J.J. Goldberg writes: The core mission of the powerhouse pro-Israel lobby is to ensure good relations between the American and Israeli governments. Those relations begin at the top, with the White House and its occupant. And the voting on Super Tuesday greatly increased the odds that Trump will be one of the two candidates contending to win the presidency next fall, like it or not. Now is the time for the lobby to start, well, lobbying.
It’s a safe bet that most readers won’t like it. Twitter and the blogosphere are filled with condemnations of the AIPAC invitation. Some come from critics who say the lobby — or Israel — has shown its true colors. Others come from anguished citizens who believe AIPAC has implicated the Jewish community and Israel in Trump’s bigotry. Rob Eshman, editor in chief of the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, wrote in a stern column that the lobby made a “core moral mistake” by inviting the billionaire candidate, thereby lending its “imprimatur” to his bigotry and offending key constituencies whose support we need, particularly Muslims and Latinos.
Eshman wrote that while AIPAC can’t “necessarily” retract, it could salvage the situation by condemning the candidate’s “incendiary statements” about various groups, denouncing his “clear incitement to physical violence” and making clear that “those who foment hate and violence have no place in American politics, or on an AIPAC dais.” Making clear, that is, that Trump shouldn’t be appearing on the dais on which he’s been invited to appear.
The anguish is understandable, but the hard truth is that it’s misplaced. If AIPAC were a different Jewish organization — say, a federation of congregations, an institution of religious education, or a league for combating bigotry or promoting intergroup relations — then the thought of honoring Trump by offering him a platform should indeed appall us. Trump’s message, his behavior and the very fact of his candidacy fly in the face of Jewish values as the vast majority of us understand them.
To expect that of AIPAC, though, is to mistake the purpose of the lobby — and, in a way, to misunderstand the nature of Jewish organizational activity. Though it’s not always apparent from their public statements, the main Jewish organizations constitute a rough sort of governing structure in which each component has a job to do. Many are tasked with examining, teaching or advancing the values of our heritage, as variously interpreted. Others act on them by caring for the poor or sick. AIPAC’s job is to ensure that America stands with Israel. It’s pretty good at it.
Some fret that it protects Israel from paying a price for its mistakes and thus perpetuates those mistakes. But the alternative — leaving Israel defenseless in the face of very real threats — is far worse. And given its mission, it’s important that the lobby keep itself on decent terms with whatever powers govern in Washington. Who holds those powers is an important question, never more so than this year, but it’s not a question AIPAC exists to answer.
RABBI URI PILOCHOWSKI FROM NCSY COMMENTS ON ROB ESHMAN’S COLUMN:
“I am a realist and I live in Israel. While plenty of my neighbors assume all will be well in Israel since the IDF arms itself with magic dust having nothing to do with American military aid, and others in America get to sit in safety from rockets and stabbings and debate the morality of AIPAC inviting someone who makes racist and antisemitic comments like Donald Trump, I don’t have that luxury. I am constantly threatened by people who want to kill me, and am protected by soldiers carrying weapons and flying helicopters and planes that say, “Made in the USA” on them. Donald Trump could very well be the next President and if so, will have a very significant influence on my family’s safety. If nothing else, AIPAC is about effective political advocacy on behalf of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Ensuring that all aspiring elected officials are Pro-Israel is one of AIPAC’s missions and greatest achievements.
For all who think that we’ll be fine as long as we’re in Israel, that America will continue to help Israel whether or not we lobby, and who think making a point is more important than being effective, please, go ahead and preach. The other 18,000 of us will head to Washington next week and hope to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship by talking and listening to anyone who aspires to hold office in the United States. It’s called effective political advocacy, and it’s what we practice.”
Y. emails: “Just saw your recent quote by Uri Pilichowski about Trump’s supposedly anti-Semitic statements. I have never seen an anti-Semitic statement by Trump. The most controversial statement he has ever made to a Jewish audience was that he would never be swayed by Jewish organizations’ contributions because he won’t take any; to me, that means he thinks he knows what’s right when it comes to American-Israeli relations. I’m sure he wouldn’t be swayed by Islamic organizations’ contributions either.
Unless Little Uri hacked into Trump’s e-mail account and found some Jewish stereotype jokes that Trump shared with a friend, I have no idea what he’s talking about. Can anyone point to an anti-Semitic statement that the man has ever made?”
