As a businessman who has chaired publicly listed companies, and as a founder of a philanthropic foundation promoting Jewish unity, I have always refrained from expressing my political views in the media.
That is, until now.
The upcoming US presidential election is the most consequential in our lifetimes, and I am concerned about the damage being done to the American Jewish community and to the bonds between Jews in Israel and the Diaspora by the rhetoric of Donald Trump and his surrogates. This is why I am speaking out now.
The Genesis Prize was created to promote Jewish unity and ties between Israel and the Diaspora. The 13 laureates of the $1 million Genesis Prize – which Time magazine dubbed the Jewish Nobel Prize – represent both ends of the political and religious spectra. They include the legendary dissident Natan Sharansky and chief rabbi of the UK Lord Jonathan Sacks as well as the leader of the liberal wing of the US Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Barbra Streisand, known as much for her social activism as for her singing.
The Genesis Prize Foundation assiduously avoids politics. Our primary focus is to work for the unity of the Jewish people, which compels me for the first time to speak out on a political issue.
Tearing our community apart
People with political acumen much greater than mine have spoken about what the election of Trump would mean for democracy, the rule of law, and America’s role in the world. I have nothing to add to this part of the discourse.
But I do have a lot to say about what Trump’s campaign is doing to Jewish unity. Simply put, it is tearing apart our community – the last thing the already divided and polarized Jewish world needs. Which is why we, American Jews, must reject all attempts by the Republican nominee to tell us that if we vote for the Democratic Party, we are bad Jews, that we hate Israel and our religion, and that we should have our heads examined.
Let’s put partisanship aside and look at the facts. Each party has some things to be proud of and some things to be ashamed of. But arguing that one candidate is a panacea for the Jews and Israel while the other is the devil incarnate is simply untenable.
Diplomatic & military support
Much has been made of Trump’s political support for Israel, particularly the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem and the shepherding of the Abraham Accords. These accomplishments are important, and Trump should receive credit where credit is due. But several other actions were mostly symbolic and some, such as recognizing the legality of West Bank settlements, have cost Israel diplomatic support in the West, angered its Arab neighbors, and reduced the likelihood of peace.
Republicans also applaud Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and cite it as proof of Trump’s enormous contribution to Israel’s security. Indeed, there were challenges with the inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action at the time of Trump’s withdrawal from the deal in 2018.
Yet six years ago, Iran was 12 months away from being able to develop a nuclear weapon. Without any oversight or obligations to curtail its nuclear activities since 2018, Iran’s nuclear program advanced to the point where the Islamic Republic can have its first nuclear weapon in one to two weeks and up to 10 weapons in 60 days.
During the presidential debate on September 10, Trump proclaimed that Israel “will not exist within two years” if Harris is elected president. This is utter nonsense. The Biden/Harris administration has been steadfast in its support of Israel, especially since October 7th. It has authorized an unprecedented $14 billion military aid package and ensured that the US military backed Israel when it was attacked by 300 Iranian missiles in April.
In August, the US deployed submarines and aircraft carriers to help Israel defend against expected Iranian retaliation for the death of Ismail Haniyeh. And many Middle East experts believe that the standoff between Israel and Hezbollah has not exploded into a full-blown war because the US military is on standby in the region.
Fringe elements among Democrats
Republicans are also promoting a narrative that Democrats are beholden to fringe anti-Israel elements. Facts, however, point in the opposite direction. For example, the platform approved by the delegates to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) contains 29 positive references to Israel and the Jewish community. And how many references are there in the Republican Party’s platform? Two.
It is also worth pointing out that none of the critics of Israel were given an opportunity to speak from the podium at the DNC, while seven Jewish elected officials were given prime time speaking slots. This compares to only one Jewish elected official who spoke at the Republican convention.
Finally, according to a July report by the Brookings Institution, only 2% of anti-Israel Democratic congressional candidates won their primary contests, compared with 3% of anti-Israel Republican candidates. In other words, the anti-Israel message fails to resonate with Democratic as well as Republican voters.
Republicans, where are your Jews?
What we saw at the political conventions reflects the souls of both parties. The Democratic Party welcomes Jewish voices, involvement, and leadership. It is a big tent, where Jews are both more numerous and more influential than in the Republican Party.
Thus, there are four Jewish cabinet members in the Biden administration while there was only one in Trump’s. There are four Jewish Democratic governors and zero Republicans. Eight of the 48 Democratic senators are Jewish, yet there is not a single Jew among the 49 Republican senators. Twenty-five Jewish House members are Democrats while only two are Republican.
Joe Lieberman was the first Jewish person on a major presidential ticket, as vice presidential nominee with Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is the highest-ranking Jew in American political history.
How about the president’s chief of staff? As one of the most powerful positions in any administration, this official controls access to the president and has enormous influence in determining what issues the commander in chief focuses on and what advice the president receives. In the Biden administration, both chiefs of staff – Ron Klain (2021-2023) and Jeff Zients (2023-present) – are Jews. Obama also had two Jewish chiefs of staff: Rahm Emanuel and the Orthodox Jack Lew (who is now US ambassador to Israel).
Trump had four chiefs of staff; none were Jewish.
Dangerous rhetoric
Trump has a long record as a dog whistler to white supremacists and antisemites, referring to “the other” as not “real Americans.” He regularly uses Hitlerian rhetoric in describing immigrants as dangerous “vermin” who are “poisoning the blood of our country.”
In May, The New York Times analyzed Trump’s emails to his supporters and statements from Republican members of Congress that used antisemitic messages and tropes. The report found – in 2023 alone – at least 790 Trump emails as well as over 300 antisemitic messages from 79 congressional Republicans versus about 20 over the last decade from the Democrats.
But one does not need a New York Times investigation to see how Trump continues to divide us. It is there in the open. How else are we supposed to react to statements like the one he made in a March 2024 Fox interview: “Every Jewish person who votes for the Democrats hates their religion. They hate Israel and they should be ashamed of themselves.” Trump expressed the same sentiments on September 4 at a gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition, where he said that American Jews “will not survive” if Kamala Harris is elected.
Don’t worry, Mr. Trump. We will.
Unity, not division
The Genesis Prize Foundation is committed to unifying, not dividing, the Jewish people. We were one of the early partners of the initiative called “Our Common Destiny,” a project with the president of Israel aimed at strengthening unity in the global Jewish community. I care deeply about the safety and prosperity of Israel. And I resent and reject attempts by Trump and the Republicans to divide the Jewish people by telling us that we should be ashamed of ourselves if we vote for one party over another.
American Jews will be making their choice based on many different factors, including the candidates’ economic agenda, their social policies, and hopefully, their character. But for the voters who pick their candidate primarily based on which party is best for Israel and American Jews, the answer is clear: Pick the party that is working to unify the Jewish people, not divide them.
Choose the candidate that does not call you a bad Jew if you make the choice he doesn’t agree with. Vote for the party that doesn’t imply that Jews have dual loyalties and are thus not “real Americans” like those in the MAGA movement.
And most importantly, use your vote to send a signal to the demagogues in the Republican Party that we will not allow them to manipulate Jews and tear our community apart for their political gain.
I know I will.
The writer lives in New York and is a co-founder and chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation. The views expressed in this article are his own. This year, the $1 million Genesis Prize was awarded to Israeli organizations and activists working to release and support hostages and their families.
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