Trump the (false) Messiah

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In my previous post, I thanked President Trump for ending the war and freeing the last of the living hostages, adding my voice to those of tens of thousands of Israelis. But I hope no one assumed from this that I have changed my pollical stance to become a Trump supporter. I’m glad he has, so far, managed to enforce the ceasefire. But I have to say that his somewhat crude Messiah show leaves me a bit uneasy.

It’s not just the public shaming. Bibi and his coalition fall too easily into the “den of thieves in the Temple” trap, so they only have themselves to blame. It’s the carousel of special counsels and cabinet secretaries spending two days at a time in the country, parroting Trump when asked to comment, while our own government votes for legislation meant to end in annexing large parts of the West Bank, in direct contradiction to Trump’s “orders.” It’s the fact that this is taking place while parts of our government insist we will return to the war, right after a short public service announcement. It’s the fact that Trump and his minions have all met with returned hostages and their families, while Bibi and the rest of the coalition have mostly spurned them.

Well, ok, it’s the fact that Trump jestingly, but not really, says he tells Bibi what to do. In fact, he seems to have more control over Bibi than he does over the governors of blue states. Much as the result is better than expected, to the best of my knowledge, the US has not yet annexed Israel and made it the 51st state. The ends are fine, so far, although the far-reaching consequences are, of course, in the not-truly-foreseeable future. But the means are slightly questionable.

His somewhat crude Messiah show leaves me a bit uneasy

I don’t use the term Messiah complex carelessly. I suspect it is true because Trump has already awarded himself a Nobel Peace Prize, but the pressure he is putting on Bibi to stick to the ceasefire and continue negotiating has only increased. For a man like Trump, larger than life and getting on in years, his golden ticket will be entry into heaven and a pair of angel wings. And the sight of thousands of Jews chanting “Thank you Trump!” has the power to boost even a modest ego to the stars, much less one the size of all the Trump Towers put together.

Adding to the “End of Days” atmosphere is the Haredi “million man march” planned for Thursday. They did not just borrow a term from Black Americans, they are borrowing from Israeli society as well, looking for shock value in calling the few draft resisters who were arrested “hostages.” (They previously tried wearing yellow stars, but that was a bit too much, even for them.) From all accounts, they mean to turn the mild heat of late October into a sweltering Antarctica, black and white as far as the eye can see. The prospect instils fear in the hearts of secular Jews, who warn one another to stay home on the day.

Their rabbis do not wield Trump’s power, but in this country, they come very close. Tens of thousands (million’s a bit of a stretch) of Haredim will come out to block roads, convinced their beliefs, way of life and higher calling will be eradicated if some are called up to serve. They are brainwashed (I have no other word for it) into believing the Jewish state rests on their continual study and prayers. By their reasoning, their faith is so fragile, any exposure to the outside world, or even to a half-dressed woman, is an existential danger. Following the thread to its logical conclusion, a slight breeze might be enough to topple the entire shaky structure, Jewish state and all.

We thought the end to the war would be a relief, a chance to begin rebuilding our lives and the region. But, like the aftermath of an earthquake, we feel the ground still shifting under our feet. As a country, we are even more split, even more exposed to the anti-democratic forces at work in our government, even more left with the sneaking suspicion we fought a terrible war for two long years and are liable, if our government does not get on board with the peace plan, to find ourselves back where we started, just with a larger dose of paranoia.

And if that is the case, it is possible that a saviour, even a convicted felon, crude-talking, half-demented one like Trump, is what we need. That said, Trump may be able to enforce the peace. But I am not sure there exists a Messiah who would be able to save us from ourselves.