Former President Donald Trump lashed out at American Jews just hours before Shmini Atzeres, saying that they must be more appreciative and supportive of him “before it’s too late.”
“No President has done more for Israel than I have,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S.”
“Those living in Israel, though, are a different story – Highest approval rating in the World, could easily be P.M.!” he continued. “U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel – Before it is too late!”
Trump’s post was roundly condemned as antisemitic, with Anti-Defamation League CEO Jason Greenblatt saying, “We don’t need the former president, who curries favor with extremists and antisemites, to lecture us about the U.S.-Israel relationship.”
“It is not about a quid pro quo; it rests on shared values and security interests. This “Jewsplaining” is insulting and disgusting,” Greenblatt added.
The American Jewish Committee said: “Support for the Jewish state never gives one license to lecture American Jews, nor does it ever give the right to draw baseless judgments about the ties between U.S. Jews and Israel.”
It’s not the first time Trump has questioned if American Jews are loyal enough to him. In 2021, the former president accused non-orthodox Jews of “no longer loving Israel” and said that “evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country.”
He added that 75% of U.S. Jews voting for Biden in the 2020 election is evidence that they either “don’t like Israel or don’t care about Israel.”
Trump also said that Israel used to have “absolute power” over the U.S. Congress but that now, under presidents Obama and Biden, it’s “the exact opposite.”
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26 Responses
At some point, the Trump-worshipers will realize that his support for Yidden and EY is “transactional”, just like every other aspect of his life. His support is conditioned on it serving his vile interests and he will throw us under the bus (and back it up several times) if circumstances change and it will serve his ego or quest for money and power.
Antisemitic?! There is nothing even slightly offensive about anything he said. Jonathan Greenblatt is speaking as a Democrat Party operative. His loyalty is to the Democrat Party, not to the Jewish people, let alone either America or Israel. He’s turned the ADL into a Democrat propaganda machine and he’s a disgrace. The so-called “American Jewish Committee” is no better.
What Trump said was exactly right, though as usual he makes it all about himself rather than the issues. Fine, that’s his style. It doesn’t change the truth of what he said.
Donald Trump is unfortunately right. the majority of non religious unaffiliated jews dont have any affiliation with israel and didnt support trump in the last election and dont support him now
its only the religious jews who do care about israel who voted for him the last time he ran. I imagine will vote for him this time as well should he choose to run. Is he perfect? of course not, but hes better then the democratic alternative (we dont know yet who else will run on the republican ticket)he’s proven it to our community during his last presidency and not only on israel. The economy as well fared much better under his term as president currently its down in the dumps and only getting worse for the foreseeable future
Trump is absolutely right in this regard. The Yefe Nefesh secular jews have long abandoned Israel and love to criticize Israeli policy particularly regarding the Palastinians (the only reasonable criticism is that they are way too soft on them, not to mention the fact that they are still in EY after the war in 67 is because of these same yefe Nefesh who invited them back from Jordan).
American Jews who care about the well-being of their brethren in Eretz Yisroel owe Donald Trump a great debt of gratitude for his foreign policy. This doesn’t necessarily translate into re-election but we do need to be very vocal about our appreciation.
These ADL chevra are doing us no favors, the average Joe understands clearly what DJT is saying (even his haters) and the ADL response is akin to spitting in the face. The average Joe doesn’t either buy into this secular idea that Jews are detached from Israel, that’s not how Trump sees it & most people share that sentiment wether you like it or not.
The so-called “Anti Defamation” guy?! You mean the one who’s pushing CRT in schools?1 what a joke…
Trump has a tremendous Koiach of saying the very root of the truth, which no one dares even hint. Trying to vilifying him now is a little different than last time, since we saw him in action for four years…
The left-wing (aka “progressive”) Dems are clearly moving further and further away from traditional support for EY. However, you have to be in denial to not also be aware of Trump’s recent embrace of the more extreme segments of the religious right (aka Christian Nationalists) and Q-Anon crazies whose visceral anti-semitism is potentially more threatening.
People were laughing During the Uprise of Natzi Germany… no one will take us away da da da
People were laughing Before the Spanish Inquisition no one will take us away same rhetoric as Second World War
(Same thing repeated itself even now with the war in Russia some Rabbis told Ukrainian Jews to remain in their committee)
All and all Jews lived amongst their Neighbors relatively well and hopefully it it will remain. However let’s not fool ourselves and say no one will take us away Bechol Dor Vador Omdim Alenu Lechalotainu… vakadosh Baruch hu Yatzilaynu myadom.
I’m sure that Trump wasn’t Saying it in a bad way
Of course trump is 100% right as usual. This guy greenblat is the anti semite if you ask me
Dorah,
It’s you who are in denial as to how anti-Semitic and anti-Israel the Democrats have become over the past twenty years. You and your ilk have ignorantly substituted “progressive” politics for Torah Judaism and you shill for them at every opportunity. Leftist politicians are the true danger and they rely on quislings like you who downplay their vile hatred.
