“The Chosen One”
By Hank Silverberg


“I am the chosen one!” Those words came from Donald J. Trump as he stood in the White House driveway with reporters this past week.  As he said the words, he looked to the sky. His comment was in reference to the trade war with China, and in context he meant that he was going to get a deal with China, something he claims other presidents didn’t do. For now, let’s place the whole trade war issue aside. This week’s blog is about word use and the President’s consistently bad choices.                                                               

I began a new semester of teaching Public Speaking and Communications at Northern Virginia Community College this week. On the first day of class I emphasize to my students that the words they choose and the body language they use can have a lot to do with their success or failure in school, business or personal relationships.    


 So, this is a good time to look at Mr. Trump’s use of words and his body language. 


 “The chosen one,” of course, has a biblical connotation and the President’s body language, looking to the sky, affirmed his belief in that connection. One would assume from his words and body language that Donald Trump really believes God had something to do with his election and his subsequent decisions. That is a narcissistic thought on his part, and dangerous in a world leader. Is it an act or did he really mean it? 

Last week I told you about Trump’s proposal to buy Greenland and the negative reaction it got from Danish leaders (Denmark owns Greenland). The Danish Prime Minister called it “absurd.” That’s an accurate but soft word to describe the purchase proposal. 

Trump called that response “nasty” and cancelled his long-scheduled visit to Denmark, a NATO member and long-time ally who lost 43 soldiers while assisting us in the war in Afghanistan.  Wrong use of a word again towards one of our friends, and an over-reaction in response.  

Then there is his criticism of American Jews and the words he used. There are 6.5 million people who identify themselves either religiously or culturally as Jewish in the United States. Jews have had a remarkable impact on the history of our nation from its beginnings, and continue to do so.  

Haym Salomon, an American Jewish businessman, was a prime

(Haym Salomon, Courtesy National  Archives) 

financier of the Revolutionary War and a member of the Sons of Liberty. He spent time as a British prisoner during the war and later after independence, was a major participant in the founding of the First National Bank in the new United States.  


In the 1920's, faced with the anti-semitism of Thomas Edison who controlled the early movie business, Louis B. Mayer set up his own studio in a remote California place called Hollywood, and an industry was born.  

And thousands of American Jewish men have gone to war to protect this country for two and half centuries, including my father who was wounded on Iwo Jima in World War Two.


 We are a significant voting group. Seventy-five percent of American Jews identify as Democrats.  It has been that way since FDR’s “New Deal” lifted the country out of the Great Depression.

Of course, not ALL Jews vote for Democrats. But most do. There’s a moral and ethical reason why. It’s called Tikkun Olam in Hebrew (תיקון עולם‎ ), or “repair the world.” Jews are taught to take on a human responsibility to fix the world. It is taken from the early code of Jewish law called the Mishnah. This tradition has prompted Jews to run for office, support the civil rights movement, and give generously to charity, among other civic activities. That simply fits more with the Democratic party, especially today when the Republicans are in disarray without principled leadership, and out of touch with mainstream Americans.   


https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tikkun-olam-repairing-the-world/

 Trump though, again choosing his words badly, said this week: 

“I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat — I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.” 

His use of the word “disloyalty” brought on a sharp backlash. Did he mean disloyalty to the United States? 

That raised the specter of a long-time anti-Semitic trope that Jews somehow have a split loyalty between the United States and their faith, and in current context, the  Jewish State of Israel. In history, that suspected loyalty between  the religion and State has been used to persecute and murder Jews from the Inquisition of the 15^th Century to the atrocities of the Nazis 75 years ago.  

But maybe Trump was getting at something else. Did it mean Jews were disloyal to him? Well, that would be ridiculous, because they were never loyal to him in the first place. 

