By Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld in Queens Jewish Link

Many Jewish and non-Jewish pundits are headlining the fact that Donald Trump last week in Washington told his Jewish audience that the Jews will be to blame if he does not win election. It may be true, but no one in the audience took it as an insult or a threat to the Jewish people. We took it as a sad reality from a politician who is not good at word salads and actually says what’s on his mind, to a fault.

How do I know? I was there! I had the privilege, as an officer of the Coalition For Jewish Values, of being invited to the gathering. The event was organized by a businessman from Florida and Miriam Adelson, wife of the late, great, pro-Israel philanthropist Sheldon Adelson a”h.

Trump was Trump, and he listed all the indisputably great things that he has done for Israel. From total support of Israel in the UN to the move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, to recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel, to the walking away from Obama’s disastrous Iran nuclear deal to the Abraham Accords. (“If it had been Obama who arranged those accords, they would make up new prizes to give him. But me, they ignored. It’s okay; I’m used to getting mistreated.”)

He went on to note that in his first election he received 27% of the Jewish vote. The second election he received 29%, and for the upcoming election, 40% is forecast. “How can 60% of the Jews vote for a candidate that will destroy (sic) Israel?!” For that, he received polite applause, expressing the mixed feelings of reluctantly agreeing with him, while feeling upset that more Jews do not understand which candidate is the more supportive of Jews in Israel and here in the US.

Truthfully, I’m impressed that 40% of Jewish voters are willing to vote Republican. Reagan did not do better than that with the Jews. Of course, Trump did not see it that way. I don’t blame him.

There is a gentleman with whom I have been very close on a personal level for many decades. Yet we have often differed politically. Lately, however, it has become serious. He is an ardent fan of Harris/Walz, causing us to get into sometimes nasty exchanges on WhatsApp. You may not agree; but in my opinion, a Jew who votes for Harris is being treacherous to his people. Yes, I do take it that seriously.

My friend did what most leftists do. Whenever I would bring up a good point, he would say I am deflecting and only resorting to name-calling. Finally, I said, let’s keep this simple. I will list several key issues in the election; tell me who you think will do the better job, Trump or Harris.

The issues were: 1) Crime 2) Israel 3) Immigration 4) Economy 5) Containment of Iran 6) Character 7) Represent politically the values dear to us, and 8) Fighting anti-Semitism. I had to concede on something, so I conceded on character.

He absolutely refused to respond. Try that with any person who gives you a hard time about voting for Trump. Dare him or her to take the eight-point survey.

*****

With all the troubling politics giving us anxiety, I did have a heartwarming experience this week. I was returning from a local simchah with my wife and drove up Steel Street, which is a very narrow road, especially with cars parked on both sides of the street. In front of me was a car driving painfully slowly, and as a native New Yorker, my inclination was to beep him to oblivion. But I said to my wife: For all I know this is some little old lady and I don’t want to scare her to death. Finally, the car pulls to the side and out of the window, a black man’s hand waves me on. I then continued to go around the corner to my house.

I was about to enter my door, and that same car pulls up and starts looking around my house. I asked him if there was anything I could help him with. He started making small talk about the house next to me, which is under reconstruction due to a fire.

Then he said, “I just wanted you to know that I love Israel. We are so stupid for not letting Netanyahu finish the job.” I got a little choked up and told him he doesn’t know how much that means to me. He then told me there are so many who feel the same way in the African American community. “It’s ridiculous that the communities are not great friends anymore.”

The impression we get in the media portrays an entirely different story about African American support for Israel and Jews. I would like to think that this is another case of the fake media doing its damage.

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