September 27, 2011, 6:09 PM
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Upon his return to Ramallah from New York, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was greeted by a crowd of several thousand well-wishers. They applauded him for his speech at the UN. There, Abbas erased Jewish history from the Land of Israel, denied Israel's right to exist and pledged his commitment to establish a racist Palestinian state ethnically cleansed of all Jews.
Many of Abbas's supporters in Ramallah held posters of US President Barack Obama. On them Obama was portrayed as a monkey. The caption read, "The First Jewish President of the United States."
The fact that the Palestinians from Fatah and Hamas alike are Jew-hating racists should surprise no one who has been paying a modicum of attention to the Palestinian media and general culture. Since the PA was established in 1994 in the framework of the peace process between Israel and the PLO, it has used the media organs, schools and mosques it controls to spew out a constant flow of anti-Semitic propaganda. Much of the Jew-hating bile is indistinguishable from anti-Jewish propaganda published by the Nazis.
As for their anti-black bigotry, it is enough to recall the frequency with which Condoleezza Rice was depicted as a monkey and a devil in the Palestinian and pan-Arab media during George W. Bush's presidency to realize that the racist depiction of Obama was not a fluke. Moreover, and more disturbingly, it is worth recalling that like its fellow Arab League members, the PA has strongly supported Sudan's genocide of black Africans in Darfur.
To a degree, the willingness of African-Americans to turn a blind eye to Arab anti-black prejudice is understandable. Since the mid-1960s, oil rich Arab kingdoms led by Saudi Arabia have spent hundreds of millions of petrodollars in outreach to African-Americans. This outreach includes but is not limited to massive proselytization efforts among inner city blacks. The combination of a strong and growing African-American Muslim population and a general sense of amity towards Muslims as a result of outreach efforts contribute to a willingness on the part of African- Americans to overlook Arab anti-black racism.
Unlike African-Americans, Jewish Americans have been targeted by no serious outreach campaigns by the likes of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world. To the contrary, as Mitchell Bard documented in his book The Arab Lobby: The Invisible Alliance That Undermines America's Interests in the Middle East, these Arab nations have spared no effort in anti-Israel lobbying in the US. Among the Arab lobby's goals is to undermine the legitimacy of American Jewish lobbying on behalf of Israel.
Furthermore, the anti-Jewish atmosphere in the Arab world is far more comprehensive and poisonous than its anti-black prejudice. A Pew global opinion poll from 2008 showed that hatred of Jews is effectively universal in the Arab world and overwhelming in non-Arab Muslim states. In Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon, between 95 and 97 percent of respondents expressed hatred of Jews. In Indonesia, Turkey and Pakistan between two-thirds and three-quarters of respondents expressed hatred of Jews.
Jew-hatred among Muslim minorities in the West is less overwhelming. But Muslim antagonism towards Jews vastly outstrips that of the general populations of their countries. According to a Pew survey from 2006, while 7% of British citizens express unfavorable views of Jews, 47% of British Muslims admit to such views. In France, 13% of the general population admits to harboring negative feelings towards Jews and 28% of French Muslims do. Likewise in Germany, 22% of the general population acknowledges anti-Semitic views and 44% of German Muslims do.
More dangerously, the quantity of anti-Semitic attacks carried out by Muslims in the West far outstrips their percentage in the general population. According to Pew data, in 2010 Muslims comprised just 4.6% of the population of the UK but carried out 39% of the anti-Semitic attacks. Moreover, according to the Times Online, in 2006, 37% of British Muslims claimed that British Jews are legitimate targets for attacks. Only 30% of British Muslims disagreed.
WITH THE overwhelming data showing that throughout the Arab world there is strong support for organizations and regimes which advocate the genocide of world Jewry, the American Jewish community could have been expected to devote the majority of its attention and resources to exposing and combating this existential threat. Just as the American Jewish community dedicated itself in the past to causes such as the liberation of Soviet Jewry and fighting neo-Nazi groups in the US and throughout the world, it could have been expected that from the Anti-Defamation League to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, that major American Jewish groups would be using the financial and human resources at their disposal to defend against this violent, genocidal hatred.
But this has not occurred. Many leading American Jewish organizations continue to be far more involved in combating the currently relatively benign anti-Semitism of the Catholic Church and Evangelical Christians than confronting the escalating dangers of Muslim anti-Semitism.
