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Once again, Donald Trump figuratively spits in the eye of his critics and follows through with a promise he made in 2016. Later today, if all goes according to plan, he will sign an executive order that will recognize “Judaism as a nationality and not just a religion.” This fulfills a promise Trump made in 2016 to fight anti-Semitism. Congress failed to deal with the problem, so Trump is taking matters into his own hands.
I’ll admit, I almost overlooked the order–until I saw a tweet alleging the order was Trump’s way of making it easier to deport Jews. Apparently, the order would make them less of a citizen than they are now. That set my bullshit meter off and I went looking for more about the executive order. Guess what? The executive order does nothing of the kind. Trump Derangement Syndrome is in full effect where this order, just as it is with everything else the President does.
According to the New York Times, the order targets anti-Semitism on college campuses. Those schools that don’t take steps to fight the growing anti-Semitism on their campuses will face the loss of federal funds. “The Department of Education can withhold federal funding from any college or educational program that discriminates based on race, color or national origin, according to the Civil Rights Act.” By identifying Judaism “as a nationality and not just a religion”, Trump gives Jewish students protection under the Act, something they haven’t had before because religion was not a protected category.
The order will effectively interpret Judaism as a race or nationality, not just a religion, to prompt a federal law penalizing colleges and universities deemed to be shirking their responsibility to foster an open climate for minority students. In recent years, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions — or B.D.S. — movement against Israel has roiled some campuses, leaving some Jewish students feeling unwelcome or attacked.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, B.D.S. is “a pernicious form of anti-Semitism akin to discrimination against racial minorities or women.” You’d think any action silencing such voices of discontent would be welcomed with open arms by the liberals. Except remember, Trump Derangement Syndrome is in full swing on Capitol Hill. Israel is bad. Palestinian support good.
Not only are Trump’s critics crying foul because he is taking steps to protect Jewish students, which in their minds is discriminatory against Muslim students, but he is violating their First Amendment Rights. Any bets on what they’d be saying if the coin was flipped and the executive order protected Muslim students instead of Jewish ones. How many of those condemning Trump would then be singing his praises?
Not satisfied with simply bringing up the specter of Trump overstepping with the executive order, the WSJ goes on with this dubious piece of reporting, and I use that term loosely:
The executive order also adopts a controversial definition of anti-Semitism from the State Department, which defines one form of it as “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination” and cites opposition to Israel as an example of that behavior. Supporters of BDS and free-speech advocates fear that definition could allow the administration to go after any sort of criticism of Israel as a form of discrimination, with millions of dollars in federal funding at stake.”
Note the lack of citation back to the so-called “controversial” definition. Nor are we given the complete definition. Like the good little liberal media outlet it is, the WSJ picks and chooses what it wants us to know, assuming we won’t see through this tired tactic.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz applauded the President’s move, saying it will “enable a more effective fight against the anti-Israel boycott movement on campus.” Under the new protections put in place by naming Judaism a nationality, thereby bringing it under the protections of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, “students who will feel that they are being bullied on college campuses would be able to complain to their institution’s administration, who will then need to decide if the incident is considered antisemitic.”
But this is bad, somehow, according to the executive order’s critics. What they forget–or perhaps more accurately, what they don’t want us to consider–is that what they call anti-Israel activities on campus are actually anti-Semitism in action.
Of course, there are those who see this as too little, too late or Trump trying to use this for some nefarious reason. Jewish Democratic Council of America Executive Director Halie Soifer calls it a “PR stunt, plain and simple.” She goes on to repeat the same old refrain of he’s the problem and needs to take responsibility for how he has encouraged the rise of white nationalism in the country. Funny how she forgets that it was under the Obama Administration investigation of complaints of anti-Semitism on campuses like Rutgers University were dismissed. TDS is alive and festering in liberal hearts everywhere.
Surprisingly, the Washington Post had a different take on the executive order.”The order sends a signal that the administration takes anti-Semitism seriously at a time when anti-Israel sentiments are strong on many college campuses and amid support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions — BDS —movement against Israel.” Hmm, that sort of flies in the face of Soifer’s comment, doesn’t it?
David Krone, former chief of staff to Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), commended Trump for taking this step. Krone has lobbied for such a change for some time now. “I know people are going to criticize me for saying this,” Mr. Krone said, “but I have to give credit where credit is due.”
It should be noted that the Senate unanimously passed the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2016 in December of that year. It “died” when the House failed to act before Congress recessed for the holidays. So where does the blame fall? Sure doesn’t sound like it is with Trump or the Republican Party, does it?
It is a shame such action has to be taken, especially that it has to be done via executive order. But let’s face it. The Democrats have made it abundantly clear it only cares about impeaching the president. The actual business of running the country takes a backseat to that. This has been their driving force since 2016. Worse, we’ve seen the growing resentment–shall we say hatred–for Israel since the Obama Administration. Our politicians and our institutions of higher learning have leaned over backwards to give concessions to those supporting the right for a Palestinian homeland. Funny how they don’t seem to have the same concerns for a Jewish homeland. Liberals on Capitol Hills might give lip service to fighting anti-Semitism, but they do nothing to fight it
It is also a shame that those condemning Trump and the executive order fail to recognize that what this does is give Jewish students the same protections others currently receive on our college campuses.
If you ever doubt the existence of Trump Derangement Syndrome, take a stroll through your Twitter feed. I guarantee you will find tweets like the one that sent me off to research this particular executive order.
