Does President Obama "Get" Jews?

Those who closely follow the intersection of Jewish and Democratic politics know that there's been a good bit of noise -- though perhaps not much light -- surrounding whether President Barack Obama "gets" the American Jewish community. Indeed, Obama has not pleased every American Jew, much the same way that three Jews in a room would not likely agree with each other anytime soon when it comes to existential issues. But beyond domestic policies (about which the vast, overwhelming majority of this community agrees with Democratic positions on reproductive freedom, health care reform, separation of church and state, etc.) and beyond complex U.S.-Israel issues, like the ongoing negotiations concerning settlements (about which there are complex disagreements within the Jewish community), detractors of this president keep asking: does he really "get" American Jews and their concerns?

If there could have conceivably been any lingering doubt, Monday's meeting with Jewish community leaders in the White House's Roosevelt Room should put it to rest. With no notes, Obama reportedly demonstrated a broad strategic command of the details of Middle East policy that are understandably of great interest to many American Jews. He spoke eloquently about the threat posed by a nuclear Iran, and how and why this cannot come to pass; and he spoke effortlessly and earnestly about his profound and lasting commitment to the enduring security of Israel as a Jewish state, and to the need for the Palestinian Authority and surrounding Arab states to crack down on violence and incitement, according to reports. And demonstrating his understanding that American Jews view strong support for Israel as critical but not sufficient -- as Jews care deeply about a wide range of domestic policies as well -- he spoke at length about a range of other policy priorities.

During the campaign and since, this president has had more than his fair share of dirt thrown his way. And we in the Jewish community are not immune from this unfortunate preoccupation. It's fine to respectfully have policy differences, of course. But, after Monday's display of Obama's deep understanding and commitment to the priorities of the American Jewish community, let's finally take his words and actions at face value, and stop the whisper campaign. This president "gets" American Jews.

Follow David A. Harris on Twitter: www.twitter.com/NJDC

Comments

[LMPE]

My great-uncle, upon hearing the false rumor that Obama is a secret Muslim who wants to destroy Israel, immediately decided to vote for McCain. He wouldn't listen when my grandmother tried to explain that Sarah Palin's pastor is an anti-Semite.

[Zonie]

I am a bit more concerned whether or not Oboma, and others in Washington­....."get" AMERICANS.­...

[CarlyHope]

BECAUSE JEWS AREN'T AMERICAN??­??????????­??????????­??????????­???

[nightwind928]

why do we have to "get" jews? What is it about Judasim that requires it to be"got"? Is it more symbolic than Catholasism , Buddahism ,Hinduisim or being a Lutheran? If it's racial is it more important to "get" jews than Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans or Orientals? "Getting" Isreal is no more or less important than getting Lithuaunia, Sweden or Botswana to me.Of course it's important to understand your neighbors and their ambitions but we haven't really been able to do that since Isreal declared itelf a state in 1946. They play things pretty close to the vest anyway and only tell us and the rest of the world what they think we ought to know so "getting" them is really pretty much a supposition to begin with. Perhaps we place too much importance on keeping a warm, fuzzy feeling between ourselves and Isreal. They will inevitably do what they can get away with in the eyes of the world despite pressure from us. We are already the target of the Moslem world because of them, do we really need to feel an obligation to kiss their butts too to keep a smile on their faces?

[rjmiller]

I'm an American Jew, and I don't "get" American Jews and their concerns. Seriously.

Why are we preoccupied by Israel being a "Jewish state?" It's a country largely populated and run by Jews, isn't that enough? Why do we demand such a thing when we deplore and despise others, like the Islamic Republic of Iran, or even the Mormon state of Utah?

Why do we continue to use the Holocaust as an excuse for every violent act undertaken by Israel? It was over 60 years ago. Yes, never forget, but can't we move on? I don't see France referring to WWII every time it discusses policy with Germany. It just shouldn't figure in to current policy, and it has absolutely nothing to do with anything currently happening in Israel.

The truth is that these Jewish "fears" about Obama policies have been ongoing headlines since he first became a candidate. You know why he didn't need notes for that speech? Because he's given it about 100 times in the last 2 years. And yet the "Jewish community" still has reservations, probably simply because of his name and that he hasn't sung a song about blowing up Israel's supposed enemies.

[NYC]

the "jewish community" which voted over 80% for obama doesn't have to be blind supporters of someone who doesn't have any clear record on action and whose first act was hoping to be able to offer the Arab world a gift in Cairo by saying all settlements must stop. I think it was one of his misstatements (not understanding organic growth) and then he didn't want to back peddle. Now the Arab leaders have latched onto that statement to say they don't have to do anything (like denounce terrorism, or recognize Israel's right to exist) to be good faith negotiators.
Why does the Arab/Muslim world need to recognize Israel as a Jewish State, because the acknowledgement (both in statement and in act, by not continuing to teach your children that one day no Jews should live in the middle east) is the same as Israel's recognition of the Palestinian's right to self-determination. And in terms of the holocaust, it's the remembrance that not one country open it's borders to those refugees who tried to escape death that there needs to be one place Jews can always go.
Why is it only the Jewish people who have to justify their right to self determination? Why is it that Jews couldn't live in a Palestinian state once it is in existence? No one says Arabs and Muslims living in Israel would have to leave upon settling Palestinian statehood, is it unthinkable that a Jewish neighborhood could exist in Hebron,Pal­estine????

