The self-hating Semites strike again: How left-wing Jews want to associate with power - opinion

Pogo the Possum’s famous quip – based on a quote by US Navy commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, after defeating a British naval squadron on Lake Erie in the War of 1812 – has never been so apropos as in regard to the Jewish community. The frightening fragmentation of our fellow co-religionists, in particular the affinity to side with our detractors, has grown to crisis proportions.

In New York, that’s not a big surprise. But what is truly disturbing is that pollsters predict that the majority of Jews are poised to cast their ballots for Mamdani (the letters of which unscramble to “I madman”) in spite of his unabashed anti-Israel views.

Masquerading as defenders of the poor Palestinian victims, they ignore the constant outrages against their own people – such as the despicable murder of more innocents this week on the streets of Jerusalem.

What is it that causes – or allows – Jews to take sides with those who openly hate and reject us?

Of course, they will tell you that their agenda is larger than just the Jewish component; that they rate the causes of social justice, humanitarianism, and civil liberty above partisan Jewish concerns. But ethnically speaking, this is an aberration: Just look at the solidarity within other groups, like the Black, Hispanic, or Muslim communities.

They rarely break ranks on major issues directly affecting them. They stick together, while we drift apart.

We Jews have always craved acceptance by the wider world and have bent over backwards to demonstrate that we are not a fifth column, not an exception to the reigning authority, but rather a loyal follower of it.

The biblical admonition that the people of Israel are “a nation that dwells alone” does not sit well with many Jews. They don’t want to be alone, or exclusive; they want to be “one of the gang,” part of the in crowd. And that rarely, if ever, works out well for us in the end.

Though these monsters were their tormentors, they sought to identify with and connect to some sense of authority so as to confirm their value and self-worth. So if you lack that intrinsic confidence in your own society, you look to feed off another’s.

I see and hear the daily protesters verbally tearing apart our government, under the banner of returning our kidnapped fellow Jews. I accept that this government failed the nation on October 7; I agree that we have been led by false messiahs into a deadly quicksand of a war that essentially is following a “let’s make it up as we go along” strategy.

I would much prefer that we stand behind our brave soldiers as they battle our enemies, and direct our protests at anyone who does not support or strengthen our army, and refuse to grant them any control whatsoever.

“Hamas’s sins and crimes do not relieve the government of Israel of its obligations to make whatever efforts are necessary to prevent mass starvation,” the letter reads. A firestorm of debate has ensued, with caustic comments coming from both sides of the issue, beckoning all parties to take sides.

The primary author of this letter is my former yeshiva principal and someone whom I greatly respect. He has always been a champion of truth and justice. It was he who some years ago courageously “outed” a sexual predator in the rabbinate, a degenerate who had caused immense damage yet had been shielded by others. So I am hard-pressed to say anything against such a dignified person whose credentials are impeccable.

When King Saul held back from executing Agag, the king of Amalek – perhaps because he was a fellow monarch and presumably deserving of honor – Saul was punished, with God revoking his kingship. Unfortunately, although the prophet Samuel did slay Agag, he had already impregnated a woman. From that union ultimately came Haman, and it fell upon Esther – a direct descendant of Saul – to requite Saul’s miscue and see to it that Haman was hanged.

Distasteful as it is to us – a people who are tolerant to a fault and hyper-reluctant to take life or demean it – when there is a scourge like Hamas, we must go against our instincts and resort to exceptional means for the greater good. We are told that on Rosh Hashanah, people are judged for their individual conduct, while nations are judged for the sum total of their citizens’ actions.

As the vast majority of Gazans elected Hamas to lead them, they are communally responsible, and so we can invoke the Talmudic warning “Those who are merciful to the cruel will, in the end, be cruel to the merciful.”

“The road to hell,” as it is said, “is paved with good intentions.” Every group within our collective has ample justification for the cause it is promoting. But there must come a point when we focus on our very survival and come together as a nation.

A point where leaders draw a line in the sand and declare that those who cross it step beyond the borders of what the people of Israel can tolerate.

I will conclude with another famous quote, adopted by commodore Perry as his battle cry; and this, dear friends, is our bottom line: “Don’t give up the ship.” 