According to a Gallup poll released last month, 80% of American Jews have favorable views of American Muslims. Seventy percent believe that they are not supportive of al-Qaida. These data indicate that American Jews are second only to American Muslims in their support for Muslim Americans. Indeed 6% more American Jews than American Muslims believe that American Muslims face prejudice due to their religion.
American Jewish championing of American Muslims is disconcerting when compared with American Jewish treatment of the philo-Semitic Evangelical Christians. Matthew Knee discussed this issue in depth in a recent article published at the Legal Insurrection website.
In a 2003 Pew survey, 42% of American Jews expressed antagonism towards Evangelical Christians. In a 2004 American National Election Study, Jews on average rated Evangelical Christians at 30 out of 100 on a "feeling thermometer," where 1 was cold and 100 was hot.
A 2005 American Jewish Committee survey found that Jews assessed that following Muslims, Evangelical Christians have the highest propensity for being anti-Semites. And yet, in the same 2004 American National Election Survey, Evangelical Christians rated Jews an average of 82 on the 1- 100 feelings scale. Evangelical Christians rated Catholics at 80.
Consistent survey data show that levels of anti- Semitism among Evangelical Christians is either the same as or slightly lower than the national average. According to a 2007 ADL survey, the US average is 15%.
There is a clear disparity between survey data on anti-Semitism among various American ethnic groups and American Jews' assessment of the prevalence of anti-Semitism among the same groups. The AJC survey found that American Jews believed that 29% of Evangelicals are largely anti- Semitic. They assessed that only 7% of Hispanics and 19% of African-Americans are anti-Semites.
As it works out, their perceptions are completely incorrect. According to the 2007 ADL survey, foreign born Hispanics, and African-Americans, harbor significantly stronger anti-Semitic views than the national average. Twenty-nine percent of foreign born Hispanics harbor very anti-Semitic views. Thirty-two percent of African-Americans harbor deeply anti-Semitic views.
Like Jews, Hispanics, African-Americans and Muslims vote disproportionately for the Democratic Party. Evangelical Christians on the other hand, are reliably Republican. A 2009 survey on US anti- Semitism conducted by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research in San Francisco found that Democrats are more likely to be anti-Semitic than Republicans.
The Gallup survey from last month showing American Jews' deep support for American Muslims is of particular interest because that support stands in stark contrast with survey data concerning American Jewish perception of Muslim American anti-Semitism.
THE 2005 AJC survey showed that American Jews believe that 58% of American Muslims are anti- Semitic. That is, American Jews are Muslim Americans' strongest non-Muslim defenders at the same time they are convinced that most Muslim Americans are anti-Semites.
What can explain this counterintuitive behavior? And how can we account for the apparent pattern of incorrect Jewish perceptions of anti-Semitism among Evangelical Christians on the one hand and fellow Democrats on the other hand?
As Knee argues, the disparity may very well be due to partisan loyalties. The Democratic Party has openly engaged in fear mongering and demonization of Evangelical Christians in order to maintain Jewish loyalty to the party. Knee quotes then-Democratic national chairman Howard Dean's statement that "Jews should feel comfortable in being American Jews without being constrained from practicing their faith or be compelled to convert to another religion."
As for Muslims, Knee cites a press release from the National Jewish Democratic Council from March attacking Congressman Peter King's hearings on the radicalization of American Muslims. In the press release, the council claimed that such hearings "can and will" harm religious tolerance in America. That is, the council implied that by investigating the radicalization of American Muslims - and its concomitant transformation of American Muslims into supporters of the genocidal Jew-hatred endemic among radical Muslims worldwide - Rep. King is endangering Jews.
If American Jews are most concerned with being able to maintain their loyalty to the Democratic Party, then it makes sense for them to wildly exaggerate Evangelical anti-Semitism. It is reasonable for them to underestimate African-American and Hispanic anti-Semitism, and ignore the higher rates of anti-Semitism among Democrats than among Republicans. Moreover, it makes sense for them to follow their party's lead in failing to address the dangers of global Islamic anti- Semitism.
None of this makes sense, however, if American Jews are most concerned with defending Jews - in America and worldwide - from anti-Semitic sentiments and violence.
