It’s a common trope in America: Jews are controlling Wall St. Hollywood, Politics etc. It is a common thing to hear, so common that we barely pay attention to it. But this year, a Jew is running for American Presidency. It is the first time in over 200 years of Jews living in this country, that there’s even a sliver of a chance that it might happen. He would be the first in over 44 past Presidents to be a Jewish President. As an American citizen, that is something he has the full right to do so, unless one is an anti-semite as one of them pointed out that Bernie is Jewish and that that somehow makes him unqualified or threatening at a Bernie rally.
I’ll first address those who think Jews somehow “control” things. Jews don’t control things, they work. They study hard, get good degrees, hold down jobs and are then chosen as qualified candidates for jobs that require people who worked hard and with integrity. Lots of them are non Jewish, 5 of the seven Supreme Court are not Jewish, the current President and most of his cabinet is not Jewish, most of the Congress is not Jewish, most of Hollywood is not Jews, but some people, in important positions are Jewish, just as some of them are Muslim, Hindu and Christian. But it doesn’t matter to xenophobes that some of them are Christian, it only matters to them that they are Jewish. They think that Jews are there for some other reason than to just work, but to control things. That they are somehow less than American, same way they see Asians or Latinos. They assume that somehow there is nepotism or preference or that there’s a cabal of some sort even if there is no evidence of it, that instead it is just Jews, having jobs like anyone else. Xenophobe’s only evidence is that a person has a job and that they are Jewish.
That is pure and simple anti-semitism and xenophobia, a fear of the other and our country must do a better job of fighting back these comments because they are hurtful to people who worked hard to get to do jobs which are important for all people. It is important for this country to pick the most qualified candidates if we are to be successful and we can’t do that if we throw out candidates based on race, religion or sexual orientation. But that is exactly what these people do, doubt people based on no evidence other than the genetic make-up of a candidate instead of their qualifications and proven character.
It is true that Jews represent a larger portion than the .8% of America. But that for a simple reason that culturally, Jews are encouraged by their parents to go to college and strive for A’s and good jobs. This is not something that is closed to anyone else, and the vast majority of the best jobs do go to non-Jews because there aren’t that many Jews. In fact, we ought to change our culture because if we had a culture where all people were encouraged to get good grades instead of being good at sports, if all people were encouraged to go to college and get great jobs, then we would probably have .8% of Jews represented in the jobs that require advanced degrees. But until that point, Jews will be over-represented but they will be doing a good job for their employers and thus the country and it is not control, but responsibility, responsibility all are free to earn.
So if a Zionist Jew does become the President, it is not because someone places him there to execute a Zionist agenda, but because the people of this country felt that he is the most qualified person to do the job of the President of this country, to run this country in the interest of all Americans, including the Jews. Unless, you are an irrational xenophobe who based on nothing more than the cultural heritage of a Senator who served this country honorably and honestly, somehow represents a threat to you on no more evidence than his name and the religion of his parents and the racial make-up of his DNA.