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Robert Goldberg
I am a Zionist

Senator Schumer Has Gone From Being Shomer to Shameful

Throughout his career, Senator Chuck Schumer has reminded audiences that his name” comes from the (Hebrew) words shomer, guardian, watcher. … And I believe Hashem [Orthodox for God] actually gave me that name. One of my roles, very important in the United States Senate, is to be a shomer – to be a shomer Yisrael. And I will continue to be that with every bone in my body.”

Yet Schumer’s recent meddling in Israel’s elections suggests that he may be serving a different master: President Biden’s re-election effort.  Instead of reassuring American Jews, Schumer is now focused on helping Biden win Dearborn, Michigan and the Rashi Tlaib vote.

Let’s set aside the fact that Israelis are probably more hawkish about wiping out Hamas than Netanyahu. New elections would lead to a government that also refuses to subordinate Israel’s survival to indulge the Biden administration’s delusion about a Palestinian state.  Momentum is already building in Israel for greater self-sufficiency in producing military equipment and ammunition. There are certainly other countries that would be willing to fabricate and manufacture what Israel invents.  And at this point, an attack on Bibi is perceived as an attack on Israel. Even Benny Gantz, Bibi’s most popular opponent, has said Israelis can elect their own representatives and that this is not the time for new elections.

A true shomer would not undermine the sitting and duly elected head of the Jewish state.  A true shomer would understand that young men and women in the Israeli Defense Forces are fighting and dying to protect all Jews, whether they are hostages of Hamas or the Majority Leader of the United States Senate.

A true shomer would not equate the corrupt, violent, and inept Palestinian authority with the current government of Israel or any government.  A true shomer – the highest-ranking Jewish elected official  — who promised not to rest until Israel gets all the assistance it needs to wipe out Hamas would not use his position and Jewish identity to carry out what appears to be a personal and misguided vendetta against Bibi by Biden.  A true shomer would not threaten to condition military assistance to Israel unless it replaced its government.

With his latest statements, Schumer has gone from shomer to shameful.  I wonder what name HaShem is calling Schumer now.

About the Author
Robert Goldberg has written extensively about Zionism and Israel for several years. His articles have been featured in prominent publications such as Tablet, The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, National Review, Algemeiner, and the American Spectator. Additionally, he is writing a book on lessons from the Haggadah about responding to anti-Zionist Jews. As Vice President of The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, he writes about healthcare issues.