Any semblance of restraint and discipline to avoid mixing politics and religion in America are gone. With such high stakes in the November mid-term elections, fewer religious groups are willing to hold off weighing in. Each week, I look at the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix and see how bitter things are getting.Start with advertising. In full-age ads on page 3 and 5 in the Sept. 8 issue, the Republican Jewish Coalition takes full aim on former President Jimmy Carter and then heralds President George Bush on page 5. With a Wall Street Journal/NBC Poll of July 6, it shows support for Israel by party runs 84 percent for Republicans and 43 percent for Democrats. It asserts, that recent polling suggests Carter does represent Democrats in their abandonment of Israels right to defend itself. Carters photo is featured along side a Der Spiegel magazine quote, dated Aug. 15: I don’t think Israel has any legal or moral justification for their massive bombing of the entire nation of Lebanon and I represent the vast majority of Democrats. Then comes the statement, Its time you ask yourself: Does the Democratic Party still represent you?”
On page 5, a black and white photo of former pre-World War II British prime minister Neville Chamberlain, long identified with appeasement with Hitler, carries the headline, He said appeasement would guarantee peace. Instead it guaranteed the death of six million Jews. The text goes on to say that appeasers like Neville Chamberlain always promise peace. They say we all need to do is make concessions to our enemies. They are wrong. The ad says Bush knows how important it is to confront the forces of tyranny and oppression. Mr. President, history will show you are right. And it ends, Mr. President, thank you for standing strong.
For months, an angry battle of words has been waged in the pages of the Jewish News regarding Rep. J. D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., and his lauding Henry Ford in his book about U.S. border/immigration issues, Whatever It Takes. Hayworth hailed the automaker for his stance on the Americanization of workers. But Jews quickly said the congressmen should choose his heroes more carefully because Ford was openly critical of Jews, propagating his ideas through his independent Dearborn, Mich., newspaper in the serializing of a work called The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. Beginning with the Jewish News own editorial in early summer criticizing Hayworth, issue after issue of the weekly has carried letters to the editor blasting or defending Hayworth, along with the lawmaker’s own reply. The angry discussion has been followed nationally.
Three testy letters were chosen for the latest issue and they reflect previous letters. Sandor Shuch of Phoenix warns that voting Democratic will put Michigan congressmen like John Dingell and John Conyers into House leadership seats. Shuch says they were among eight congressmen who didnt support a resolution favoring Israel in its recent battle with Hezbollah. Election of a Democratic Congress will lead to withdrawal from Iraq, which will strengthen the hands of Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas and be a major defeat for both this country and Israel, he wrote.
But Samuel Feinstein of Scottsdale wondered aloud how Jews could support Republicans. He regards it as the most puzzling political turn of events that I have ever encountered. Feinstein then accuses Hayworth of raping of America, gutting of environmental laws, threatening Social Security and destruction of valuable social programs. He underscored, I dont need to to remind you that such social progress was championed and accomplished by a disproportionately large number of Jews. For me, it has always been a source of pride. He then touted Democratic House candidate Harry Mitchell as someone who clearly and unequivocally support Israel.
Finally, Gordon Weiner, Arizona State University professor emeritus and one-time Jewish studies program chair, no stranger to controversy, wrote a commentary, “Henry Ford responds. Weiner says Republicans try to too lightly dismiss Hayworths embrace of Ford. It is interesting to note that Hitler read the Ford volumes while a prisoner after the failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923 and credits Ford with his enlightenment of the Jewish problems, Weiner said. Then he excerpts the Ford writing, pointing to the automakers assertion that one of the strongest causes militating against the full Americanization of several millions of Jews in this country is their belief — instilled in them by their religious authorities — that they are ‘chosen, that this land is theirs, that the inhabitants are idolators, that the day is coming when the Jews will be supreme.
Dont expect this debate to end until at least Nov. 7. We’ll be watching what might be raised this Sunday afternoon (Sept. 17) at Temple Emanual of Tempe where federal office candidates and other office-seekers will debate. The District 5 candidates, Mitchell and Hayworth, are among those invited. (Those from District 4 and 6 also are invited.) It will be 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the temple, 5801 S. Rural Road.