On Wednesday evening we begin our celebration of the New Year. Rosh Hashana marks a period of soul-searching among Jews. We are called upon at this time to account for our actions and our failures to act and to improve our faithfulness to our people, to our laws and to God.
It is possible that American Jews are simply unaware of the disparities between reality and their perceptions of reality. But it is the duty of all Jews to educate ourselves about the threats that reality poses to ourselves and our people.
At the UN last week, Abbas received accolades and applause from all quarters for his anti-Semitic assault on Jewish history and the Jewish state. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's remarks were applauded by Israel-supporters in the audience in the General Assembly.
As Israel is increasingly isolated and Jews worldwide are under attack, it is my prayer for the coming year that the American Jewish community will come to terms with a difficult reality and the choices it entails, and act with the majority of their fellow Americans to defend Israel and combat anti-Semitism in the US and throughout the world.
Originally published in the Jerusalem Post.
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"Since the PA was established in 1994 in the framework of the peace process between Israel and the PLO, it has used the media organs, schools and mosques it controls to spew out a constant flow of anti-Semitic propaganda." Israel, its timid leaders and its militantly pro-Palestinian media are responsible for turning a blind eye to this blatantly open violations of all signed agreements. The PA only did what it could get away with, and Israel - and, at her prompting, the US - let it get away with everything. You don't have to be religious to believe in good and evil: History, which is agnostic, indefatigably teaches us this. Consciously ignoring evil is evil in itself.
I'm a South African christian and an avid supporter of Jews and their biblical right to the whole of Israel. It's quite ironic and sad that the same can not be said for American Jews' attitudes towards christians and that they have such distorted views of muslims. I just hope and pray that God will open their eyes and let them see the truth before its too late.
Dear Caroline. There is no question that what you have written is true and I commend you. How do we convince otherwise rational people, our fellow Jews, that the path they are taking is suicidal. Many of us have been so busy following in our parents footsteps that we have lost the art of thinking for ourselves and making decisions based on facts not just feelings. My prayer for all of Klal Yisrael is that b'tachon and emunah in HaShem will see us through these difficult and troubling times. May we all have the strength and courage to choose wisely. K'tiva V'chatima Tovah to you, your family and Jews everywhere.
The fact that Shimom Peres and Ehud Barak are sitting in positions of power under a slick talking LINO, Likud In Name Only Netanyahu says a lot about the spiritual sickness and strong delusion Israel remains trapped in.
Isn't it long overdue to clean the smelly house?
Israel can't dig herself out of the hole.
Only God can do that,but sadly Israel resists Him and keeps crawling to their idol of no-peace and his evil and failed Road Map.
If Israel were sane and determined to survive,prison would be the only place those two would be for all the innocent blood on their heads.
Instead Israel suffers from the sin of great tolerance for evil because they have forgotten God and His ways.
Thanks for posting this article. I wonder if American Jews are biased against Evangelicals. If this is the case then the Democrats that demonize the Evangelicals to keep the Jews in the Democratic Party fold are aided by the Jews own bias.
Other than calling American Blacks "African Americans," Caroline is generally correct, but I find her too sympathetic to her home turf. A better group-identity for American Blacks would be "Afro-Americans." Culturally, African Americans include many white African emigres, who cannot reasonably be called Afro-American.
On the other hand, American Jews have effectively been brainwashed by feel-good, neo-socialist teachers and professors. Caroline is correct that Muslim schools are anti-American, but so are most American schools. When a government sets in motion a plan to gradually dumb down its population, educating toward the dullest students rather than the brightest,(as the politically-correct, leftist United States Department of Education has accomplished beyond its wildest dreams), no segment of that population is immune, least of all American Jews.
Although born into the House of David, American Jews are overwhelmingly alienated from Torah Judaism. Their leftist Israeli cousins may share their socialist views, but Israeli Jews can do so from knowledge, being fluent in Hebrew. Their American cousins, as familiar with Hebrew as they are Chinese (the language; not the food!), reject Torah Judaism in near- total ignorance. We reap what we sow!
