Saturday night, President Trump delivered a 45-minute speech (video embedded below) to the Israeli American Council (IAC) in Hollywood, Florida. Trump spoke about his accomplishments relevant to the pro-Israel and Jewish Communities. They included his administration’s decisions to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2017, move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, and eliminate funding for the Palestinian Authority, all delivered with interjections of the Trump humor, which many liberals still don’t get. He subtly fought the dual loyalty canard by telling stories about American Jews who loved this country and urged the crowd to vote for to give another term in the White House. It didn’t matter to two far-left Jewish Groups who claimed the address was peppered with anti-Semitic canards or the MSM who believed them.
After beginning his words with the customary introduction of every VIP in attendance, the President reminded the IAC of the difference between him and his predecessor. And he gave a dig to those who voted for Obama despite his hatred of Israel.
“So many of you voted for people in the last administration. Someday you’ll have to explain that to me because I don’t think they liked Israel too much,” he said and followed up with another truism, “The Jewish State has never had a better friend in the White House than your President, Donald J. Trump. After eight long years in which our alliance was undermined and neglected, I’m happy to report that the United States-Israeli relationship is stronger now than ever before.”
When telling the story of offering David Friedman the Israel Ambassador job, Trump made an uncomfortable but valid statement, “You have people that are Jewish people, that are great people — they don’t love Israel enough.” Two far-left Jewish groups, the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), which promotes the Democratic Party before Jewish issues, and the anti-Israel BDS supporting J Street, flipped over this point even though many Jewish and Israeli pundits have spoken about the emerging split between Israel and some (liberal) American Jews.
Even though it was only two groups, one controlled by the Democratic Party, and the other created by George Soros and given credence by former President Obama. Many in the media, including The Hill, The Week, MarketWatch, The Washington Post, and others, published the objections of these two groups, but not one of the media stories mentioned that each of the groups had an anti-Trump and anti-Israel bias.
Trump told a funny story about all the pressure he received when his administration leaked he would be announcing a move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
And I heard this from many people. And then the time came closer and closer, and I did something that was smart because I learned then and there — for that two-week period, I was inundated — I learned why other Presidents, in all fairness to them, why they made the campaign promise but why they never got it off: Because they were besieged by foreign leaders. The top, the biggest people in the world called them. You wouldn’t believe how many; some countries you never even heard of were calling. (Laughter.) I said, “What’s that country all about?” (Laughter.)
And about a week and a half out, I said, “Listen, tell these people I’m going to call them back. I’m so busy.” (Laughter and applause.) True. I said, “Tell them I’m going to call them back. I’ll get to them as soon as I can.” And one week went by, and then three days went by, and then I made the announcement at the White House that we’re moving the embassy to Jerusalem and that Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel. Finally, somebody said it. Right? (Applause.)
(…) “I was inundated — I learned why other Presidents, in all fairness to them, why they made the campaign promise but why they never got it off: Because they were besieged by foreign leaders. The top, the biggest people in the world called them. You wouldn’t believe how many; some countries you never even heard of were calling”
“And about a week and a half out, I said, ‘Listen, tell these people I’m going to call them back. I’m so busy,’ I said. ‘Tell them I’m going to call them back. I’ll get to them as soon as I can.’ And one week went by, and then three days went by, and then I made the announcement at the White House that we’re moving the embassy to Jerusalem and that Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel.”
So I call: “Hi, King. What’s up? What’s happening?” (Laughter.) He said, “I wanted to tell you I didn’t like you doing that with Israel.” “Oh, man! I wish I called you back a little sooner. I’m sorry.” (Laughter.) Call a president: “What’s up, President?” “I wanted to tell you not to do that, sir. But you’ve done it.” What can I — “Yeah, I wish — you know, I wish I could have gotten you sooner, but I’m so busy.” (Laughter.) I took about 40 of those calls. Right? Everyone was the same: “I wanted to tell you…” I said, “But, you know, in the meantime, it opened and it was, you know, really pretty amazing.” It was done. We did the deal.
Trump went through all his other pro-Israel and pro-Jewish decisions. He spoke about recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Israel’s absolute right to self-defense, and his support of the Taylor Force Act to withhold U.S. taxpayer dollars from the Palestinian Authority until they stop rewarding terrorists with blood money. He also reminded the crowd of what many consider his most significant pro-Israel policy, pulling out of the horrible JCPOA (Iran deal) and crippling the Iran economy with new sanctions.
Turning to politics and his re-election, President Trump made the same political points using the same language used at every political rally over the past few months. His words sprinkled with the usual Trump’s humor.
Talking about his real estate prowess and David Friedman looking for a place to put the Embassy in Jerusalem, Trump joked about those in the audience who were in the real estate business, whom he worked with his entire life. He also Joked about the fact he got little of the Jewish vote in 2016. And he slipped in the same dig at Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) that he’s been using at all recent rallies.
