In a year where violent anti-Israel protests have dominated the news, any Presidential candidate would hypothetically be jumping at the chance to win over the most targeted group: Jewish voters. For the past century, American Jews have consistently voted Democratic. However, recent polls suggest that this election cycle, Republicans are making significant inroads with this voter demographic. A poll conducted by the Manhattan Institute shows that Harris is poised to achieve the narrowest margin of victory among Jewish voters since Michael Dukakis in 1988. But what have each candidate actually said on the matter?
For over seven years now, Donald Trump has been hailed by the American right as the most pro-Israel President in history. Though Trump’s first term was marked with many pro-Israel and pro-Jewish policies, such as the Abraham Accords, and moving the American embassy to Jerusalem, his latest actions suggest a pivot to a more ambiguous stance. Whether it be shifting his stance on immigration, or inviting antisemites on stage with him at a rally, a second Trump term spells trouble for American Jews.
Though Donald Trump has talked tough on the issue of immigration, his latest proposal suggests a shift in tone. He has floated the idea of attaching a green card to the diplomas of foreign students upon graduation—potentially including those who have been among the most vocal perpetrators of antisemitic hate on campus. This new rhetoric dismantles the notion that Trump would be a staunch ally in the fight against Jew-hatred.
While Trump loves to claim that “any Jew who doesn’t vote for him should have their head examined,” his recent actions suggest that, for many American Jews, withholding their vote for him might actually be the more mentally sound choice.
Immigration isn’t the only issue where Trump has changed his tone. Just last week, Trump took the stage at his rally in Michigan, a crucial state for both Trump and Harris to win the white house. Accompanying Trump were leaders Muslim of Dearborn, Michigan, which has the largest share of Arab voters in the country. One of the guests Trump brought on stage was Albert Abbas, who claimed that he couldn’t, “stand in silence while Palestine is being erased.” If this is Trump is selling his second term, then every Jew, and every Zionist, should be alarmed.
Democrats haven’t fared much better.
It has recently come to light that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Kamala Harris campaign surrogate advised Columbia administrators to “not worry about Jew hatred on campus.” Despite his image as a prominent Jewish leader in American life, Schumer’s actions suggest a troubling indifference to the experiences of his community, especially during recent anti-Israel protests where Jewish students faced harassment such as being told to “go back to Poland.”
Nowhere is the antisemitism within the Harris campaign more transparent than declining to choose Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. As governor of the most important state for her campaign to think about, one might think that choosing the popular governor would be a no-brainer for the Harris campaign, but she didn’t seem to think so. Despite having the exact same stance on Israel-Palestine on other top VP contenders such as Tim Walz or Andy Beshear, Shapiro was continually targeted for his stance on the matter. Three guesses why. A week before Kamala selected her VP, The Democratic Socialists of America issued a statement accusing Shapiro of having “blood on his hands” due to the ongoing violence in Gaza, evoking the centuries-old antisemitic trope of blood libel. Notably, the DSA did not target Beshear or Walz for their pro-Israel positions. But, of course, that’s just a coincidence…
For American Jews, this election is a depressing one. Neither candidate has shown that they will begin to heal the hate that consumed the American Jewish community post-October 7th. The best way for Jewish Americans to move forward is to put pressure on both candidates as well as local elected officials to stand up to the world’s most ancient hatred: Antisemitism.
Sources:
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4812605-jewish-democrats-josh-shapiro/amp/
https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/26/politics/muslim-leaders-michigan-trump-endorse/index.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/20/trump-foreign-graduates-green-card-idea-00164359
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/schumer-reportedly-dismissed-columbia-antisemitism-backlash-cla
iming-only-republicans-were-upset/