Dear Caroline: I loved this! Just wanted to comment that with regard to foreign born Hispanics, there needs to be a clarification in that, evangelical hispanics are unquestionable more pro Israel than Catholic Hispanics. This is according to the article found in this link: http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/75.7.pdf. If you were to visit one of the many growing evangelical churches in cities across the US with evangecial or Protestant Hispanic communities, foreign born included, one will see the overwhelming support and love for Israel in the prayers, flags, shofars, and concern for Israel. The only problem is that being non citizens, they probably don't vote. But at least we pray. Happy New Year!!!!! Love CB
Caroline-an outstanding and very informative column. It's frightening how American Jews think and behave today. The arabs have no such doubts about their goals and actions and the Jews are in la-la land. I don't hold out much hope...sorry.
We, as Jews, pulled off the most incredible miracle, repeat miracle of all time-the resurrection of the viable and democratic state of Israel, and we've spent the time since '67 apologizing to the world for our achievement. God help us-nobody else will.
Caroline Glick is one of the few voices crying in the wilderness of an otherwise rather hopelessly politically correct media landscape.
What she says about american jews is even true in a much wider contekst than she herself claims.
In Europe the situation is very simmilar , the local jewish communities cling desparately to their traditional leftwing selfimage , and to an even more unrealistic hope for an aliance with local "moderate" muslims , COMLPETELY ignoring that the political landscape of europe has changed forever.
In Europe of today , the only paralell to the american evengelical cristians is the the relatively new Islaam-critical political moovements , who consistently gets blamed in the media for being "rightwing-ekstremist-antisemitic-islamophobes" .These consistently pro-Israel political parties and moovements include the likes of Gert Wilders (who formed much of his political conciousness while living a year in Israel) , the danish peoplesparti (who is not in any way rightwing)and many others who STRIVE to clean up their act from any leftovers of traditional rightwing suspiscion against jews .
This clean-up process becomes very difficult when local jewish comunities stubbornly do their " best" to reinforce old suspicions ...
"... Many leading American Jewish organizations continue to be far more involved in combating the currently relatively benign anti-Semitism of the Catholic Church and Evangelical Christians than confronting the escalating dangers of Muslim anti-Semitism."
This might seem like a subtle error, but it is dramatic when one looks beyond the more politically correct view of history. Evangelical Christians are not especially anti-Semitic as a whole, they are just subversive of Jewish belief. But this is a strategy they apply against everyone they wish to evangilize. They assume a chameleon like behavior with many other cultural institutions besides Jews.
But the Catholic Church is an ancient and dedicated murderer of not just Jews, but anyone who has questioned it authority. A good part of human history is the history of the struggle of Christianity to shed itself of the authority of Rome. The Catholic Church and Catholics have murdered more Jews than Muslims ever will. Even today, Catholic countries in Europe march once again under the banners and slogans of their blood soaked pasts in WWII. Witness Hungary and Croatia. Nobody seems to notice.
Islam is a menace to not just Jews, but to all of human existence. Today Muslims murder more Muslims than anyone else. They would rather be murdering non-Muslims, but until they feel like they can do so with ease, other Muslims not measuring up to their standards will have to do. Muslim anti-semitism is not as old as the Roman variety and one might wonder if they learned it at Rome's feet. Islam has put itself at a huge disadvantage in that its founder made the mistake of commiting his anti-Semitism to scripture. Christianity makes some tangential scriptual accusations against the Jews, but real incitement is left to the authority of the clerics and that's where it remains to this day.
There is no political strategy for Jews in the US within the "two party system" that will protect Israel. US Jews simply do not represent that much political influence. But they do represent a clarion voice against the simple misdirection of international attention on a tiny little country just trying to mind its own business. No citizen of the US will be happy standing by watching an innocent people persecuted out of existence by hysterical mobs passing themselves off as respectable countries.
A very informative article. I did not realize that anti-Semitism is so misperceived in the US. Hoping American Jews figure it out is a dangerous way to go. Possibly, muslim anti-Semitism in the US is statistically small because muslim groups are concentrating on their stealth campaign to stifle criticism of Islam in the US until it is too late. The stranglehold of the Left on US education and media will take generations to improve. Meanwhile Isreal is surrounded by people bred to hate her. American blacks don't know arabs look down on them.It's OK when it is directed at Republicans. They play the PC game while they miopically look to advance their own concerns, unable to see a greater good as benefiting them. Many American Christians identify Isreal from the Old Testament and, thus, cannot desert her. That is visceral and despite anything political. American Jews need to wake up. This is for democracy, alien to Islam.