[BannedFromCommenting]

When we say "does he GET Jews?" We talking the religion or the ethnicity???

Thats whats so d@mned confusing.­.. Its not like Catholics were born in Catholica.

Where did Jewish people come from? Are they really JEWISH? I dont know of Jewishburgh.

Can someone explain it to me?

Didnt they "settle" in Israel and kick out the indigenous Palestinians that had been there thousands of years longer??
Someone give me a quick briefing.. articles I look up are always biased on history!

[Chernynkaya]

Good post, and clever- Catholica LOL!
OK, here goes. (I'm girding my loins here- ready for some haters.)

The original Jews were a group of tribes in the Middle East- pretty much where Israel, Syria, Iraq etc. are now. Over 5000 years ago (by the Jewish calendar if not for certain) they identified themselves as Hebrews or Jews.

They briefly had a Jewish state in what is now Israel, Jordan and Syria for a few hundred years. In 72 AD they were forced into exile by Babylonians, and they stayed in exile until 1948.

Between AD 72 and AD 1948, they were licked out and/or abused by every country where they wandered because they refused to convert to either Christianity or Islam, culminating in the Holocaust.

In the 1800 Zionism emerged with the idea among Jews that they needed their own country. Since the only one they ever had historically was Palestine, that's where a few pioneers went- and lived among the Palestinians, who resented this.

Because of their well documented history, and because after the Holocaust no country would take all the refugees, the United Nations granted them a state in Palestine. Wars ensued to this day.

That’s my two minute recap of 5000 years. Hope that helps.

[Chernynkaya]

Should have answered a couple of your non-historical questions too. Yes, Jews are really Jewish, ethically and culturally, if not always religiously. One way to answer :Who is a Jew?" is that even if you don't call yourself Jewish, there are plenty of others who will. My family came from Russia, but there wasn't a single Russian who would have called them Russians.

BTW, I'm not knowledgeable enough but you should also ask "Who are the Palestinians?" to get the fuller picture.

[pumpkin]

Generally speaking, Jewish people had their own distinct culture where ever they lived. They were distinct in Russia, Poland, Spain, etc. etc.. They were also persecuted (as were other ethnic groups) and kicked out pretty much every country in which they lived.

Jewish American have a shared historical culture the same way that Italian Americans, Irish Americans, Polish Americans, Persian Americans, etc. etc. do.

My great grandfather emigrated from Russia, but there's no way I consider myself to be Russian. Especially since my great grandfather had to flee his "mother country". The same is true for my great grandparents who left Poland and Germany.

Finally, not all Jewish people are Israelis and many of us have absolutely no desire to be.

[eklektikone]

Read a very smart, objective, and fair article by Edward Said "The Ideology of Difference" and you'll understand.

[jollyelle]

oh we can all breathe a huge sigh of relief....­....."he gets the Jews", thank goodness i was thinking for a moment we wouldn't be dividing into groups, based on belief, religion or ethnicity but for some reason~~
it's always acceptable for Jews to segregate themselves and refer to their intense loyalty to each other.

Is it equally acceptable for other groups of people to do this??????

Wouldn't it be better for the truth of Israel's governmental policies to be on the table.....­.....talk truthfully about the nukes, the wall, the occupation, the checkpoints, the bulldozing, the illegal settlement encroachment ~~~~ the rules, morals, ethics, whether he "gets" it or not should apply equally to ALL people. The emotional attachment many Jewish people have toward Israel should be separate from discussing the policies of the government. FAIRNESS, JUSTICE should overrule FAVORITISM.

[mrskorn]

Interesting that he did not invite Jewish Republican groups....­wonder why not.

[Chernynkaya]

Because to me, "Jewish Republican" is an oxymoron, as is "Christian Republican­." Today's Republican Party has nothing to do with Judeo/Christian values, and everything to do with greed, selfishness, big.otry, and rabid nationalism.

[hazmaq]

Mr. Harris, you and many other leaders of the Jewish faith commit grave errors and win no new supporters or friends - in fact quite the opposite - by continually inserting /mixing your faith into political and policy making discussions.

Your free use of the the word Jew, to most of us non-Jews, deliberately attempts to paint with a broad brush all Jews as being in line together as one group, when that is absolutely not the case. The hard line Jews clearly supported Clinton while the Moderates supported Obama.
While I would fight to the death to protect the freedom of anyone to practice their religion, or not, the consequences of you and other Jews demeaning the Jewish faith by using it as a political tool is just as severe as what the Right has done to the word "Christian' .

