By Rabbi Dow Marmur
JERUSALEM — I think it’s only a matter of days, perhaps hours, before we read that the reason why, contrary to the predictions of pollsters and pundits, Donald Trump is to be the next president of the United States is the visit of his daughter Ivanka to the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Already before that visit some “mystics” found “evidence” in ancient Kabbalistic texts of Trump’s impending victory.
If you think that this is nonsense you’re also likely to regard much of what Trump said during the campaign as nonsense. Many newspapers carried every morning lists of falsehoods uttered by him. And then there were the lists of contradictions: saying one thing one day and the opposite the next.
Seasoned observers of the political scene now try to calm our fears by assuring us that what a politician aims to do if elected has nothing to do with what s/he actually does once in office. Trump’s frightening misogyny and scandalous racism – including anti-Semitism – won’t be put into practice once he’s in the White House, “experts” tell us.
As a result, I don’t know what to worry about more: Trump’s Campaign “promises” or the post-election assurances of his interpreters. The fact that this is the politics is conducted is alarming.
Another cause for alarm is the reaction of many Jews who voted for Trump because “he’ll be good for Israel.” The fact that he may not be good for the rest of the world, including the Jewish people around the world, doesn’t seem to worry them. They seem to be blind to the fact that his alleged support of Israel – surmised by Sheldon Adelson, the casino tycoon and the man said to be behind (and sometimes in front of) Israel’s prime minister and reflected in massive donations to the Trump campaign – may be more a function of Trump’s even greater hatred for Muslims and Arabs than his “love” of Israel.
Those who object to the above statement may tell me: “How can you write this? His daughter is Jewish!” In response I’d like to report that in my days as a rabbi I’ve come across many Gentiles who despise Jews and Judaism because one of their offspring converted as well as many Jews who hate non-Jews because one of their offspring intermarried.
Therefore, despite the allegedly warm telephone conversation between President-Elect Donald Trump and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the former has threatened to renege on deals made by the previous administration, perhaps including the US aid package to Israel. If he expects Mexico to pay for the wall to bar Mexicans from entering the United States, he may also expect Israel to pay for protecting US interests in the Middle East.
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Rabbi Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, Canada, and is now permanently residing in Israel. He may be contacted via dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com.