The Democratic-led Senate recently passed a $14 billion aid package for Israel. This was coupled with aid for Ukraine and humanitarian funds.
The Republican-led House has blocked the bill in an act of political theater. The dysfunctional House wants to tie a border package to the Israel funds effort. The former president is against the concept of solving border issues on Biden’s watch for crass political reasons. The House kowtows to Trump. Thus, an impasse.
The aid will eventually flow to Israel. The president will sign the bill. In the meantime, the U.S. military and intelligence apparatus is supporting Israel. The American strategy has worked. The other Iranian groups have been sideshows. The Sunni Muslim states have been amazingly quiet. They hate Iran, too. The enemy of your enemy is your friend.
American progressives have, unfortunately, been supportive of a terrorist group that would murder them on sight. How naive.
So how should Jews view this election? The contrasts are clear. Joe Biden is a longtime friend with a progressive wing issue, but he also offers democracy, the rule of law, freedom of religion and the rights of women. The economy under Biden has been way stronger than under the previous president. More jobs have been added under this president than any in history. The stock market is way up. Inflation, caused by the pandemic, is now dramatically slowed. Wage growth is outstripping inflation.
The Republicans offer no answers. They love to claim the country is in freefall, but their anti-democratic actions have been the main area of dissent. Trump advocates to decrease Medicare and Social Security. He wants to abandon Europe and Ukraine. He admires dictators and compliments their policies. He abhors basic pillars of our democracy — voting rights, independent judiciary, press freedom, etc. He sidles up to ultra-right-wing groups that hate Jews and calls them “good people.” He is the darling of the Christian nationalists that want a sharia-style Christian nation.
It comes down to this — the current president is a friend of Israel, albeit with issues. The former president is a threat to democracy. Democracy is what protects us from the hate of the outside world. Don’t underestimate the importance of a true democracy. Israel stands as our protection. It is our country of refuge. It will continue to exist. The war will end at some point. The Sunni states are eager to normalize with Israel.
It’s not the time to abandon Joe Biden and surrender to dark forces that drive the opposition.
Best,
Scott Rifkin, MD, Publisher
Jmore Publisher Scott Rifkin, M.D., pays tribute to Marc Terrill and his 20-plus years leading The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.
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