In 2016, for example, 71 percent of Jews voted for Hillary Clinton. And as the chart below shows, that high level of support for Democrats has been consistent for decades.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/09/how-the-faithful-voted-a-preliminary-2016-analysis/

After the backlash of his “disloyal” comments, Trump clarified that he meant disloyalty to Israel. That created still more controversy. American Jews en mass have long supported Israel, a bastion against autocracy in the Middle East, and one of the USA’s strongest allies, both politically and with financial contributions. 

But as usual with Trump, he sees criticism of Israeli policy as “disloyal.” Again, he chose the wrong word. (What’s wrong with Israel’s current policies are the subject for another blog.) 

And finally, there is the outrageous statement that somehow Jews who vote for Democrats are "uninformed." Education is also a Jewish tradition. Jewish Americans have taken full advantage of this country's education system. I suspect the fifth graders at my temple's Hebrew school know more about Jews in America and the issues facing the State of Israel than Donald Trump. 

Since he took office, Trump has done a great deal to divide us into minority groups.  He did not learn after Charlottesville when he declared those carrying Confederate and Nazi flags were "very fine people." He did not learn after multiple mass shootings across this country by white supremacists that his words were encouraging some of them. He doesn't learn from mistakes, the worst characteristic any leader can have.  

Words matter. Unfortunately, the President of the United States hasn’t learned what my students learn. Every day he diminishes the prestige of the United States around the world simply with the words he uses.     

Then there is this:

There are charges this week in some circles that the European Union is pushing a policy that is anti-Semitic. 

The EU requires that all products sold within its jurisdiction be labeled with their country of origin. Wine produced in Lyon says: “Made in France.” Corn from Nebraska says: “Product of the USA.” But with Israel it’s a bit different. Dates produced in a Tel Aviv suburb say: “Product of Israel.” But the EU does not recognize the Golan Heights or the West Bank as part of Israel. So, there is a proposal that products made in either place would have to say, “Made in Jewish Settlements,” or “Made in Palestinian settlements.”   

That very specific language falls right into place for the controversial “boycott Israel” (BDS) movement that is growing in Europe and has gained attention, if not traction, in the United States.  

  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/11/11/european-union-israel-palestinian-product-labels/75563834/

The boycott, promoted by Palestinians and outspoken U.S. congresswomen Illian Omar (D, MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D, MI), among others, is designed to pressure Israel over its West Bank settlements policy and its treatment of Palestinians both there and in Gaza.   

It’s not a narrow issue. Economic boycotts were instrumental for the Civil Rights movement here in the U.S. in the 1950’s and 60’s, and were significant in ending Apartheid in South Africa in the 1990’s. 

Tlaib and Omar, constant subjects of  Mr Trump's ire, are just two freshmen Democrats. They are not the soul of the Democratic party, and are out of step with the majority on this issue.  

For me, the best thing Americans can do on this is BUY products from Israel and both Jewish and Palestinian settlements to stabilize that region's economy. It will help bring peace.    

News Briefs:

A follow-up to my blog from a few weeks ago on the Plastic Oceans. (See my archive from June 9, 2019.)

Plastic is now banned at the top of the world. Nepal is prohibiting "single use" plastic on Mount Everest, including things like soft drink bottles or plastic sheeting. It's  effective on January 1, 2020. The reason? You guessed it. Too much trash is left behind. Shops that cater to hikers in the Khumbu region where Mount Everest is located, are now prohibited from selling one-use plastic items. (There is a temporary exemption for plastic water bottles until they figure out alternatives.) About 150 thousand people hike the world’s highest mountain (29,029 ft) every year.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/22/asia/nepal-mount-everest-plastics-intl-hnk-trnds/index.html

In May, volunteers recovered more than 66 hundred pounds of trash from Mount Everest, including empty cans, bottles, plastic and discarded climbing gear.  

That’s something for you to think about at the supermarket or convenience store, or the next time you go hiking.

        (Your comments and suggestions are welcome)

(Copies of my book "The Campaign" are available at BN.com, Amazon.com or at a reduced rate with a signature by asking for instructions  hanksilverberg@gmail.com )