Not Anti-Semitic, But Still Despicable

Trump caused yet another stir last week when he claimed that Jews who support Democrats are either ignorant or disloyal.

Initially, Trump's comments were interpreted as being anti-Semitic. Why? Because a common claim by anti-Semites is that Jewish people cannot be loyal to the nations in which they were born or were citizens. And that was considered anti-Semitic because it served as a reason for marginalizing them.

But it was obvious that that was not what Trump intended. What he meant was that because his administration has been so accommodating to the nation of Israel, to vote for the opposing party would be a vote against Trump's favoritism toward Israel. Thus, it would be a sign of either disloyalty to the Jewish nation or a lack of knowledge of how Trump's administration has treated Israel.

Therefore, there was no anti-Semitism in Trump's statement about Jews supporting Democrats. However, his claim was just as despicable as saying something that was anti-Semitic. Why?

First, in claiming that Jews should vote for him and his fellow Republicans instead of for anyone else, Trump is promoting a gang morality. He is basically saying because he has treated the Jewish nation well, Jews should support him in order to support Israel. He is basically saying to American Jews that because he took care of their gang, Israel, they should support his gang, the Republicans.

But many American Jews don't equate Trump's favoritism toward Israel, which better enables Israel with supporting Israel. For Trump's approach toward Israel has enabled it steal even more land from the Palestinians. And moving the American embassy to Jerusalem which has, for a long time, been a divided city is seen as adding to unnecessary conflict with the Palestinians as well as a sign of disrespect. Why? It is because those Jews want Israel to treat the Palestinians as equals and thus with justice. And supporting the brutal Occupation and enabling Israel to steal more land from the Palestinians to the extent of possibly annexing the West Bank is promoting oppression and grave injustices. Those Jews who oppose Trump's policies toward Israel want Israel to be a just nation.

And what we should note about justice and equality is that it stands far above the tribalism that is inherent in nationalism, whether that nationalism is American patriotism or Jewish Zionism. While promoting justice and equality promote universal morals by which all nations and people are judged by the same standard, nationalism supports a nation or people in doing whatever they can to enrich themselves. In the end, nationalism succeeds in getting what it wants by relying on the rule of force, not the rule of law. While promoting justice and equality promote universal standards, nationalism promotes favoritism and moral relativity. For with nationalism comes the basic tenet of tribalism that says that what is right and wrong depends on who does what to whom.

But supporting the moral relativity and the reliance on the rule of force that comes with nationalism is a despicable part of Trump's claim about disloyalty and ignorance. Another despicable part is the common practice of character assassination of all who disagree. Those who disagree are seen as being morally inferior and thus must be marginalized in society.

Trump has used his Twitter account to constantly belittle or demonize most if not all who are different or who disagree with him. He has done that to journalists whom he called 'the enemy of the people,' to John McCain who voted against the Trump's healthcare project, to Meryl Streep who criticized Trump for mocking a disabled reporter, to Mexican immigrants who were only seeking a better life for their families, to various Democratic candidates, to Jews who support Democrats, and too others. And not only that, he encouraged violence against those who protested him at his campaign stops.

Here we should note how the person with the most prestigious position in the world reacts to differences, dissent, and disagreement. And thus we have a President who encourages a precedent set a while back that says we must assassinate the character of those not in our group.

Trump was not the first person or even Republican to so treat opponents. That trend really started with pop conservative media stars like Rush Limbaugh. But now Limbaugh's disease has spread to almost all ideologies so that Libertarians, Conservatives, Liberals, and Leftists demonize each other while exalting themselves. And in continuing that precedent, Trump, not Obama, is the President who divides our nation. For when we demonize others and canonize ourselves, what we are saying to the all others is that we alone have what is worthwhile to say while others have nothing to contribute.

So hopefully we can see how what Trump said is horrible without having to call it anti-Semitic. To throw around the term 'anti-Semitic' carelessly is to make the term meaningless, which is something we cannot afford to do. At the same time, we need to see that other kinds of attacks on people can be just as bad especially when we look at how such attacks, when become widespread, eventually destroy society by cutting off our communication with each other.