As a Catholic and long-time supporter of Israel, more so than many of my American Jewish acquaintances and colleagues, it is disappointing (though not yet disheartening) to feel the suspicion from too many American Jews about my bona fides because I am a Christian. This clannish circle-the-wagons attitude and disdain for Christians no doubt puts off many who would become more open and stronger supporters of Israel as an admirable but beleaguered democracy surrounded by Islamic hatred. I have never heard an anti-Jewish word from a Catholic pulpit in my more than 70 years and Popes John Paul II and Benedict could not be clearer that anti-semitism has no place in the Catholic Church. Your commentator Paul is an excellent example of those Jews who are determined to drive away non-Jewish support for Israel.
"As Israel is increasingly isolated and Jews worldwide are under attack, it is my prayer for the coming year that the American Jewish community will come to terms with a difficult reality and the choices it entails, and act with the majority of their fellow Americans to defend Israel and combat anti-Semitism in the US and throughout the world."
Caroline, I join you in your prayer and ask everyone to do likewise.
G-d does listen so please join in.
1)David Goldman wrote a book called Why Civilizations Die: (And Islam is dying too) which is very optimistic about Israel and America.
2)Ahmadinejad in August 2011 said that even if the Palestinians get a state from the UN, basically it will not change his attitude to Israel.
Article in LA Times by Ramin Mostaghim
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/middleeast/la-fg-iran-israel-20110827,0,4532331.story
3) Abdullah Abdullah PA ambassador to Lebanon said that if the Palestinians get a state, they will still be refugees and still live in the camps and will not be citizens of the Palestinian state.
http://joshuapundit.blogspot.com/2011/09/pa-palestinian-refugees-wont-be.html
Off point:
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=227420
David Horvitz wrote an article on Aug 25, 2006 in the Jerusalem Post 'Ahmadinejad would sacrifice half of Iran to wipe out Israel' where he quotes Giora Eiland, Israel's former national security adviser about Ahmadinejad but Eiland was quoting a speech by Ahmadinejad that I remember hearing on the internet and now I am looking for the website where the speech of Ahmadinejad can be viewed and heard and translated so that I can refer people to it and I can't find it. Ahmadinejad said he was willing to sacrifice Iranians and Palestinians (possibly in a separate interview) to destroy Israel, and that he was sure that they would be happy to make the sacrifice. I wanted the speech and quote(s) of Ahmadinejad and translated and the website, and the date(s) and place(s) of the speech or interview, not a statement by Eiland that makes it sound like his opinion or collected intelligence. Does anyone have the answer to my question as to where to find it on the internet? It might be on Memri but they have about 350 speeches by Ahmadinejad. I need specifics.
Ms. Glick,
If American Jews haven't got the brains to figure out who their enemies are, they deserve what they get. This is not the first time Jews have faced massive hate campaigns.
When they actually care enough to protect their own lives, Jews in America MAY live. Till then, American Jewry's shelf life gets shorter and shorter by the day. There is such a thing as terminal stupidity.
I hate to burst some peoples bubbles but it's not just the nonreligious who are the problem; the brainwashing has extended into the modern orthodox community.
In a major shul in a major U.S. city with a lot of "modern orthodox" who overwhelmingly send their high-school graduating children for a year in Israel, I know of at least 10% who have MUSLIM HELP WORKING IN THEIR HOMES AND IN THEIR BUSINESSES, AND/OR DO BUSINESS IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES, at least 60% who voted for Obama, at least 40% who have no problem with the proposed mosque at Ground Zero, and at least 15% who gleefully discuss Judaism and Islam as "sharers of the Abrahamic bond ".
And almost all spit on the floor if you bring up Christian support for Israel.
/sign me disgusted with my fellow Jews.
It is sad that such attitudes towards Evangelical Christians exist amongst American Jews. However, I would like to add a little perspective from my own experience. I personally am an observant American Jew who served in the IDF while still non-observant and met Evangelicals during my service. I would like to posit that it is the majority of the Jewish population who are non-observant and by in large Liberal, that posess this attitude. They, for the most part know little about thier own religion and thus feel threatened by Obervant Jews as well. So, the attitude has more to do with a lack of knowledge,and thus fear, than any ingrained prejudice. I for one am happy that we have Evangelical friends like Rev. Haggee and hope we can accept our diffences like friends do. Let's get a Conservative in the White House in 2012!
