Leaders
What is more dispiriting - Trump's dog-whistle antisemitism or those defending him because he's Israel's friend?
The JC Leader: August 23, 2019
August 22, 2019 09:42![Donald Trump made the remark in the Oval Office during a meeting with Romania's President Klaus Iohannis [not pictured]](https://api.thejc.atexcloud.io/image-service/view/acePublic/alias/contentid/173lf93q0i9hakmysu2/0/donald-trump-made-the-remark-in-the-oval-office-during-a-meeting-with-romania-s-president-klaus-iohannis-not-pictured.webp?f=16%3A9&w=3840&q=0.6)
1 min read
The JC Leader: August 23, 2019
August 22, 2019 09:42It is difficult to know what is more dispiriting: the dog-whistle antisemitism of President Trump or the attempts by some of his supporters to exculpate him by claiming that he is a true friend of Israel.
Be in no doubt — Donald Trump’s claim that Jews who vote Democrat are being “disloyal” is a classic of its type, made no better by the claim that he was referring to Jewish disloyalty to Israel and other Jews rather than to the US.
It is true that he has been supportive of Israel — more so than any other current global leader and a raft of previous US presidents.
But supporting Israel and Israeli policy no more provides an excuse for antisemitic words or deeds than does opposition to Israel.
Just as the latter is often a transparent attempt to mask antisemitism, so the former is not a shield against it. Throughout his presidency, Mr Trump has combined “pro-Israel” actions abroad with antisemitic triggers at home.
This is merely the latest. The truth of the matter is that when President Trump goes off-script he reveals himself to be a common-or-garden racist. That some of his best friends — and, in a twist on the usual formulation, relatives — are Jewish is, as always, entirely irrelevant.
This week we lead the paper with an unambiguously positive story. Derek and Eirwen Oliver are not only not Jewish; they may well never have met a Jew in their lives.
But the journey undertaken by three United Synagogue volunteers to the Rhondda Valley was nonetheless the very definition of tzedakah in action.
Across the country, Jewish volunteers give their time and it is right that we all make time to recognise their efforts.
To get more from opinion, click here to sign up for our free Editor's Picks newsletter.