So here I was, kvelling (essentially doing a happy dance) over Reform Judaism and a wonderful Rabbi in FL taking part in religious suits against Florida over the state’s abortion law. And then I get hit with something I didn’t know — that two American Jews are largely responsible for Orban’s rise to authoritarian power in Hungary and for the antisemitic villainizing of George Soros.
On Thursday, my second day of celebration after our win against the misogynistic anti-abortionists in Kansas, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Charles Jay’s diary about 5 religious organizations suing Florida because the state’s anti-abortion law infringes on their religious rights. In addition to these lawsuits, there’s an earlier lawsuit of the same type by a synagogue in Florida, and Charles Jay had some great quotes from their rabbi (go read this excellent diary if you haven’t already).
So, as an American Jew, I was feeling damn good about what my fellow American Jews were doing to defend human rights. This feeling of pride is important to me since I sometimes get discouraged by the many American Jews who are willing to support Israeli oppression of Palestinians (including supporting former prime minister Netanyahu’s right wing, trump-friendly corrupt governance).
But then, listening to an MSNBC podcast (I think it was Joy Reid), I heard that two American republicans, whose last names are Birnbaum and Finkelstein, were integral to Orban both winning re-election in 2008 and going on to become the powerful fascist racist homophobic anti-immigrant antisemitic leader he now is.
Being Jewish, I know that most people with those last names are Jewish, and yes, they are Jewish.
According to the article I link to above, Birnbaum & Finkelstein were the ones who started the whole anti-Soros campaign that has ignited the antisemitic right wing for decades. And Birnbaum (Finkelstein died in 2017) is not a bit regretful about the two of them having not only promoted a fascist leader in Europe, but also having incited that huge wave of antisemitism in Europe, and then here in the U.S., with their campaign to make George Soros (a Jewish immigrant from Hungary) out to be an evil and crafty money-soaked manipulator — an image right out of Nazi propaganda against Jews.
“Anti-Semitism is something eternal, indelible,” said Birnbaum. “Our campaign did not make anyone anti-Semitic who wasn’t before. Maybe we were just drawing a new target, not more. I would do it again.”
Whether it’s these guys (who have been involved with other awful politicians and antisemitic campaigns) , or Jewish-born Stephen Miller using terms like “globalism” or “cosmopolitan” (both known antisemitic dog whistles) and making the white power sign, I don’t get it. I don’t understand how anyone with a Jewish heritage can support, promote, encourage, or compliment neo-Nazis and White supremacists.
One of the main values I learned from my parents was the responsibility of Jews to make sure what happened in the Holocaust never happens again to us or to any other group. “Never Again,” a saying many Jews are raised with, refers to that responsibility. And indeed, 2/3 or more of American Jews routinely vote for Democratic presidential candidates, not for Nazi-promoting republicans.
That still leaves me wondering about the ~30% who vote republican. But I wonder even more about the clever unscrupulous Jewish political aides, consultants and donors who further the careers of the worst racists, antisemites and homophobes (note: Finkelstein was gay and had a husband!). Sadly, there are plenty of them (like Roy Cohn and Jack Abramoff).
Even if you’re a self-centered greedy cretin (Jared) and don’t give a damn about anyone or any group other than yourself (Dershowitz), promoting the people who would happily turn around and murder you seems incredibly stupid. And these people aren’t stupid.
So I’m left stunned and sickened and wondering about these American Jews who should know better but don’t. It’s no surprise to see some white Christian men who are clinging to their privilege choose to support the Trumps, Mastrianos and Orbans in this world. But why would members of a group that has been targeted by those right wing demagogues for centuries choose to use their money (Adelson) or their considerable talents and skills to help those same demagogues gain, keep and increase their power.
Jews helping Nazis achieve their goals. Unimaginable.
And yet, real.
With great thanks to Florence Reed and the Union movement: