Jan. 6 made me rule out Trump; Oct. 7 made me vote for him

For more than 30 years, every presidential election day, a dear friend who also belongs to my “child of Holocaust survivors” club has been calling and wishing me mazal tov on the ‘yom tov’ of Election Day, no matter who wins. We even toast a l’chaim – and we rarely vote for the same candidate. Our personal family history is always with us. On Election Day, I always think of my father refusing to wear the mandated yellow Jewish star in his city of Tarnov, Poland, as the wheels of a totalitarian state began to turn the engine of the worst crime in human history.

On January 6, 2021, my “anti-democracy, beginning of totalitarianism” radar began to send signals. The horrifying images of the US Capitol mitigating against a peaceful transfer of power horrified me. And yet with our brilliant Constitution in place, reflecting the Founders’ fears, Vice President Mike Pence empowered a transfer of leadership, though hardly peaceful. For me, Trump’s complicity in this shameful anti-democratic act was clear.

It was especially perplexing to me that during his administration Trump surprised the world with the Abraham Accords, amputated Iran’s financial muscle, moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognized the strategically critical Golan Heights as part of Israel, and even cut aid to UNWRA, the profound significance of which was not yet widely understood. Nevertheless, I was done with President Trump, who I considered a highly flawed and dangerous individual. I became obsessed with the 25th Amendment, a constitutional clause that had the potential to permanently ban him from running for reelection.

Here in the US, things felt dangerous and unsettling, whereas, on a trip to Israel in early January 2023, everything seemed idyllic. My husband and I stumbled upon one of the early judicial reform protests in Tel Aviv and weren’t sure what to make of it. We focused on our fabulous Tayelet walks with the magnificent youth vibe: exercising, playing music, dancing, and the cafes, oh the restaurants and cafes, and so much laughter and joy in the streets. At one point, I turned to my husband and said, it’s Herzl’s Altneuland, his dream became reality! A friend gave me Daniel Gordis’s book “Impossible Takes Longer,” touting Israel’s success and hopes for a long-awaited time of peace. I was up to the chapter on Hatikva, which questioned its ongoing relevance, when October 7th happened. The world changed. October 7th changed everything.

For months I was overwhelmed by the scope of the horror. My sister-in-law visited southern Israel early in November. We cried an entire Shabbat upon her return. My brother-in-law said it was like being in Auschwitz a day after liberation. For months I watched YouTubes of survivor accounts. I refused to watch the actual footage; that would be a victory for Hamas.

And then came the green tents on College Green on the campus of U of Penn, my alma mater. Then there was the pro-Hamas march through Center City Philadelphia to Goldie’s restaurant, my favorite stop, their faces hidden by kaffiyehs, screaming “from the river to the sea.” My anti-totalitarian radar began sending me nonstop alerts and making clear the importance of a strong USA, a force for good in this world with a clear vision of good and evil.

Meanwhile, our election process continued. When the Republican primary commenced, I was hopeful that Trump would fade away and a reasonable, responsible candidate would emerge with our democratic process intact. Thrilled to see Nikki Haley’s rise, I joined her campaign. So clear, so talented. I was excited to support the former governor of South Carolina who was the first southern governor to instruct her state capital to take down the Confederate Flag, the first governor to outlaw BDS, and a US ambassador to the UN who displayed remarkable leadership. Her moral clarity and her support for Israel were unwavering. Her moral compass was palpable every time she spoke at the UN Security Council.

But Trump not only prevailed to become the Republican candidate, he started winning primaries. While challenged by the January 6th storming of the Capitol, I am now guided by another date, October 7th. Trump is the Republican candidate and October 7th changed everything. The Israeli philosopher Micah Goodman provided clarity by framing our collective thinking as divided into a pre-October 7 world and a post-October 7 world. Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party represent pre-October 7 thinking.

The Mideast conflict, according to Harris and most Democrats, is with the Palestinians and therefore can only be solved with a two-state solution. Such a solution, now and for the foreseeable future, would lead to October 7 over and over again, as Israel’s enemies have made quite clear. Donald Trump and the Republican party have a post-October 7 view, framing the conflict more broadly against Iran which funds, arms, and supports the different terrorist groups surrounding Israel and is determined to destroy the West and its values after destroying Israel and killing every Jewish man, woman, and child. A post-October 7 approach will take longer, but it is the only recipe for regional stability and a safe, thriving, and strong Jewish state.

Two dates: January 6 and October 7. October 7 changed everything and my vote will be a post-October 7 vote. In our crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, my choice to vote for Trump is clear. My father would not want it any other way.