Larry Gordon and David Friedman
Ambassador John Bolton, Larry Gordon, MK Ayelet Shaked,
Paul Brody, and Mort Klein of the ZOA
By Larry Gordon
It’s known as the “Chinese curse,” but there does not seem to be any substantive source for the adage attributed to the ancient Chinese, “May you live in interesting times.” The closest thing to a Chinese maxim along these lines is “Better to be a dog in peaceful times than a human during a warring period.”
Regardless of who said it or when, these are—for better or for worse—very interesting times. And the period referred to here is not the last decade or the next few years; it is the here and now—that is, these next few weeks as we head into the November election for president of the United States.
Under Barack Obama, it has been not just an eight-year stretch of almost completely broken government. And it’s not just an administration that has done its utmost to implement a vision of one man. This is a presidency that, as it winds down, as its weeks and days prepare to dissolve and disappear into history, will seek to inflict lasting damage, in particular when it comes to the impact that Mr. Obama can have on Israel and his consistent failed efforts to achieve Palestinian statehood, one of the prime objectives of his presidency from the outset.
So these are undeniably interesting times on that level as well as a myriad of others. First there is the ongoing race for the White House between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. These are not just two candidates vying for the position that is the perch from which the leader of the free world governs and inspires countries, leaders, and the world around us. By this time, it is clear to most that these two represent a dichotomy in fundamental philosophies regarding the essence of the United States of America. And America is split almost right down the middle.
Next Monday night’s debate between Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton will probably be the most watched contest since Muhammad Ali faced Joe Frazier in the “Thrilla in Manilla” in 1975. In that faceoff, Ali won when Frazier could not come out to fight in the 15th round. Fortunately, there will not be any punches thrown in next week’s debate, but in this contest almost everyone will be looking for the political version of a TKO, a technical knockout.
In the aftermath of last week’s terrorist bombings in New York and New Jersey, we can rest assured that right out of the gate (that’s horse-racing imagery) the subject will be about national security, protecting Americans, and the tie-in to immigration policy and the Democratic commitment to open up our southern borders to a virtual free-for-all, with the consequences being whatever they might be.
To put things into a bit of a more crystallized context, I had the opportunity last week to hear from three voices of the future. The subject was the issues at stake in the coming election. The event took place at the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates and featured mind-opening and informative presentations by Israel’s Justice Minister, Ayelet Shaked; Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Fox News commentator John Bolton; and Donald Trump’s top adviser on Israel, David Friedman.
Though, as chairman and organizer of the event Dr. Joe Frager said, this was not a partisan event, it clearly had a Trumpian/Republican tilt, as each time Mr. Trump was mentioned, the utterance of his name received rousing applause from the jam-packed crowd. And it was that way in all likelihood by design. Ms. Shaked is second in the HaBayit HaYehudi party, a key player in the current ruling coalition of Prime Minister Netanyahu. Ambassador Bolton served at the UN under President George W. Bush. Mr. Friedman is an attorney, an ardent supporter of Israel, and a close friend of Mr. Trump’s.
While there is no question that all along Mr. Trump has been a candidate that marches to the beat of a different drum, in our estimation his candidacy is the only chance to redirect and restore important values that have fallen to the wayside and been trampled upon these last eight years.
Take last weekend in New York. In the immediate aftermath of the bombings in Chelsea, Mayor Bill de Blasio faced the media with the most contorted and disjointed statement, which must have been coordinated with the Clinton campaign, on what had occurred. And that is that even though we are victims of a terror attack, the idea is to blur what happened and use all strength to try to label it a crime motivated by something other than radical Islam.
The first thing the mayor said was that the bombing was “intentional,” but that there were no known ties to terrorism at this point. Was he trying to calm New Yorkers with that statement? Was he doing his best to make the passivity and nonchalance of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton legitimate? Or was he just simply resisting telling it like it is? Upon reflection, it is obvious that it was the latter.
So now some points about what the speakers had to say on Sunday night in Queens. Minister Shaked talked at length about her political party’s commitment to the building up of Judea and Samaria and her legal battles against NGOs—non-governmental organizations—that are dedicated to damaging and delegitimizing Israel around the world.
Ambassador Bolton is one of the great non-Jewish advocates and defenders of Israel on the scene today. He minces no words and tells it like it is clearly and succinctly as a commentator on Fox News and in his numerous speaking engagements around the country.
Bolton says that the two-state solution is a dead letter these days with no chance of being revived. As for the meeting at the UN this week at which Mr. Obama was supposed to pressure Mr. Netanyahu on the two-state formula, Bolton says that is just Obama’s obduracy at play and his attachment to formulas and ideas that simply do not work.
Another one of his diplomatic pet peeves is the constant insistence, especially heard in the UN and from critics of Israel, that the Jewish state employs “disproportionate force” when fighting its attackers. Bolton said this concept is mostly a UN-concocted idea that is used almost exclusively in situations where Israel is forced to defend herself. He said it was his hope that if anyone would attack the U.S. or Israel, the response would be sufficient enough to defeat the enemy. In his estimation, there is just no other way.
Bolton adds that the military reality is that so-called disproportionate force actually saves lives. So long as there is military restraint, as the world urges Israel to employ, and battles against enemies are prolonged, the result will be additional casualties.
And though he wasn’t featured as a headliner on the program, the erudite David Friedman made a compelling presentation on the subject of Donald Trump and Israel. While Clinton will probably not be the same as Obama on Israel, a Trump presidency would most likely be the best-ever in terms of bilateral relations between the two countries.
To illustrate that point, Friedman pointed to the Republican platform, which makes no mention of a commitment to a two-state solution on the U.S.–Israel track. Additionally, on the matter of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem, Friedman says, “Trump is going to do it.”
There are many questions about and a great deal riding on both candidates’ performances at Monday night’s debate. It is estimated it will be seen by over 100 million people. The important thing for Trump is to stay away from gaffes, not go off on a tangent, stay focused, and not allow Clinton to provoke him into losing it and saying something that will not play well and that Mr. Trump will come to regret.
When it comes to politics, the so-called experts say that this is where Hillary is comfortable. Elected office is her life and business. Donald Trump is just a businessman, a true political novice who has never held elected office. So if Hillary is the perfect, experienced candidate and Trump is way out of his league, why do the polls show that the race is so close?
Interesting times—very interesting.
Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome at editor@5tjt.com.