Mr. Netanyahu: Did your smile have to be so damn wide?

I  do not need add another response about the shocking elections  bringing Donald Trump to power as the President of the United States. There don’t seem to be adequate words anyway. Frightening? Appalling?  Disturbing?  Nothing even comes close.

But comments do need be made about the huge smile of Bibi Netanyahu and his various cabinet ministers who expressed great joy at Trump’s election.  Clearly, as leaders of our country, they need express congratulations to the president-elect but…but…do they have to do so with such enormous glee?

Donald Trump has knowingly offended multiple ethnic groups, toted his own avoidance of paying taxes to the very country he now stands as its leader, been supported by the KKK as well as other racist entities, run campaign adds which were at best questionable around their similarity to the claims expressed in well known anti-Semitic propaganda, been accused of sexual misconduct on various levels, has talked about women in the most horrendous and horrific language, lied and projected mistruths throughout his campaign, to name only a few of his personality and behavioral offenses as so unfortunately  the list goes on and on and on and on.

What is so upsetting is how such a offensive and racist leader has been so embraced in Israel by our  own government leaders.  What does it say about our own Prime Minister Netanyahu that he is so proud of being such a “close personal friend” of Donald Trump?  What does it say about those of us living in Israel that we are just thrilled that Donald Trump is in our corner?  What does it say about our own understanding of history that in just the space of 70 years we have become so arrogant, so intolerant, so emboldened, that we are able to join the likes of someone like Donald Trump instead of advocating for those who are minorities, immigrants seeking a better life, women who deserve to be free from sexual intimidation, people who want to love who they want to love without fear of harassment or harm?

I am not so naïve to think that Israeli leaders should have turned their back on the new president-elect. But I am clear that they needn’t have done so with so much grotesque enthusiasm.

Tolerating that kind of behavior exhibited by Trump and worse yet, boasting over a close personal relationship with Donald Trump, does nothing more than implicate and condemn the leadership of this country.  As Israelis, and as Jews, we should all be ashamed.