A final plea
By Ari Kaufman (10/24/06)
We are a fortnight away from another election, and I look forward to finding out if my fellow "Jews" will continue to properly support the party whose candidates who have Israel's best interests at heart, or the party who denounces Israel and covers up egregious media debacles like those from The NY Times in July.
Taking a look at this Orange County Register column from a perceptive journalism professor at Cal State Fullerton is fascinating but frustrating. Part of that reason is because you could write a different version of this essay everyday (and this past weekend, a Jewish lady penning in the NY Times magazine proved that with a glowing article not about Judaism's accomplishments but rather the wonderful TALIBAN). Then again, if the Jews you know are atheists and/or don't give a damn about Israel, they'll still vote Democrat, which is telling.
For me, the actual switch came in February of 2005, three and a half years after 9-11 began to push me right, culminating in the Democrat's choice to make every young leftist's hero, Howard "Our troops are murderers" Dean, the party chair.
The party of regress, bereft of any new plans, seeks a complete overhaul of the past eight years of success and economic prosperity, castigating any effort to prosecute our enemies properly, instead deeming our president the terrorist, and of course, worthy of impeachment, though even they can't be naive enough to attempt that.
This is all tragic in itself, but more so, do you honestly think any rich "feminist" housewives along the coasts or their collegiate daughters know or care about any of this? Shouldn't feminists, like gays, atheists and a majority of lefties be the ones most vehemently in favor of this war, especially considering the anti-liberal mantra of inimical savages we are fighting? George Orwell must be cracking up about now.
That established:
"Unless the Democratic leadership begins to condemn those within the party's ranks now attacking Israel, "It's going to be harder and harder to be on the left and be pro-Israel," said Joel Kotkin, Irvine Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation.”I think many Jews are going to have to choose between their leftism and their Judaism.""
At some point, Zionist and spiritual Jews like me are going to stop referring to secular, atheistic, Christian-hating, leftist "Jews" as Jews at all. They need a proper name. After all, if you vote for folks who don't support Israel, never go to temple (and take pride in that), don't believe in G-d, distrust Christians as much or more than Muslims and essentially dislike religion, what exactly makes you a Jew? Because you (maybe) have a Seder and (maybe) your kid has a Bar Mitzvah? Bullocks!
How may so-called Jews agree 100% with these statements, especially the first one? A ballpark figure?
"I'm secular in that I'm anything but a practicing Jew. The difference is I have total respect and awe for those that do. Most "secularists" despise religion; I don't at all. I consider myself a political Jew. I figure G-d understands."
"Atheists are the most "fundamentalist" people I know. Their atheism is their "religion" -- they seek to "convert" you. It's one thing to not believe; another to be literally, emotionally, anti-God."
I would hope 99%, assume 60%, but would not be surprised at 35%.
The man quoted is a right-leaning, Israel-supporting secular Jew, and yes, there are secular Jews who think clearly and correctly. Conversely, I know of nary a "Jew" from the far or moderate left who is a religious Jew or even as religious as I am. That would be one who, at the minimum, goes to temple on high holidays and at least half a dozen times throughout the remainder of the year, celebrates all major Jewish holidays, believes in G-d, is a fervent Israel supporter, and cognizant of religious history, stays respectful and admirable toward all Christians and all other religions sans Islam. Islam, of course, is not a religion but, as the above-quoted friend once noted, "a mass murdering converting cult disguised as a religion."
If you understand the history of Judaism, believe in G-d or a higher being, have been in temple recently, are concerned about Israel or, at the very least, stay home on the high holidays (unlike my friend's millionaire D.C. aunt who traveled on business to Pakistan last Yom Kippur - she hates Bush, by the way; so predictable), you understand why real Jews do what they do and vote how they vote. You don't, as my reprehensible former friend's equally despicable mother once did, introduce me as "Ari, the Republican idiot who doesn't understand politics and is convinced those stupid Bush-loving Christians will keep Israel safe."
That also includes - and this will be hard to swallow for the older, obstinate Jews - supporting evangelical and religious Christians like Tom Delay, Israel's greatest congressional supporter. While young collegiate Jews, especially female (ooh, so sexist!), are obsessed with hating Republicans, the military and Jesus, while simultaneously bowing to "Radical Feminism" and tolllllerance of Radical Islamic Men who beat their women into submission, the worst a religious Christian or Catholic will do is, as history shows, stand across the street from an abortion clinic and pray for the people inside who are killing babies. Is the latter worse to them?
Moreover, how can these "Jews" be so arrogant to hate these peaceful Christians who support Zionistic causes? At some point the Christians should distance themselves from us; it seems only fair.
"Nutshell" speaking, it's a sick world, and a sicker world for any "Jew" to have the audacity to call him/herself a "Jew" if they fit the above stereotypes and support the party of slavery, the KKK, racism, Social welfare, Sheehan, Moore, Gore, Chomsky and Carter. There is a big gap in the history section of the Democratic Party's website between 1850-1900. Why? Well, because it is shameful and they know that thankfully no one is going to teach students that in school. The Republicans will be always be wrongly portrayed as the racists, instead, despite zero evidence, aside from revisions, to prove that. They've lost history, so they must cling to fascist control of our youths' lives via academia and the media. It's criminal, but when did the left ever fail to want it both ways or cease to be intolerant of anything American?
The most morally revealing day since 9-11 was when Mel Gibson's inebriated anti-Semitic invective hit the news just prior to when a Muslim Nazi opened fire in a Seattle synagogue, killing and wounding dozens of congregants. While I was angered by Gibson's remarks, the fact that the Anti-Defamation League refused Mel's apology, blasting him for days, the print and web media made it front page news (Seattle story relegated page A-9 on the NY Times) and many Jews were 3,000 times more flummoxed and incensed by Mel's tirade (I have emails to prove it) than an Islamic radical's gunfire in our place of worship (my reformed rabbi proceeded to call this killer "mentally ill," not an anti-Semite), was befuddling, typical and telling.
The title of Dennis Prager's ensuing column, Jews shot in Seattle, Left angry at Mel Gibson, best elucidates my overarching qualms.
In another week or so, I'll make my final appeals, then rest, know I have done the mitzvah my G-d prefers, and focus on other matters after November 7.
Many leftists - many of them of my religious ilk no doubt - will go barricade some gates so that pro-Israel speakers cannot speak, call our president (not the Ahmadinejad, Osama nor Hussein) a Nazi, and then fight global warming.
The difference is that my grandkids and grandparents will be proud of me.
(Printer friendly version) Email: Ari Kaufman
