A Postscript to My Jewish Family and Friends

Almost exactly four years ago, prior to the 2020 Presidential election, I wrote a blog in the Times of Israel https://rb.gy/t4fmlp entitled “Dear Family and Friends, I Can No Longer Pretend.”  The last sentence in the piece was, “It pains me that people I admire, who are caring, ethical, and good, could bring themselves to vote for a man with such sordid history and contemptible character. Given what we know, how is it possible to vote for Donald Trump?” Also, in the article, I said that not voting for Joe Biden was supporting Trump.

Today, I am again saddened by Jewish friends and family members who say they will not vote for Kamala Harris. I am deeply perplexed that thoughtful people are not aware of the implications of this choice.

We know even more now about who Trump is and why he should be ineligible to run for the highest office in the country. He is a shameless convicted felon, an insurrectionist, a legally convicted sexual abuser, a misogynist, a serial liar, and a promoter of violence. He is aligned with, and is an enabler of our nation’s worst authoritarian enemies.  He has compromised, and wants to tear down our institutions, including our justice system.  He does not hide the fact that he wants to be a dictator, and his goals and objectives are clearly outlined in the fascist Project 2025 document, authored by at least 140 people who worked in the Trump administration.

Trump not only regularly spouts antisemitic tropes, he makes it safe for others to do so. He associates with white nationalist and pro-Nazi organizations. He calls upon the support and protection of the Proud Boys and other white supremist groups, and if he becomes President, he has stated that he would immediately pardon those domestic terrorists imprisoned as a result of their actions on January 6th.

Trump gained the political spotlight before the 2016 election by promoting a conspiracy theory, birtherism. His reliance on untruths and conspiracies has grown and has captured the entire Republican Party. According to the Pulitzer Prize winning historian, Anne Applebaum, America’s slide into autocracy under Trump has already happened. Conspiracy theories and lies, she explains, have already infected our political system as well as our justice system. They have corrupted many of our institutions. You can witness this process in the threats of violence and the abuses suffered by those who try to enforce the law and stand up to lies and untruths. Truth does not matter.

Plain and simple, Trump is a huge threat to our democracy. That is the message that Ann Applebaum delivers in her most recent book, “Autocracy, Inc.—The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.”

I hear from Jewish people who do not support Kamala Harris, that she is a danger to Israel, she is too close to the progressive “Squad” in Congress, she is too pro-Palestinian, she (like Biden) won’t condemn Hamas enough, but will condemn Israel in regard to the deaths and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and that she won’t confront the antisemitism on campuses, and so on.

The fact is the majority of prominent Jewish leaders—scholars, lawmakers, community and leaders—support Harris. Nearly all of those who have had a long history of working closely with her find her to be an effective advocate for the law, a person of integrity and compassion. She believes in the Constitution, our institutions, and the rights of all minorities.  And she is a staunch supporter of Israel.

And. . . Harris will stand up to felons, sex offenders, conspirators, inciters of violence, insurrectionist, and other criminals.

Jewish people who are reluctant to vote for Harris need to be aware of the gravity and consequences of this choice.