We live in a free country, thank G-d, and if Yaakov Shwekey wishes to express his appreciation to the president for standing up for Israel, then he may certainly do so. Shwekey’s song was expressing hakaras hatov – a deep and heart-felt appreciation to the president and to this country – for watching Israel’s back – for looking out for the safety of its near seven million citizens. The Rabbi then labels Schwekey’s song as “odious.” For those unfamiliar with the term the dictionary defines this word as “repulsive” and “extremely unpleasant.” President/To stand strong.”Įxcruciatingly? Dictionary definition: extremely painful agonizing. It included lyrics like “It’s been four great years/Four GREAT years/And you know don’t you really know/You’ve been heaven-sent, Mr. He writes: “ Ironically, excruciatingly, within days of the release of our letter, a Jewish singer entertained a group of summer campers with a musical ode to the president. The Rabbi follows this up with a full-throttle attack on singer Yaakov Schwekey. One can argue that the past few years’ excesses are worse than those that preceded them, not only in degree but in kind.” “ It’s something of an own goal if you identify your candidate with lies and conspiracies.”ĭo we detect an ever-so-subtle smugness and smile with that line? As in, “Ha Ha! I got you! I wrote against Trump and you were the one who said it was Trump – not me!”Īnd then – the author fully admits his partisan side: “ To be sure, a case can be made that the current president has taken the most lamentable aspects of politics to new levels. “ We did lament the effect on us all of the devaluation of “good character and benevolent governance.”Īnd then the clincher – the “I can’t help it if YOU THINK that I am talking about not voting for Trump.” Notwithstanding these denials, the author admits: Really? Does anyone out there really think that the author genuinely believes that he was not writing about Trump? We took pains, moreover, to state explicitly that nothing in the letter was intended to address anyone’s voting choices.We were accused, falsely, of trying to tell people to vote against President Trump in November.” The letter decried not only the perniciousness of rabid partisanship but also efforts to use Israel as a partisan political weapon. He continues: “ It was the opposite of what we had written. Is that really so? Most people were not surprised at all. we were surprised when we were accused of a partisan political attack.” In today’s Forward, that same prominent Rabbi writes about that article: Out of the dozen or so people whom I discussed the article with, every single one of them said that it was a statement not to vote for President Trump. It was entitled, “Sinai, Not Washington,” and its message hid behind the idea that there is an “unhealthy intertwining of Torah values and politics” which “brings disrepute to Torah and harm to Torah Jews.” Recently, however, a prominent Rabbi associated with a large Jewish organization and others wrote an open letter to the Orthodox community that was a thinly veiled statement supporting the candidacy of Joe Biden – notwithstanding the rise of anti-Israel sentiment in the left wing sections of the Democrat party. The song expresses thanks to the president and prays that he be granted four additional years in office. Shwekey to launch a song – aside from his profound sense of hakaras hatov – appreciation. It is probable that it was these three factors that prompted Mr. Shwekey is very uneasy about the growing anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment of the new left. Shwekey was thinking when he recorded and produced his new song. Ensuring its safety and those of her citizens time after time ensuring that Iran not develop a nuclear bomb after ten years recognizing Israel’s right to the Golan having Israel’s back in terms of making sure that she is safe are perhaps all part of what Mr. Schwekey has deep appreciation for everything that President Trump has done for Israel. One can surmise that Yaakov Schwekey loves Israel and is concerned about the safety of the people in it.
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