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Thank you to J. for leading the way

Thank you for your call to civility and respectful exchange of ideas in your editorial “Trump victory demands we take a hard look at ourselves” (Nov. 11). As one of those who typically dissents from the majority opinion in our community, I have always appreciated the open forum that you have provided to a widely divergent set of opinions, including my own.

As we move forward from the recent divisive election, let us, as Jews and as Americans, try to discuss the serious issues before us in a spirit of mutual respect and intelligent argumentation. Again, kudos to J. for leading the way.

Steve Astrachan   |   Pleasant Hill

 

No basis in Judaism for taking care of all people

J.’s Nov. 11 editorial about the Trump victory states that as Jews and Americans, we stand for a society that takes care of its people and those around the world who cannot take care of themselves. I respectfully disagree.

The purpose of government is not to “take care” of people, but to create conditions that enable people to take care of themselves. A nation is only strong when its people are strong. A government that encourages dependency by presuming that its people are incapable of managing their own lives and can only succeed with government help weakens not only the people but the nation itself, and makes it much less capable of standing up to its enemies in a hostile world.

In Judaism, charity is mandated, but it’s the obligation of the individual, not the state, and it’s meant to benefit the giver as much as the receiver. But the idea that America has a moral responsibility to “take care” of all needy people, not just in the U.S. but in the entire world, has no basis in Judaism and is precisely the kind of thinking that the voters so soundly rejected in the recent election.

Martin Wasserman   |   Palto Alto

 

Come together to protect human dignity for all

Regarding “What Trump’s victory might mean for American Jewry” (Nov. 11), thank you. Jews deserve no less dignity and protection than anyone else. It is also true that the first targets are Muslim and black and Latino. They deserve no less dignity and protection than we expect.

If being our “brother’s keeper” only applies to Jews, we are guilty of having become what Abraham Joshua Heschel once called “messengers who have forgotten the message.” It’s time to come together, my family, with all families.

Rabbi Menachem Creditor   |   Berkeley

 

Give Trump a chance

After reading your coverage of Donald Trump’s victory, I’m frustrated that you permitted the alarmists free reign to “Oy gevalt” on every page. A more balanced response would have included mention of Trump’s obvious longstanding and sincere ties to the Jewish community (including the fact that all of his adult children are in a primary relationship with Jews). No mention made of Hillary’s close financial relationships to backward, anti-Semitic Muslim countries that contributed so generously to the Clinton Foundation. Had she been elected, we risked continued hostility to Israel and cozying up to Iran.

Perhaps in the future you’ll calmly give your readers a lesson in American civics: In the United States, the winner is given a chance to perform the job he (she) was elected to do with the checks and balance that have served the country well. How very un-Jewish to dismiss and vilify Mr. Trump before he even has a chance to take the oath of office.

David L. Levine, M.D.   |   San Francisco

 

‘Safe places, hugs, etc.’ make Americans weak

Your series of articles in the Nov. 11 edition was the most biased I have ever seen from J.

Although you write that J Street believes that 70 percent of American Jews voted for Hillary, it means that 30 percent did not. Yet J. did not bother to check what those Jews felt the outcome of a Trump victory would mean. J. has become another one of those left-wing media outlets that got the election wrong.

Many of us are happy with Trump. He may not be polished and he may have said many things that are offensive, but clearly he understood what many of us see as a terrible candidate in Hillary. One of the first leaders to congratulate Trump was Israel’s Netanyahu, who understands that a strong leader in the U.S. is what Israel needs. One who will protect Israel.

American Jews do not understand and are ignorant about the world beyond the U.S. Safe places, hugs, etc. lead to making people weak. How are these individuals going to face a difficult world if they are being coddled? Better to spend time explaining how our system works. Hillary did not win, even if the popular vote was in her favor. Our system goes by the electoral college.

Vivian Salama   |   Hillsborough

 

Trump’s ‘despicable’ conduct spurns American principles

Donald Trump’s election is, in many respects, an affront to Jewish American values.

Trump’s campaign made thinly veiled appeals to anti-Semites, even though his own daughter is Jewish.

Trump has viciously insulted, belittled, bullied and demeaned women and even boasted that, as a celebrity, he can sexually assault them. This is unconscionable. As someone who has been fortunate to share my life with four brilliant, beautiful, inspiring women — my wife, mom, aunt and young daughter — and, more fundamentally, as a human being, I find Trump’s conduct despicable.

Trump’s demagoguery, sweeping disparagement of Mexican immigrants and Muslims (including the “gold star” parents of a war hero), mocking of prisoners of war and a disabled journalist, authoritarianism, narcissism, petulance, dishonesty, attacks on free speech and threats to jail his opponent were likewise appalling. This isn’t about partisan politics — he’s spurning core American principles.

A silver lining is that Trump will improve relations with Israel. However, his very support may increase alienation from Israel among many younger Jews who consider him toxic. Moreover, Trump also seeks improved ties with Russia, which is closely allied with Syria and increasingly with Syria’s patron, Iran. Abrogating the ill-advised Iran deal would accomplish nothing because the benefits for Tehran were cynically front-loaded and multilateral sanctions won’t be reimposed; scrapping it would merely relieve Iran of having to feign compliance. How Trump will square this circle is anyone’s guess.

Stephen A. Silver   |   San Francisco

 

The inconvenient truth

Sam Liron (“Real history of ‘coexistence’ is a bloody tale,” Nov. 4) writes that I wrote a “revisionist history tale” in my previous letter, and also called my argument a “fig leaf.”

My contention, that historically Jews were treated better by Muslim regimes than Christian ones, and that under Christian rule we got pogroms, massacres, frequent expulsions and the Holocaust, is not a fig leaf but is based on historical evidence. If Mr. Liron wants to join the many Americans who have discarded all acceptance of objective truth, so be it.

I am not arguing that the Jews were treated well anywhere, only that the worst outrages were not committed by Muslims. He cites the Muslim conquest of the Middle East and North Africa as a particularly bloody time.

Conquests are always bloody. I am sure that the Canaanites (if you are willing to go back almost 1,400 years, why not 3,000?) were not treated particularly well when they were conquered, either.

Mr. Liron restates the falsehood that the building of the Al-Aksa mosque was done to prove the dominance of Islam over Judaism and that the Muslims demolished all remnants of the Jewish Temple. He overlooks the fact that the Romans destroyed the temple, massacred the Jews and used the site as a garbage dump for centuries. The Wailing Wall was all that was left of the temple, and when the Muslims came six centuries later they did not tear it down.

Mr. Liron is free to have his own opinion, but he can’t have his own facts.

Danny Yanow   |   San Francisco