US says Israel, PA support new Quartet approach to talks (Jpost)
Unfolding the true potential of the region requires courage, vision and trust building. Imagine it is the year 2050. The cube has been solved and the resident populations of the Middle East are enjoying peace and prosperity. The per capita GDP is $50,000 p.a. Looking back from that vantage point what were the correct moves that were made from early October 2011 ?
The Quartet is acting as a facilitator and guide to the process. The Gilo construction plans should not prevent the PA from coming to the table, as the site is in Jerusalem proper. If it is the sticking point then the building plans can be put on hold until after the resumption of meetings in the next month. The minutiae must not impede the process. The timetable over the next two weeks can be negotiated. Yom Kippur is on the 7th and Sukkot is on the 11th of October. There is a gap of six weeks in the calender of Holy Days for all three monotheistic faiths after mid October. Saturday 26th November is Al-Hijira and is also a Shabbat. Hanukah is from Dec. 20th to the 28th. Christmas is on the 25th. So there is no real excuse from any of the parties for real progress not to be made in negotiations from mid Oct. onwards.
Everyone must also realise that the divine timetable will trump all others. G-d's plans for the region must be heeded. He will not be denied. The availability of time and space is not the problem. The universe is stable, ordered, benevolent and expansive. Scarcity is a mindset. The issue is about the will of the various parties to be sincere in their peacemaking efforts. Test G-d on this point and see what happens.
I agree with Ms.Glick on most issues, but I think she misread this one and I penned the following letter to the editor which appeared in the Jpoost yesterday:
Sir, – In “A prayer for 5772” (Column One, September 28), Caroline B. Glick cites research linking American Jewry’s loyalty to the Democratic Party with a tendency to “wildly exaggerate Evangelical anti-Semitism.” She implies that the American Jewish community is out of touch with reality, and rather than combat “relatively benign anti-Semitism” should place its priorities on “the escalating dangers of Muslim anti-Semitism.”
I believe Glick might have misread the American Jewish public’s concern. Its perception of Evangelicals may have little to do with partisan politics or the issue of anti-Semitism. Perhaps American Jews are concerned about spiritual self-preservation and the danger of assimilation.
Evangelizing Christians, who are increasingly identifying themselves as “messianic Jews,” pose a very real threat to Jewish identity. In addition, American Jews are living at a time and in a place where mega-churches thrive and Jesus sits on Capitol Hill. Israelis, on the other hand, live with an up-close and personal day-to-day threat from adherents of radical Islam.
The reality and priorities for Jews is relative, depending on which side of the world one lives. Perhaps we should pray that this year American Jews and Israelis will understand each other and give equal consideration to the existential, physical and spiritual threats facing the Jewish people.
ELLEN HOROWITZ
Jerusalem
Addressing your question "What can explain this counterintuitive behavior?", I'd like to put forth two ideas.
Yes, the "evangelicals" are clearly the most strongly self-identified philo-Semitic group in the USA, manifested mainly by their unmitigated love and support for Israel. Yet ironically, they attract the most strident accusations of anit-Semitisim on the part of (many, but notably not all) American Jews. This, I believe, touches the heart of the issue. That is, American Jews, by and large, want to left alone to assimilate, and if not that, to at least be able to fold their Jewish identity into the overall multi-culturalist trend. Thus, they tend to target accusations of anti-Semitism not necessarily toward those who harbour hatred of Jews, but rather those who draw attention to the Jewishness of Jews, and the essential role of Jews in the world. It's kind of like "I don't care if you hate Jews, just stop reminding me that I'm Jewish." In short, evangelicals love Jews more than Jews love themselves ... and many Jews resent them for it.
The other idea is based on the notion that you're always fighting the last war. To phrase this in the Jewish context, you're always surviving the last Holocaust. Thus, it's exceptionally difficult to convince many American Jews to break their longstanding loyalty to the Democratic party. Not because of anything the Dems have done over the last 30-40 years, but rather for the fact that FDR was ironically perceived as a savior of Jews in the 1930's and 40's. I say ironically because this had more to do with several key Jewish political appointments rather than any discernable efforts on the part of Jewish refugees (who really needed his not-forthcoming help suffered terribly as a result), yet the icon remains ... and it's proven awfully tough to crack.
Kudos on a well-researched article, and for what it's worth, I share your prayer.
A belated Shana Tova, Caroline.