“A lot of you are in the real estate business because I know you very well. You’re brutal killers. (Laughter.) Not nice people at all. But you have to vote for me; you have no choice. You’re not going to vote for Pocahontas. I can tell you that. (Laughter and applause.) You’re not going to vote for the wealth tax. ‘Yeah, let’s take 100 percent of your wealth away.’ No, no. Even if you don’t like me, some of you don’t. Some of you I don’t like at all, actually. (Laughter.) And you’re going to be my biggest supporters because you’ll be out of business in about 15 minutes if they get it. So, I don’t have to spend a lot of time on that.”
This led to another far-left group freakout. They claimed the POTUS used “negative stereotypes that have been used historically to target Jews.” But he wasn’t using negative stereotypes against Jews; most of his words were self-deprecating humor about real estate moguls of which he was one before he became President. They complained about him saying, “you have to vote for me, you have no choice,” another joke, one he has used at recent town halls. As for the 100% tax, the President may have been referring to a November 15th Wall Street Journal study explaining that if Warren’s wealth tax were to be implemented, some wealthy people would be paying well over 100% of their income in taxes. Overall the President was funny, and the crowd ate it up. Perhaps the two far-left Jewish groups do a Google search for a “sense of humor.”
We’re not going to hold our breath waiting for Trump's supporters to speak out. We are going to work tirelessly to defeat this president and those who’ve enabled him 11 months from now.
— J Street (@jstreetdotorg) December 8, 2019
Trump’s next section spoke of his fight against Antisemitism.
Throughout history, anti-Semitism has produced untold pain, suffering evil, and destruction. We must not ignore the vile poison or those who spread its venomous creed.
My administration is committed to aggressively challenging and confronting anti-Semitic bigotry in every resource, and using every single weapon at our disposal.
As examples, Trump pointed to pulling the U.S. out of the anti-Semitic U.N. Human Rights Council. And the Administrations fight against the BDS movement. He brought up Adela Cojab, a recent NYU graduate who faced Antisemitism and took legal action against NYU only two weeks before graduation. Her case was accepted by the Department of Education, who began an investigation of NYU for its failure to protect Jewish students. Ms. Cojab finished with another truism, “I am extremely thankful to live in a country where the Office of Civil Rights takes the concerns of Jewish students seriously.” Antisemitism in U.S. colleges is not new, the DOE getting involved is new.
The POTUS went on to discuss the BDS support and Antisemitism coming from the Democratic Party, which has been covered often on this site.
Of the Democratic Party and other Antisemitism, Trump declared, “My administration strongly opposes this despicable rhetoric. And as long as you’re — and I am standing before you, as long as I’m your President, it makes no difference. It’s not happening. Okay? It stops at my desk.”
He then introduced Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, Elan Carr, for a few words. Carr revealed in their conversations, Trump calls it the “vile poison of anti-Semitism.”
The final section of his speech was my personal favorite because he spoke of, and gave examples of Jewish Americans’ love of their country. Coming after his discussion of Democratic Party Antisemitism, The President’s words seemed to this reporter like a subtle rebuke of the dual loyalty canard.
“From America’s earliest days, Jewish citizens have made some of the greatest and most extraordinary contributions to American life and culture. Jewish Americans have fought, bled, and died at every major American war dating back to our struggle for independence.”
As examples, Trump began by telling the story of Master Sergeant Meyer Levin, who was among the first Americans to bomb a Japanese warship and in his final mission, sacrificed his life to save others the rest of the people on his plane.
And his final example told what was to many, an unknown story of a well-known figure:
In every generation, Jewish American patriots have strengthened, sustained, uplifted, and inspired our nation. In a moment, the Shalva Band will conclude this event with a song that we know very well. Before they do, I want to tell the famous story behind it.
In 1918, a young Jewish American soldier stationed at Camp Upton, in New York, wrote a prayer in the form of a song. His name was Irving Berlin — maybe the greatest of them all. And he held that song close to his heart for more than 20 years. He did not release the song until 1938, as the world learned of Hitler’s evil atrocities against the Jewish people.
On November 10th of that year, his song broadcast through the radio and into the homes all across the country. Millions and millions of people were inspired. It was the first time Americans heard Irving Berlin’s timeless hymn, “God Bless America.”
These words became the prayer of our nation, the prayer that traveled to the islands of the Pacific, to the beaches of Normandy, and all the way to Nazi territory, where American soldiers open the gates of concentration camps and liberated Jewish survivors.
It’s the prayer that Americans sang as we faced down communism and as we came together as one nation after 9/11. It’s the prayer that still unites us today and the hope that burns bright in our hearts, because we are proud American patriots. We love this magnificent nation with every ounce of our strength, spirit, and soul.
Early in his speech, President Trump said, “The Jewish State has never had a better friend in the White House than your President, Donald J. Trump.” After evaluating all the pro-Israel policies described in his speech to the Israeli American Council, one would be hard-pressed to disagree. Unless, of course, you subscribe to the teachings of the anti-Trump, anti-Israel, far-left groups promoted by the mainstream media.
