Et tu, Bret?

I never thought I would write this, because it is presumptuous of me to purport to judge the writing and judgment of Bret Stephens. He writes better than I write.  He thinks more clearly and creatively than I think. He expresses himself with greater economy and acuity. And we both love Israel.

Don’t get me wrong. I am perfectly willing to judge fellow Jews who disappoint me.  But there are so many more deserving targets if one is looking for Jewish pundits who have carved out a place for themselves in my poor opinion and, I believe, Hell’s lowest circle: Tom Friedman, Peter Beinart, Jeffrey Goldberg. Were it not for my annual resolution to try to avoid lashon hara (speaking ill of others), I could expand the list.

But Bret Stephens?

Bret Stephens gets it. He understands that Israel is alone and endangered. He knows the extent of the existential threat posed to Israel by Iran and its proxies. He knows that when people like him, writing in the New York Times, of all places, take a position that may jeopardize Israel, he is lending support to those who, unlike him, oppose the idea of a Jewish State and, in many cases, hate Jews.

He knows, better than most of us, how harmful and malicious Obama and his team were to the relationship between Israel and its indispensable patron and advocate.  He saw the betrayals in the United Nations and the odious leaks to the press. He knows that Kamala Harris is more of the same, if not even worse, because she is an empty vessel spouting ideas that others tell her she should have and repeating mindless, meaningless phrases. She believes that people accusing Israel of genocide have a justifiable position. A president of the United States who holds that belief represents nothing less than a clear and present danger to the State of Israel.

I hold Bret Stephens, like Caesar’s wife, to a higher standard, because his voice is loud, clear, and identifiably Zionist. His voice is justifiably persuasive.

Questioned by the reliably left Gail Collins as to whom he will be voting for in November, he says, “Kicking and screaming, I’ll cast my ballot for Harris. I really would rather have just sat out Election Day. But Jan. 6 and election denialism are unforgivable. And as my friend Richard North Patterson likes to say, ‘Donald Trump is literally bleeping crazy.’ And what crazy brings in its wake is JD Vance, whom I find worse than Trump, because he’s just as cynical but twice as bright. And what it also brings in its wake is Tucker Carlson and the Hitler defenders he likes to platform.”

What does Kamala Harris bring in her wake, Bret? Support for BLM, which endorses and celebrates the Hamas atrocities? An embargo on weapons sales to Israel if it rejects an immediate ceasefire? Another chance for Hamas? Continued funding to the corrupt PA and criminal UNRWA? More sanctions relief and a nuclear weapon for Iran? (I put aside her pandering on economic issues and her vacuity on foreign policy, her deceit about Joe Biden’s mental capacity, her simultaneous claims that she is responsible for everything–anything?– good that happened during his and her administration and nevertheless represents a change from the status quo, the mess she has made of the border and immigration policies, her undemocratic designation as a nominee for the Presidency, etc. Even if she were not a woefully inadequate candidate, by almost any objective measure, the fact that her election will endanger Israel should be a sufficient reason not to vote for her.)

I understand that Bret Stephens abhors Netanyahu and reviles Trump.  I acknowledge that saying Trump is flawed and “literally bleeping crazy” may understate the situation. JD Vance is probably not worse than Tim Walz. Tucker Carlson is not more repulsive than any of a dozen “journalists” on MSNBC. January 6 was a stain on the pages of American history. Election denialism is an affliction that taints both parties and many politicians.

I get it.

But, Bret, none of that matters. Voting against Trump when you know that his policies have been and are likely to be more advantageous to an Israel that essentially stands alone fighting for its survival is a betrayal, even if – especially if –you do it to make yourself feel more virtuous. Hold your nose. Grind your teeth.  Think of the young Israeli soldiers you are selling out by voting for Kamala Harris.

Bret, you lived here. You know the uniqueness of the place, but also its isolation.  Tom Friedman will vote for Harris. Peter Beinart will vote for Harris. Sixty to seventy percent of American Jews are likely to vote for Harris.

I expect more of Bret Stephens. If you vote for Trump, the day after he is elected, you may feel deflated, disgusted, and threatened. If you vote for Harris, the day after she is elected, you will know that you have helped make the destruction of the State of Israel, God forbid, more likely.