Trump tackles three real problems

All of them have impact on Jews and Israel.

Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld

OpEds Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Manfred Gerstenfeld

By exposing American media bias, Muslim terrorism and Europe’s hypocrisy, U.S president Trump is drawing attention to three major issues which should be addressed. He receives much flak from many directions. Part of it comes from people who have not yet digested that Barack Obama is no longer U.S president. However, Trump, as a democratically elected president, should also not behave, even unintentionally, as if he believes in Mussolini’s claim: “Many enemies, much honor.”

The three real problems Trump is tackling all have impact on Jews or Israel.

As far as leading media outlets are concerned, a number of them are weighty distorters of the truth. If one follows the publications of the Camera mediawatch organization[1] over the years one sees how the New York Times regularly expresses anti-Israel bias in both its news and op-eds.

In an interview, Ricki Hollander and Gilead Ini, two senior analysts at Camera, accused the paper of advocacy journalism. They said: “Both its editorial pages and news reporting lean heavily toward an anti-Israel perspective…the NYT poisons the public's mind against Israel by shaping the perception of the Jewish state as responsible for many, if not most, of the region's ills. It does this with double standards in reporting about Israel versus her enemies and recounting only half the story. It sanitizes the role of Israel's adversaries, including terrorist organizations, and obsessively indicts Israel at every turn.”[2]

If Trump would listen to a strategist’s advice he would not attack all media at the same time. He would rather put an experienced media-observer to the task of analyzing the New York Times’ bias, and quote examples of it regularly. This would be far more convincing than an overall attack on the media. The other media outlets would not show solidarity with the NYT, because why back up somebody else’s bias, when he is being attacked? Focusing all attacks on one paper by providing regular examples of it, is far more convincing for the public at large than spreading attacks over general media. Punishing the NYT, for instance, by excluding it from White House Press conferences would then also be seen by many as justified.

A second important problem Trump has raised is that of the major terrorism coming out of parts of Muslim societies. The approach to deal with this important issue could have benefited from some professional assistance, so that the temporary entry-ban of people from seven countries could have stated upfront that it did not concern green card holders, citizens with dual nationalities, those who have helped the US military and a few other categories from the countries concerned. 

It would be very advisable that in future, there is further improved vetting of immigrants including screening for anti-Semitism.[3] Trump has suggested this during his election campaign as a possibility and Jewish organizations should support him on this. Was Trump wrong when he tweeted “Our country needs strong borders and extreme vetting, now”?  That might have prevented 9/11. He concluded his argument by saying rightly that there was a horrible mess in Europe.[4]

This brings us to the third issue which has some bearing on Jews. Trump understands that the European Union has for many years maintained policies on various major issues which are the opposite of his policies. Is there anything more alien to Trump’s policies than the German open door attitude toward refugees which started in September 2015? Only a part of those entering were registered by the German authorities. Hundreds of thousands came in without any registration. 

Trump wants a strong United States, not one weakened through opposition by European masochists. The massive European criticism of the US entry-ban, provides further proof that one cannot count on halfhearted Europe too much in the battle against terrorism. The same is true as far as keeping hate mongers out. The non-selective immigrant policies of Western European countries have led to a huge influx of anti-Semites, mainly from Arab countries.   

One voice dissenting from the European critic-brigades was hardly heard. Italian foreign minister Angelino Alfano told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera that what Trump did was not in line with the Italian policy, yet, “Trump in his electoral campaign has made certain statements. On that basis he has won the elections. Now he carries out what he has said. He is not doing anything different from what he has promised.”  

Alfano added: “Europe should not imagine that it can be both incompetent in managing the immigration issue and at the same time be respected for its judgments. It is not in a position to express opinions on the choices of others. Or do we want to forget that also in Europe walls have been erected.”[5] 

Israelis understand the truth of what Alfano said. The EU claims to know what Israel should do with regard to the Palestinians, sometimes applying double standards which are the core of anti-Semitism. At the same time, the EU itself is in a major crisis. To paraphrase a regular statement of pseudo-progressives on Israel: By insisting that the Europeans start spending significantly far more on military issues –rather than being parasites living off the United States – Trump may well be saving Europe from itself.

Confronting media bias, Muslim terrorism, and European hypocrisy are all fields where Trump can make a major contribution to the upkeep of Western values - if he does not use overblown rhetoric. Then any good points he makes will get lost. Jews and Israel will benefit if he succeeds. One can only hope that Trump does not spread himself too thin by adding even more subjects to fight about.


[1] www.camera.org/

[2] www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/15413

[3] www.algemeiner.com/2016/09/22/trump-is-right-ban-antisemitic-immigrants-from-the-united-states/

[4] https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/825692045532618753

[5] www.corriere.it/politica/17_gennaio_30/alfano-quest-europa-non-puo-b5ea470a-e667-11e6-84c1-08780d9999f1.shtml