With most Jews squarely on one side of a battle that is splitting America and fueling rising antisemitism, Israel had better be paying close attention
ed note–several important ‘nota benes’ that need to be understood with this one.
First and foremost is that it must be understood in Kristol clear fashion that institutionalized child murder–as both the historical record AND the screeching that has taken place in the last few months following the leak of the Dobbs SCOTUS decision–is indeed a ‘Jewish’ thing.
As an organized political force in America and the once-Christian ‘West’, the followers of Judah-ism are fiercely–FEROCIOUSLY, one might say–proud of the fact that it was they who moved heaven, hell and everything in between in getting the business of child sacrifice legalized, and–as they have made equally Kristol clear–that they intend to fight tooth & nail/fang & claw in making sure that it doesn’t go away, despite whatever laws the Gentiles may make and pass.
But equally important in all of this is the manner by which this particular essay affords the average Gentile with a vested interest in his/her own future survival a vulture’s eye view of the debate/discussion process which attends all Judaic ‘gatherings’ where the organized forces of anti-Gentilism coagulate and discuss what they plan to do to the rest of us and how it is to all come about.
In a general sense, this is important in that everyone of the Gentile pedigree needs to understand that nothing–NOTHING–takes place in our world at the political/social/cultural level that was not/is not discussed by ‘them’ down the most minor detail, and that whatever winds up coming down the conveyor belt/assembly line and which gets dumped into our lives was/is the product of intense scrutiny and meticulous planning down to the smallest screw, nut, and bolt.
Having said that, let us consider 2 creatures of the Judaic pedigree, this guy–
and this guy–
Both are darlings of what we might call the ‘Christian Right’. They support Trump, talk a really good talk about America and the Constitution as well as all the other ‘sweet spots’ that tickle the fancy of right-wingers, including guns, God, guts, and the glory of America. They also talk a good talk about liberalism, about ‘woke’ ideology and the danger that these pathogens play to all established political and cultural norms, including the issue of child murder, but yet, who ASSIDUOUSLY AND CONSPICUOUSLY avoid any and all discussion of the manner by which it is their very same cousins on the left who are the authors and instigators of those same pathogens, including institutionalized child murder which their Jewish faith not only permits but in many cases COMMANDS be done.
And, getting to the real ‘meat’ of the matter, they talk A LOT about Israel and how being a ‘good American’ means supporting the Jewish state at all costs and in all circumstances.
Which is exactly the point our unesteemed Hebrish writer is making in her essay, how the followers of Judah-ism need to be careful about what they say within earshot of anti-child-murder Gentiles (otherwise known as ‘pro-life Christians’) as they might begin to figure out the nature of the game being played against them and may come to understand that as a group, left, right, and everything in between, the followers of Judah-ism, the ‘children of Israel’ as they love to refer to themselves, are not ‘friends’ to Christians, to America, or to Christian values, and that the embodiment of ‘Jewish family values’–i.e. the Jewish state, is not an ‘ally’ of Christian civilization but indeed is engaged in a 2,000 year long war of extermination against the person and teachings of Jesus Christ that began with this heady historical event–
Laura Kam for the Times of Israel
The adage ‘two Jews, three opinions’ is often embraced as a warm and jocular cultural given, but it definitely does not fit the abortion debate currently taking place in America. A 2021 PEW poll found that an astounding majority, 83 percent, of all Jews in the United States believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
This core belief is almost unprecedented in its unanimity and has wide-ranging consequences for the Jewish community in the US, the enormity of which has not been internalized in Israel as it is not considered a strategic Israeli issue affecting the local population where, for the most part, abortion is legal, accessible, and safe.
For those of us concerned about Israel-Diaspora relations and the well-being of our brethren abroad however, it is worthwhile to place the subject on our radar.
Simply put, Judaism allows for abortion and for most Jews, Republicans and Democrats, it is a core value whether they understand the religious basis for their beliefs or not.
As more states criminalize abortion, Jews and the organizations they support are rightly concerned– but not only reproductive rights. Basic American rights are now in question, such as religious freedom and separation of church and state, the very civil liberties that have made living in America so comfortable.
No one should underestimate the forces that Jewish groups will harness to fight back against these trends. It’s a clash that will pit American Jews against very powerful forces, some of which will be nefarious.
A recent Florida lawsuit brought by Temple L’Dor Va-Dor in Palm Beach County, which may be a template for future suits, argues that the Supreme Court’s recent decision violates Jews’ First Amendment rights to practice their religion. Florida, the third most populous Jewish state in the US, lowered the abortion threshold from 24 weeks to 15 weeks and offers no exceptions for victims of incest, rape, or human trafficking.
It is worth noting that Republican Florida Governor DeSantis signed the bill in an Evangelical Christian Church.
We should plan on seeing this separation of church and state argument fought not just in states and federal courts but in the public domain too as Jewish groups and others argue that their rights are being violated by Christian conservatives who are forcing their theology on the American people as a whole.
Not only is the abortion argument squarely pitting the Jewish community against other larger and better-financed political and religious groups, it is also widening the crack inside which extremist antisemites operate.
While many anti-abortion groups have long acted provocatively calling abortion a ‘genocide’ and a ‘Holocaust,’ they consistently use antisemitic tropes to further their message such as propagandizing the fact that George Soros, a favorite target for antisemites, supports Planned Parenthood, a group which they falsely claim sells body parts of aborted fetuses. And just a few days ago, a small (at least for now), media-savvy and virulently antisemitic hate group cynically named the Goyim Defense League waved swastikas in front of a Tampa convention center and distributed flyers that claim, ‘every single aspect of abortion is Jewish.’ No doubt, the wide media coverage of this small demonstration disgusted most, but in today’s contentious climate, their message of hate likely picked up new followers.
The fight for abortion rights and against the American conservative juggernaut has quickly expanded to include birth control, gay rights, and race relations, among other issues. The mostly liberal American Jewish community is already involved through virtually all major Jewish communal organizations and by individual action, certainly via the ballot box.
If these civil rights issues are polarized to the left and pro-Israel sentiment is polarized to the right, with evangelicals and other conservative groups stepping into the breach, there could be very rocky days ahead. And how will Israel’s political class react to these new stresses which will affect the largest Diaspora community in the world?
It is still unclear how these changes will play out socially and politically in upcoming elections and if support for Israel will be altered, but it is likely that Israel’s relationship with American Jewry will be tested by fast-moving changes in the American landscape in the days ahead in ways unforeseen and it is worth being ready to address the public and policy consequences that will follow.