Trump is a dangerous individual. By singling out Jews as a group he puts us all at risk.
Jews are entitled to vote as they see fit and any intelligent individual will base his vote on more than just one issue.
It is sad that so many frum Trump supporters will defend him no matter what. It is as if MAGA Trumpism is their new religion and identity.
The ones who think he is Hitler, think he’s alluding to another holocaust. Those of us who don’t think he is Hitler think that he is suggesting that the USA may soon stop supporting Israel.
However, you have to be in denial to not also be aware of Trump’s recent embrace of the more extreme segments of the religious right (aka Christian Nationalists) and Q-Anon crazies whose visceral anti-semitism is potentially more threatening.
That is pure bovine excrement. Trump has not embraced any antisemitic “segments”. Not in any way whatsoever. And there are no such “segments” in the GOP at all.
Jews are entitled to vote as they see fit and any intelligent individual will base his vote on more than just one issue.
Of course Jews are entitled to vote as they see fit, but any Jew who votes for Democrats shows that he doesn’t give a dam about Israel or about any Jewish values at all. And Trump is right to point that out.
He means that Democratic policies (think: Iran deal, etc.) will leave Eretz Yisroel irreparably damaged (it will be “too late”) if American Jews don’t wake up soon and stop supporting Democrats.
Anyone who pretends he means something other than that is a very, very, very sick liar, and if said liar is Jewish to boot, then they are fabulously ungrateful.
The former president’s post is a beautiful display of love and warm feelings towards the Jewish People.
How have we reached the point where sick people can literally turn words people say/post in their heads and get away with it.
Mr. President: THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!
If POTUS DJT was a yid, I could see him being a Rosh Yeshiva or Rebbe. He says things that need to be said, and in this case, points out the obvious that the gedolim are by and large silent on.
Unfortunately he is correct. The liberal leftist Jews are Israel’s worst enemy, poople who support JStreet and their like…
When public anti-Jewish sentiments rise, some controlled opposition public figures must publicize anti-Jewish sentiments in order that the anti-Jewish public rallies around those controlled opposition public figures. That’s probably the source of Trump’s comment. Also probably the source of Ye’s (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) comments. Where will the momentum of the anti-Jewish public go once they throw their support behind those controlled opposition public figures? Nowhere. If effective, it goes nowhere. Trump’s own public persona is as scripted as a character in a Hollywood film.
He wants to be israeili prime minister?
Dofi: Respectfully disagree….Over the long-term, I’m more concerned with the MGTs than the AOCs and their respective chevrusahs. The growing Christian nationalist leanings of the MAGA candidates and Trump’s blind engagement with anyone who kisses his (ring?) poses some real immediate threats to yidden, both here in the U.S. and around the world. When candidates for congress and state leadership openly insist that G-d’s (aka JC’s) law as THEY interpret the New Testament should preempt federal and state law and even SCOTUS rulings on the Constitution and that they would use the military to invoke THEIR interpretation of G-d’s law, than I’m considerably more concerned than a former bartender promoting the Green new deal.
Sounds like a threat to me.
Foolish to support someone whose core supporters are white supremacists.
Dorah,
Your perception of reality is right out of the outdated, Jurassic, liberal Jewish mindset, that we can’t trust any religiously-affiliated non Jews, even if they are pro-Israel, because they’re trying to convert us. So let’s cozy-up to and shill for anti-Semitic, anti-Israel “progressives” who constantly spew their enlightened hate for us.
Wake up. Torah Judaism has pragmatically moved beyond that decrepit worldview.
Chaim Tovim: If Trump were a Yid, he would likely rise to prominence as a shul rabbi or organizational head. But his impatience and lack of self-discipline would make it impossible for him to become a great talmid chacham, let alone a rosh yeshiva.
On one hand it does seem he is referring to dangerous EY policies that may happen if he is not elected. But he is also being purposely vague to sow fear into Jews that they best be supporting him. Here’s proof: he already concluded that a big portion of Jews don’t seem to care about Israel. So why would he warn those same people about the potential harm to Israel if they don’t vote for him? Part of why he is a dangerous man is that all of his statements are vague and can be read different ways, often in a threatening manner.
I partly retract my earlier comment. His post generally does NOT threaten Jews who won’t vote for him. He is lamenting Jews don’t vote for him and also rallying evangelicals around the christian doctrine that Jews are not obeying G-d, chas veshalom, by their not supporting his Israel policies. This is dangerous for reasons others point out above. His use of “identity politics” are way more extreme than any democrat I know of.
No president did for Frum Jews as much as Trump. The rank and file dem askonim know it as well.
I am flabbergasted.
I generally look at YWN once a day or so. When I saw this “news” article, I thought to myself that it strange that YWN would think that anyone at all would care about such a comment that Trump says anymore.
Then I looked back later and read all the comments. Sorry to insult you all, but I think anyone who wasted a single brain cell on this twaddle deserves a resounding “Nebach”.