Because of that abuse and Israel's incessant use of violence and freedom from any accountability for that violence by the US I and I believe millions of other voted for Obama precisely because we will NOT vote for anyone with an imbalanced bias towards Israel. I refused to vote for a great Democrat Representative precisely because Congress is already at the beck and call of Israel.

Words have consequences Mr. Harris.
When I hear the word "Jew" as a mother I can't help but see impoverished children and mothers living like beggars on the streets of Palestine while my tax dollars keeps them fat and healthy.

[Transcendentobserver]

From all objective evidence, Mr. Harris, Pres. Obama and the vast majority of thinking people of most political stripes in America "get" the Jews. What is not evident, however, is how few American Jews and Israelis of all political persuasions "get" the Palestinians whose historical territorial homeland claims, empirically logical, and human rights substantive claims are subordinate to rationalization based upon theology and mythology.

[RobertHenryEller]

Forget about whether President Obama "gets" American Jews.

This American Jew wants to know, "Do American Jews get themselves?"

I.e., do they know what's good for them as Jews, consistent with what's good for them as Americans? Which is absolutely the same thing? Although many of us seem to think otherwise?

A two state solution is not only good for Israel, and good for Jews everywhere, including the United States. It is also good for all Americans, and everyone else in the world.

Oh, and one last thing. There are, ultimately, no viable alternatives, if Jews, American or otherwise, think that having a Jewish state at all is worthwhile.

Frankly, this American Jew is more than happy to be the citizen of a predominantly Christian nation. It became a more Christian nation, in the ways all Americans should care about, when we elected Barack Obama as President. And I hope it continues to become an even more truly Christian nation. And by Christian, I mean a Christianity that Jesus would recognize, and approve of.

You know, the simple stuff: Love thy neighbor. Do unto others. He who is without sin.

A truly predominantly Christian nation is one where all people, Christian and otherwise, would feel safe, and be safe, to raise their families and pursue their better dreams.

[Soulsurfer]

Unlike the Palestinia­ns........­.........

[Breakwind]

Very well said, sir!

[ponderingmuch]

I dunno if Obama "gets" Jews in America.

I dunno if he gets women, gays, or any other group.

Although I have not been thrilled with many of his positions since taking office, I so appreciate having a black man, a smart man, a man who can speak in genuine sentences,, that yes, I do forgive his increasing republicanism on some issues.

What did Spiro Agnew call us?

Effete nattering nabobs of negativism­...

I think we are positive, and I think Obama is doing the very best the inheritor of what the Nixon/Ford­/Carter/Bu­sh/Clinton­/Bush years left us with can do, so far.

Except for Afghanistan. And Don't Ask Don't Tell.

I like arugua, though i prefer beer to wine, and steak to tofu, but

[The Ghost]

Does the President "get" the Palestinians?

[Tackora]

Bigger problem is that this President does not get the American People, and the consequences that may follow.

[latia65]

o-bam = a(h)we get it, do you

[MyNameIsJames]

Who understands the American people better? He was elected President - that was not an accident? It was not an "Act of God" the people voted for him.

What have you to say about that?

[onepotatotwopotato]

This site represents some of the progressive Jewish concerns.
http://www.jpfo.org/index.htm

[i5kfun]

Who really cares about American Jews - they are a small and overly vocal minority. They have disproportionate representation in Congress, the Senate, and the upper echelon of business. Same goes for the evangelicals and the Catholics.

What I really want to know is does Obama "get" atheists or agnostics.

[pumpkin]

Many American Jews are atheists or agnostics.

[Bethab]

I am.

[editorjuno]

Yup -- the same goes for Israeli Jews. Judaism is a religion, Jewishness is a simple fact of ancestry.

[Chernynkaya]

As an American Jew, I agree completely with you.

[JoshLink]

I agree that atheists and agnostics are woefully under-represented in the American government.

A 2007 survey shows the top three religious denominations in America are Protestantism (51.3%), Roman Catholicism (23.9%), and no religion (16.1%). Judaism was a distant fourth (1.7%).

[editorjuno]

That's because non-believers don't congregate in tax-exempt meeting halls or form effective socio-political factions. If you think herding cats is impossible, try organizing atheists and/or agnostics -- e.g. the atheists think the agnostics are cowards for not unconditionallly denying "God" and the agnostics think the atheists are arrogant for denying the possibility of an unknown/unknowlable higher power.

[ssg13565]

The atheists may not be as under-represented as you think just from the numbers. After all there are probably a number of atheists in Congress who are still in the closet being vacated by the gays in Congress.

Of course, being in the closet probably prevents them from voting the way they would if they could truly and openly represent their own opinions. So in fact, your conclusion that atheists' interests are under-represented is true.