- Is it the part where they have no concern for the poor?
- Is it the part where they have no respect for individual autonomy?
- Is it the part where believing that you have obligations to the community, and the community to you, is socialism?
Those beliefs are at the core of the modern Republican Party. They also fly in the face of traditional Jewish values about responsibility to others and the respect of others.
In the Talmud, a prospective convert approached the two leading sages of the time, Hillel and Shammai. He asked that they teach him the Torah while standing on one foot. Shammai dismissed the man. He then went to Hillel. Hillel obliged him, stating:
What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation of this — go and study it! (Shabbat 31a)
How is this consistent with the rhetoric of “forceful rape” and “legitimate rape” and “voter fraud” and countless other indignities spewed by Republicans at those that are not white and male?
Remember, we had the New Deal and the social safety net before there was a New Deal and a social safety net. When the massive wave of Jewish immigration came in the 1880s, our community organized quasi-governmental institutions designed to provide assistance to the needy. It wasn’t much given that our community, as a whole, was mired in poverty, but it reflected our values.
How is the drive to eliminate assistance to the poor and the middle class so that the wealthy can get more tax cuts consistent with these values?
When it comes to social issues, Republicans love to speak of ‘Judeo-Christian’ values. Do you not understand that the ‘Judeo’ part of ‘Judeo-Christian’ is merely a fig leaf? If there was any conflict between Jewish values and Christian values, which one do you think those conservative Christians that dominate the Republican party would choose?
Finally, Republicans love to argue about how they’re ‘pro’-Israel. Do you really understand why they ‘support’ Israel? Do you understand that they only ‘support’ Israel to fulfill their apocalyptic fantasies? Do you understand that the religious wing that dominates their party believes that we must all be gathered there to facilitate Jesus’ second coming? Do you understand that they believe that we will then either convert or we will be killed and burn in Hell?
How does this constitute support for Israel? How is it anything other than supporting Israel for antisemitic reasons?
I am a proud member of the religious left. I wear a kippah srugah. I keep a kosher home. I daven (pray) three times every day. I put on tefillin. I am guided by the Jewish values that have been instilled in me since the day I was born. That is why I am a liberal. That is why I cannot understand how anyone proud of their Jewish heritage can support a political party that holds values so contrary to those that define our community.
So, please, my fellow Jews that happen to be Republicans, explain to me why. Explain to me how Republicans are our friends. Explain to me how Democrats are not. I’m waiting.
(livosh1)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, Reuven. It should be clear to anyone with a shred of decency that Republican Party positions are not at all consistent with Jewish values.
And that's also why, despite the best efforts of some in the media to portray otherwise, President Obama comfortably leads among Jewish-Americans. We know our history and our values and we know which party represents those values.
DeleteI have a few comments.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't you say the same thing about Republican policies in regard to Christian values? Clearly, favoring the rich over the poor is not consistent with these values. But I think that a Republican would say that either they don't think these policies actually do favor the rich because they believe in trickle-down economics, or that they believe in justice for the poor but not through government. Either way, I certainly don't agree with them, but that's their opinion.
Also, I completely disagree with this:
Do you understand that they only ‘support’ Israel to fulfill their apocalyptic fantasies?
I don't think it is correct to say that is the only reason Republicans support Israel. That is true for some of them, but many of them instead see Israel as a crucial ally, or the "front line" against Islamic terror, or as a Western culture which should be supported, or they just hate Arabs, or they think that Israel is a righteous cause, etc.. There are many reasons (good and bad) to support Israel and I suspect just about all of those reasons are represented in the Republican tent.
I think it is a crude and ultimately incorrect stereotype that the sole reason any Republican supports Israel is that they believe it will bring about the end of the world. After all, what about the 40% of Republicans that are not Evangelicals? Certainly they are unlikely to believe in the imminent end of the world, but they are largely supportive of Israel. It must be for other reasons then.
I actually have to agree with fizziks here as well...
ReplyDeleteMany Republicans support Israel because they hate "TEH MOOSLIMS" more than they dislike the Jews. But fiz is also right in saying there are simply some Republicans (and I know some) who support Israel because it is simply the right thing to do.
THAT SAID... Reuven... I think you are absolutely correct that Republican DO NOT mirror Jewish values and that particularly Republican values in 2012 are antithetical to Jewish values period.
The question of course is also what would Mitt Romney do as opposed to President Obama? In what way is his support for the YESHA and the One State Solution (Jewish) at all helpful to Israel? It seems to me that the Republicans stand for NOTHING that would help the long term survivability of the State of Israel. But I would be curious to see exactly what plans Mitt has to help Israel that would be different from the President's plans.
I mean actual plans not empty rhetoric, btw.