Much has been written about former President Donald Trump’s offensive rants about the Jewish community, the state of Israel and his dire warning about the upcoming November elections.
Trump has repeatedly declared that Israel’s very survival would be at risk if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected president. And he berates Jews who don’t support him as unappreciative and self-hating. While it is often difficult to follow the linkage between Trump’s thinking and his spoken word, the “Israel-Jews-Voting” connection appears to be the following:
Trump views himself as the most pro-Israel president in U.S. history. Trump believes that most U.S. Jews hold a dual allegiance to the United States and Israel. Trump thinks that U.S. support for Israel is the single most important issue on which U.S. Jews base their presidential vote. He therefore thinks that most Jews should support his candidacy and is mystified by low reports of support within the Jewish community.
Trump claims he is supported by 40% of U.S. Jews. Most estimates put the number closer to the mid-20s. But that doesn’t stop Trump from pursuing his own narrative. In a speech to the Israeli American Council on Sept. 19, Trump declared: “If I don’t win this election … the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that if it happens, because at 40% that means 60% of the people are voting for the enemy.”
Jewish organizations, leaders and commentators reacted negatively to Trump’s rant. Some worried that Trump’s preemptive blaming of Jews at a time of an alarming rise in antisemitism crossed a dangerous line and wondered whether he was threatening U.S. Jews with MAGA rage if he loses the election. Others wondered where he got his asserted 40% Jewish support number.
A recent report by Nishma Research on the political views among the two main sectors of American Orthodox Jewry may have part of the answer.
The Nishma presidential preference survey of close to 1,300 Orthodox Jews was conducted between Aug. 28 and Sept. 18, 2024, and involved 678 respondents who self-identified as Haredi and 595 respondents who self-identified as Modern/Centrist Orthodox. Nishma found that Modern Orthodox Jews support Harris (55%) over Trump (45%), while Haredi Jews overwhelmingly support Trump (93%) over Harris (7%). That gives Trump roughly 77% support in the survey.
According to the report, support for Trump stems from his support of Israel, his approaches to the economy and immigration and respondent dislike and distrust of Harris, the Democratic Party and liberal ideals. Support for Harris stemmed from strong dislike of Trump, the perception that he is a danger to democracy and support for Harris’ views, knowledge and demeanor.
None of the Nishma results directly challenge the recent Jewish Democratic Council of America poll of 800 self-identified Jewish voters that showed Harris leading Trump among all Jewish voters by a wide margin of 72-25%. But it may help explain a recent Teach Coalition poll in Pennsylvania of some 400 Jewish voters that found Harris with only an 11-point margin over Trump.
While we see a wide political divide between religious streams within the Jewish community, we are heartened by the entire community’s focus on civility and mutual respect even when addressing profound political differences. That is a model we wish all political candidates would strive to emulate.
The Exponent can bray all it wants about Trump’s repeated statement that Jews are crazy not to vote for him but there are some undeniable facts that the Exponent conveniently ignores. Trump was the first president to move our embassy to Jerusalem, despite threats of massive violence, which prevented all other presidents from doing so. He also stated unequivocally that the Golan Heights were a part of Israel, another first for presidents.
Trump enforced the sanctions on Iran, which Biden has refused to do, denying it the ability to fund it’s proxies, one of which is Hamas, That’s why Oct.7th occurred in 2023 and not in 2018.
Biden is seen by the world’s despots as weak and feckless which explains why the chaos that we see in the world happened under his watch and it’s why Harris who is seen as even weaker will keep the chaos and allied antisemitism as bad or worse. That’s the main reason many Jews are now supporting Trump.
I was compelled to investigate why so many Orthodox Jews support Donald Trump.
I am a reformed Jew who values Torah teachings. I find the tolerance and excuses extended to Trumps immorality is an abomination of Orthodoxy.
I instinctively feel that a Jew who supports Trump is a profound contradiction and a danger to the survival of Jews and our homeland. Furthermore, Trump’s non-Jewish supporters want to make America a Christian nation. Guess separation of Church and state will no longer be valid.
Anti-Semitism has been around forever. Yet, I cannot remember a time it revealed itself as boldly as when Trump got into politics. His White Supremacy groups will stand back and stand by Trumps beckon call to arms.
Which leads me to a major concern for the survival of Israel as a Jewish state.
Trump’s unrelenting support of Evangelicals and their interest in Israel.
Trump has little interest in who occupies the Holyland. Evangelicals
claim to be supportive of the Jewish people. Yet, I fear that their interest is more likely for their second coming of Christ. And then what?
A Trump victory will be a decline in Democracy and all it’s norms. A Trump loss will be blamed on the Jews. Trump is an immoral, hate mongering, totalitarian who has no place on the political stage.
I urge my fellow Jews to think twice before voting for this mentally and emotionally corrupt
shell of a human being.
Esther Feit
“This is someone who cares, not about the American people, not about the people of Israel, but he cares about one person and one person only, the person he sees in the mirror when he wakes up in the morning.” ~~ Chris Christie
When Netanyahu congratulated President-elect Biden for his 2020 election victory while Dumpy was still disputing the result, Dumpy said “F**k him.”. “The first person that congratulated [Biden] was Bibi Netanyahu, the man that I did more for than any other person I dealt with. … Bibi could have stayed quiet. He has made a terrible mistake.”
While visiting the gravesite of the sixth Lubavitche Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson Dumpy, idly picked up a prayer book and turned to the observant Jewish men beside him.
“Would you like me to sign this?” he asked. He also posed with the family members of American Gaza hostage Edan Alexander while holding a poster of his image, for which he was also mocked online for GRINNING WIDELY.