Donald Trump is right. I’m a Jew, I’m a Democrat, and I’m disloyal.

I’m disloyal to him.

The president has never disguised his fear of Latinos, African Americans, Muslims, women, gays and lesbians, people with disabilities, or the working class.

Now he’s added Jews to his list. And in this age of mass shootings, that’s yet another open invitation for gullible paranoiacs to commit murder.

Lumping Jews into a one-size-fits-all class is pure stereotyping. Trump’s suggestion that we should move as a herd is bizarre. Christians don’t. Other faiths don’t, either.

He’s right that Jews often vote for Democrats. In the last century, American communities and organizations that prohibited Jews tended to be rich Republican enclaves. Before World War II, Republicans were far more sympathetic to facism in Europe than Democrats were. All that might help him understand why so many of us are Democrats today.

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And Trump’s idea that we owe our loyalty to both the U.S. and Israel is just as weird. I’m an American, not an Israeli. This is my country, whether you want me here or not.

Long ago, I did live in Israel briefly and liked the country and people. It’s a remarkable social experiment.

But I don’t like its brutal oppression of Palestinian civilians. Benjamin Netanyahu is not my prime minister. He ordered the bombing of thousands in Gaza, and his campaign of ethnic cleansing is dragging Israel toward war.

Netanyahu has also been indicted for corruption, for illegally using his high office for profit.

Yet the president sees nothing wrong with any of that. That says a lot about him.

So, no, I’m not loyal to Donald Trump. To borrow one of his recent remarks, I look forward to sending Trump back where he came from.

Charlie Bernstein

Augusta


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