8 May 16 • 2019
jn

D

on’
t look now, but the 2020 pres-
idential election is upon us. The 
Democratic candidate debates 
begin next month and under the new pri-
mary rules, both the Texas and California 
primaries are on Super 
Tuesday, March 3, 2020. 
We just might have a 
Democratic candidate with-
in a year. If you thought 
you still had some time 
to take a break from the 
barrage of election chatter, 
coverage and controversy, 
you thought wrong.
It’
s a good time to ask ourselves in the 
Jewish community if we can avoid blud-
geoning ourselves over our political differ-
ences from now until Election Day. Can 
we possibly find ways to get through this 
campaign with a commitment to civil and 
respectful dialogue? Or are we destined to 
go through the anguish of months of anger 
and alienating friends and family with 
insults and intolerance that only put a fur-
ther wedge into our small community? 
For the past 50 years, 71 percent of 
American Jews have chosen Democratic 
candidates while 25 percent have chosen 
Republicans ones. But a recent Gallup poll 
shows that 52 percent of Jews identify as 
Democrats, 16 percent as Republicans, and 
31 percent — a new high — now identify 
as Independents. 
The landscape is ripe for a highly con-
tentious battle for the Jewish vote, and 
things can easily turn ugly if we allow 
them to. The battle lines are being drawn. 
Republicans will say that despite the 
President Trump’
s character flaws, his 
policies are staunchly and undeniably 
pro-Israel, and that the Democratic Party 
has turned against the Jews and Israel. 
Democrats will counter that the vast num-
ber of Democratic lawmakers are pro-Isra-
el, that Trump’
s words actually encourage 
hate crimes against Jews and others, and 
that he has alienated our allies and destabi-
lized the world, resulting in greater threats 
to Israel.
These are worthy and important debates 
to have, but 
without tearing ourselves apart. 
Yet in the course of the next year and a half, 
both sides are going to cite things that get 
the other side incensed. Many Republicans 

will, I’
m certain, absurdly claim that Rep. 
Ilan Omar or Rep. Rashida Tlaib are the 
new face of the Democratic Party. In doing 
so, they will ignore that the overwhelming 
majority of Democrats in Congress are 
pro-Israel and very vocal about it. 
Conversely, many Democrats will falsely 
claim that none of Trump’
s policies have 
helped Israel become stronger and safer. In 
doing so, they will ignore that this adminis-
tration is undeniably a rock-solid advocate 
for Israel, both in rhetoric and policy. On 
the eve of a brutal campaign, for the sake of 
Jewish solidarity, it’
s a good time to remem-
ber that none of us is correct 100 percent of 
the time. There is merit on both sides.
“The measure of intelligence,” Albert 
Einstein once wrote, “is the ability to 
change.”
In the coming months, we can decide to 
exercise restraint, to listen, to know when 
to stop talking, to measure our words in a 
careful and respectful manner and, most 
importantly, to be cognizant that in the end 
we are all Jews, and intrafamily squabbles 
do nothing but weaken us and strengthen 
our detractors.
At the recent AIPAC Policy Conference, 
Benny Gantz, the former IDF chief who 
was then running for prime minister, told 
the crowd that “Jewish unity is our secret 
weapon.” 
On Nov. 4, 2020, the day after the elec-
tion, we’
ll still be here, just as we have been 
for thousands of years. There’
ll still be 
anti-Semitism, and there’
ll still be a need to 
support the State of Israel. Our unity must 
remain intact. 
When you find yourself at the boiling 
point, check yourself before saying some-
thing you’
ll later regret. Breathe, relax, 
remember that we’
re all in the same tiny 
tribe and perhaps even consider whether 
there is a small grain of truth in what you 
may disagree with.
And if all else fails, go into your car and 
scream your lungs out. ■

Mark Jacobs is the AIPAC Michigan chair for African 
American Outreach, a co-director of the Coalition 
for Black and Jewish Unity, a board member of the 
Jewish Community Relations Council-AJC and the 
director of Jewish Family Service’
s Legal Referral 

Committee.

guest column
Batten Down the Hatches: 
Another Election Season is Upon Us

views

Mark Jacobs

People responded to the JN editorial “Antidote to Hate: Keep 
Showing Up,” page 5, May 2, on our Facebook page.

Eric Weiss: A better antidote is for Jews to stop supporting 
policies that are detrimental to most Americans while they 
remain free of the consequences in their upscale communities. 
Trust me, people notice.

Al Wright: This is really nothing new. This has been going on 
forever and it’
s never going to stop. Sadly, it’
s just going to get 
worse. You have a president that actually supports Israel and 
is a friend to the Jews; so biased people will hate Jews just 
because of that. People need to quit hating one another for any 
reason. Jews just need to keep being who we are, be proud of 
who we are and we don’
t take any crap from anybody.

The JN welcomes comments online at thejewishnews.com 
or on its Facebook page. Letters can be sent to letters@
renmedia.us.

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