And thereby setting the stage to define American Jews as citizens of some other nation, and thus less deserving of rights here at home? https://t.co/jh5WDLSu1Y
— Myke Cole (@MykeCole) December 10, 2019
How in the ever-living Hell did he come to that conclusion? Oh, I know. TDS. Knee-jerk reaction to anything the president does mixed with an unhealthy dose of failing to research and apply critical thinking.
I might not always agree with the Trump. But this is one time I can honestly say, “Thank you, Mr. President.” Now it’s just a matter of sitting back and watching more liberal heads explode because he continues to fail to follow their appointed–or is it anointed?–agenda.
Featured image: “CB015977” by Teledoth is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Kevin says: President Trump’s support among Jewish Americans is about 30% (give or take). Why, if he is such an advocate for the Jewish community, do they not support him? Jewish groups recently (in the last three days) have broadly criticized Mr. Trump for his recent speech and have pointed out his use of anti-Semitic tropes. As much as you try to paint Mr. Trump as an advocate for the Jewish community, Jewish people know better.
Amanda Green says: A couple of comments here. First, you have to look at who is taking the polls and how they are worded. That’s some we forget all too often. Second, look at what groups have been speaking out. Third, Trump—and I am not a huge supporter—does speak before thinking all too often. But while he may say things that are, as my mother would say, “crude, rude and socially unacceptable:, you have to look at his actions as well. Finally, the answer to your question is a question in return. Why are those same Jewish voters and Jewish groups that condemn Trump supporting politicians like Obama and others who have made their disdain, if not hatred, for Israel well-known through actions if not through words.
GWB says: Judaism as a nationality and not just a religion
Oy vey. So now all Jews really will have “dual loyalty”*? Not sure they thought this one through adequately.
Also, will Islam be next? (Much like Judaism – its stricter forms, anyway – you are required to learn the ‘proper’ language for scriptural reading, and to adopt numerous cultural practices.)
I use that term loosely
“Dubious” or “reporting”?
“a pernicious form of anti-Semitism akin to discrimination against racial minorities or women.”
And I’ve never agreed with this. BDS insanity can be an expression of anti-Semitism, but it isn’t akin to racial or gender discrimination. It’s a policy issue. It’s akin to – and as stupid as – the discrimination against gun owners, with the efforts to prevent banks from allowing purchase of firearms.
But this is bad, somehow, according to the executive order’s critics.
Yes, it is. We should never expand “discrimination” claims. It’s bad enough that our First Amendment rights are regularly violated by “anti-discrimination” statutes related to race and gender. But the laws and regulations have been regularly abused to insist bakers make cakes and Christian schools employ homosexuals as teachers of small children. This is going to be abused (Jews are people, too, and sometimes do bad things). It’s going to be abused by extension, too, with folks demanding that their own policy preferences are the same sort of thing (“Hey, you can’t disallow people from Muslim countries entry to the US! That’s discrimination!”).
Worse, we’ve seen the growing resentment–shall we say hatred–for Israel since the Obama Administration.
This has significantly more to do with the anti-Americanism of the left than any anti-Semitism. Because Israel supports the US, and the right** in the US supports Israel, any opponent of Israel – any criticism of Israel – must be supported. These are the same people who claim “Stalin killed all those people because he didn’t do communism right.”
what this does is give Jewish students the same protections others currently receive on our college campuses
I’m still baffled by how a BDS demonstration somehow is bullying or whatnot of a Jewish student? You’re adopting “hate speech” standards with that – “Ooh, they don’t like Israel, and that hurts my feelings.”
There’s a looooooooong discussion involved in why certain segments in America feel such a need to defend Israel. But it can become a fetish on the right, where any criticism of Israel gets labeled anti-Semitism. We really need to stop this, as it blinds us to legitimate critiques of Israel and of individual Jews. Let’s stop this insanity, please.
I think this is a bad idea, and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with Trump.
(* All dual citizens have “dual loyalty”. It’s why we used to demand people “renounce and abjure” other “allegiance and fidelity”. Now we just make them say the words.)
(** For certain values of “right”. I really hate the incredibly over-simplistic left-right political labeling. And, “conservative” no longer works, either, since we’ve almost nothing left to “conserve”.)
Darleen Click says: GWB, this just recognizes the unique position of Jewish identity. It is NOT just a religion (which is why you find there are atheist Jews and Jews who put Leftism before Judaism.)
Per Dennis Prager:
“Are Jews a religion, an ethnicity, a people, a nation, a culture?
The most accurate answer is all of the above. And that confuses both Jews and non-Jews because there is no other major modern group that falls into all these categories.”
https://www.dennisprager.com/explaining-jews-part-one-what-is-a-jew/
GWB says: But they are NOT necessarily all of those (in a person) at once. And, criticism of Israeli policies does NOT make one an anti-Semite.
Oh, and while Israel IS a nation for the Jewish people, it is also a nation for other people (since the nation is not practicing the religious strictures on those within its boundaries).
Darleen Click says: No, legit criticism of Israel’s policies is not anti-Semitism … UNLESS you are holding the one Jewish homeland in the world to different standards than any other nation.
Do we criticize Japanese citizens for being pro-Japan or patriotic to their country? Zionism is to Israel what being pro-Japan is to Japan. IOW “anti-Zionism” is just figleaf for anti-Semitism — which itself was a coined phrase to make old-fashioned Jewhate sound more “scientific”.
BDS = Jewhate.
Politically Ambidextrous says: Somewhere along the way, Israel went from being internationally perceived as the Jewish David to the Arab Goliath to being perceived as the Jewish Goliath to the Palestinian David. Israel is no longer widely considered the underdog as it was prior to 1967. And in many circles, it’s morally fashionable to root for the underdog and to bash their adversaries, independent of current behavior or historical context.
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