An Apology to John McCain, Sarah Palin, et. al.
In this Friday's edition of the Los Angeles Jewish Journal I have an Op-Ed piece about the Jewish vote and the non-Jews who continue to offer unyielding support to Israel. It can be found here.
You may also wish to read some of the comments posted on my blog, as well as those on the Sean Hannity forums and Ann Coulter forums. Registration may be required to view the Hannity and Coulter forums. You may comment here without editing.
Please feel free to leave your comments. If you wish me to respond, include your email (not for publication). You may also send comments directly to the editor of the Jewish Journal at: letters@jewishjournal.com. I have zero control over which letters and comments the paper selects for publication.
My column is generating a lot of response, much of it well-reasoned and some of it quite nasty.
Congratulations, Mr. Rotbart! You now qualify for designation as an "honorary" Jew-for-Jesus.
Your work as a blogger allows you to live anywhere. So, since Israel is so important to you, as a matter of integrity, why don't you make ALIYAH?
Like Sarah Palin, do you believe in talking snakes?
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Yes, I believe in talking snakes. You, no doubt, are one. My column is about the gratitude we American Jews should show our non-Jewish countrymen. Yes, Israel is of vital importance to me and all sane Americans. As is South Korea, Iraq, NATO members states and all Democratic governments. One day I would like to make aliyah to Israel. Until then, I will fight for MY country -- the good ole U.S.A. (p.s. Why don't you think about moving to Syria or Venezuela? I'm sure you'd feel right at home.)
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Kudos to you; you have succinctly summed up the thoughts, concerns and feelings of our fellow conservative Jews. Liberal voting Jews have forgotten the lessons of history and that is all it takes to repeat the mistakes of history. May we not live to regret their foolish choice. Please continue to expose their unwise, dangerous actions and views. We need more Jews like you who are not fearful of the unwise majority and their intolerant, unenlightened ways.
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This is a disgraceful article. Shame on you! I am an American Jew, a Zionist, and 150% for Israel. If you are worried about Israeli security, then time for you to get involved in who's running the show in Israel.
The people who would give back the Golan, the
West bank, etc., -- like Olmert -- will be responsible for Israel's (Gd forbid!) demise --
The only way for a strong Israel and world is a strong America! Our own country's going down the tubes, and we need someone intelligent and rational to solve our problems. Would you have Sarah Palin be president if McCain died? You must be crazy. You have offended me by your journalism, and maybe it's time you notice: The Emperor is not wearing clothes! Haven't you noticed? Where is your thinking!
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Tell me, if you please, what it was that Senator Obama did in his brief stint in the United States Senate that made him such a clear choice for you when compared with the experience of Sarah Palin, assuming that McCain would have died (an assumption I'm willing to make for the sake of argument) in office?
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I'm a 48 year old Jewish, Independent Male and staunch supporter of Israel since I was 8 years old. I'm sick and tired of people especially non-Jews of telling me how Jews should vote. These are the same people that would be finding ways to attack us if they didn't have hispanics, blacks and Muslims to attack. What has this President done for Israel that no other American President since Nixon has done for Israel? Perhaps creating tensions in the Middle East that has made it impossible to look after Israel's best interests.
His folly in Iraq has created another government that won't deal with Israel. His insistence on a free and Democratic vote in the occupied territories led to a Hamas victory. The Palestinians are worse off and Israel is no closer to peace. Saudi Arabia finally got most of the Arab League to agree on a starting point to accept Israel and there has been no follow up. Israel chooses to have Turkey negotiate with Syria for them. It chooses to have Egypt to negotiate with Hamas for them.
It's pretty clear that Israel feels that the United States has become to extreme.
It's like that TV commercial, "Friends don't let Friends drive drunk." Well George W. Bush is so adamant in backing Israel no matter what it's akin to letting them drive drunk. We've always had a relationship with Israel that helped moved them towards peace with their neighborsd. Under George W. Bush it's gone the other way.
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It takes a large leap to equate what I wrote to a blind endorsement of the policies and actions of President George W. Bush. My concerns are with the future and whether President Obama will have the moral compass to recognize the differences between Israel and those enemies who wish to destroy her.
One clue is that Americans living in Israel cast their votes overwhelmingly for the McCain/Palin ticket. Why?
Barack Obama is a man who, whatever his reasons, was able to sit for two decades in a church - with his wife and children - where hate was preached relentlessly.
Please, tell me specifically where you find evidence and actions that reassure you that President-Elect Obama has rejected the viewpoints of his own pastor and his Jew-hating friends, such as Rashid Khalidi.
Let me say that I very much want to be proven wrong. But history has taught me that promises are cheap. Until President Obama delivers on his promises to defend and protect America's true allies, I cannot give him the benefit of the doubt.
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"One clue is that Americans living in Israel cast their votes overwhelmingly for the McCain/Palin ticket. Why?"
First of all only 1/3 of the Americans living in Israel even bothered to vote.
