Witches and Goblins

On the day of the American-Christian holiday of Halloween (All Saints Day), Jewish youngsters will join with their non-Jewish friends going from house to house for trick-or-treat candies.

But in another house there will be no treats…only tricks. The American House of Representatives, a house controlled by Democrats in the Congress, proceeded with their impeachment vote against an elected American president.

Donald Trump put it in his own words, appropriate for this day. He said “this is the greatest witch-hunt in American history” .

The proposal, under the tutelage of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was passed by a vote of 232 in favor and 196 opposed. All Republicans voted against it and two Democrats defected and voted against it.

I don’t recall the history behind the impeachment of president Richard Nixon over the Watergate scandal, but the evidence against him was powerfully strong and Nixon departed from the White House.

What grounds the Democrats have to insist on impeaching Donald Trump, they have not made clear.

They claim that in a telephone conversation with the Jewish president of Ukraine, Trump requested personal information on Joe Biden and his son regarding their contacts in Ukraine. The Democrats in Congress accused Trump of seeking foreign help and support in an American election.

If that is true, in spite of White House denials, there may be grounds for impeachment within American law but at present the grounds are questionable.

The immediate main accusation is called the “quid pro quo”… you help me and I’ll help you.

And the help that Trump referred to in his conversation with President Zhelensky was related to American aid…money and weapons. “You do what I ask for and I’ll do what you ask for.” That’s “quid pro quo”.

In many respects, the conversation between the two presidents is similar to the Bibi-Mony case. In that situation, Bibi Netanyahu is accused of bribery and is awaiting indictment. Amnon Mozes, publisher of the daily YEDIOT newspaper, admitted that he and Bibi Netanyahu had long conversations in which Bibi sought help for more favorable coverage for him and his wife…both accused of criminal activities.

In return for the publisher’s help, Netanyahu would decrease the circulation of the free daily Hebrew newspaper ISRAEL HAYOM, which competes with Mony’s newspaper and is a threat to his sales.

Bibi follows in the steps of his “valued friend,” Donald Trump. His ever over-used remark is that “I am innocent. It’s’all a witch-hunt by people who are trying to topple me from being prime minister. Nothing more than a horrible witch-hunt.” Very appropriate for Halloween!

The goblins in the Congress are ready to devour the sitting president. Quite taste-less ! What will 2020 be without him?

Israelis are usually enchanted by anything American. They like to copy the Americans in manner of dress, behavior, sexual obsessions, expensive vacations, et al.

That being the case, why don’t we add impeachment to our code of laws? If the Americans can get rid of an unwanted president, what prevents us from getting rid of an unwanted prime minister (as long as he takes his wife along with him; older son included)?

Our Attorney General Mandelblit is a very honest and sincere advocate of the law. He pursues Prime Minister Netanyahu not out of hate or personal dislike, but solely on the evidence available in law.

He has been thorough, to his credit, of reading and re-reading several times the four accusations against Netanyahu which probably will lead to a formal indictment.

This is very far from being “Bibi’s witch hunt”. Quite the contrary. It is a tribute to our Israeli democracy.

I don’t know how many goblins are sitting in our Knesset and the only witch I know of is in Jerusalem.

Trump may go. Netanyahu may go. But our justice and our fair laws will continue to live for eternity.