While the vote of the Americans there ran 3 to 1 McCain over Obama. The American Jews there tend to be more religious, more hawkish than the majority of Israelis. Many American Jews are also settlers who do not even believe in the right of the Palestinians to have a state.
"Barack Obama is a man who, whatever his reasons, was able to sit for two decades in a church - with his wife and children - where hate was preached relentlessly."
"Where hate was preached relentlessly?" I'm sorry but Wright might come across as angry I don't see how anybody comes to the conclusion that hate was preached so often bases on a few edited clips. I watched the entire sermon after 9/11 where he mentions the chickens coming home to roost. It was a sermon based on not seeking revenge and a moving sermon.
Everytime Wright is brought up it reminds me of my Rabbi when I was younger talking about WW2, the Nazis and anti-semitism in the United States that limited the amount of Jewish immigrants to this country. Our policies led to many more Jews being killed or families being split up between the United States and South America. Was my Rabbi preaching hate when he talked about the history of anti-semitism in the United States.
Please, tell me specifically where you find evidence and actions that reassure you that President-Elect Obama has rejected the viewpoints of his own pastor and his Jew-hating friends, such as Rashid Khalidi.
If I was a Palestinian I wouldn't be too happy with many policies of Israel or the United States. Again I don't know Rashid Khalidi but I do know some Palestinians, Muslims and people of Arab origin. I don't equate having problems with Israel as being a Jew Hater and visa versa. It's a complicated situtation. One that I believe Israel has bent over backwards for a long time to try and make peace with it's neighbors. I think the United States has to return to being an honest broker but with the caveat that they will protect Israel and stand up for Israel against violence and attack.
I have no problem with you not giving Obama the benefit of the doubt but to imply that your position is so undeniably correct that you apologize for 78% of your fellow American Jews is offensive.
Maybe you're right but what if it turns out that the other 78% were right and you were wrong?
Who are you going to apologize to then?
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You are a complete and total douchebag. Why apologize to SEan Hannity and Ann Coulter? One who invites anti-semites onto his talk show, and the other who said Christians are perfected Jews and all day everyone will be Christian. Seriously, the fact that you would use a cataclysmic event like the Shoah for your own partisan agenda is an embarrassment to the entire Jewish community and shows an incomprehensible contempt and disregard for those who were murdered and those who suffered through and survived.
You are a pathetic hack. Just put down the pen now, and maybe you will be forgiven. Please, for the sake of Jews around the world, shut down your blog and don't ever write another column again.
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I believe you are very sincere in your comments and your belief that I do more harm than good. Do you have criteria that you can offer me and others as to when it is appropriate to remind the public of the lessons of the Shoah?
Would the test be our own moral integrity and honesty? If I fear that an Obama Presidency would look aside as Iran prepares to nuke Tel Aviv, is it wrong to speak of a second holocaust? At what point would you call out a warning? What rules would you follow and what would it take before you would sound the alarm?
I am concerned that you believe it best to silence those voices that differ with you. It doesn't seem in either the American tradition or the Jewish tradition. My words did not incite violence or libel an innocent person. They expressed my heartfelt views.
Do you wish to live in a society and country that cannot tolerate such opinions?
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I concur with the above...you are a loser pal!
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John, one must wonder why you even bother posting and reading the web site of a loser, such as me?
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Dear Mr. Rotbart:
I'm a Christian, Conservative (I used to be a moderate but this last election drove me completely to the right), and someone who has studied my Bible, and I have to tell you: when Obama won, I wept. And it wasn't for joy. I thought about the first 18 years of my marriage and all of those holidays we celebrated apart from each other because my husband was serving his country as a career military officer in defense of our freedoms here at home as well as Israel's freedom and security and wonder in the aftermath of the election if those freedoms will remain. I wept because I saw my daughter's dream of following in her father's footsteps crash and burn, uncertain of what is to become of the military and it's function under Obama. But most importantly, I wept for Israel. Ezekiel 38-39 talks about a time coming when Russia, Iran, and a few other nations will launch an attack against Israel and Israel will stand alone. I used to think, as we all do when it comes to prophecy, that this would occur long after I left this earth. With the advent of Mr. Obama as leader of this nation, I now think it's a hair's breadth away, unless he changes his spots between now and inauguration day.
I appreciate the apology, Mr. Rotbart but I think it's the Church in America that needs to apologize to Israel. We've let her down by not standing firmer for Biblical values. We've let our culture fall farther away from the G_d who loves us and has great things in store for those who will acknowledge Him. We've let the rebellious dictate how we should live, what we should wear, and how we should think and now the lunatics are running the asylum. Their rebellion has made them blind to truth so it's no wonder they rail against you when you challenge their fundamental beliefs. They've tasted the koolaid and they like it. Too bad they don't realize there's poison in it.
There is good news though! In Ezekiel it says that G_d comes to Israel's aid and utterly vanquishes her foes. Look up! Redemption is near!
Be Blessed!
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