There is one issue that matters in this election cycle.
Israel
Before you accuse me of dual loyalties, let me make it clear that this has nothing to do with Israel and everything to do with the United States.
Immigration, healthcare, criminal justice and war are all issues of morality. Even the economic issues that a President will deal with are mostly of a moral nature. Is it moral to allow some to struggle with poverty while others swim in riches? Is it moral to take more from the rich to help the middle class or poor? Ultimately every political issue is really a moral issue.
So rather than look at each individual issue, one may be well served to measure the candidates’ overall moral vision. Does this candidate have moral clarity?
But is there a morality test? How do you really know if a politician has moral clarity? After all, most issues can, perhaps legitimately, be seen a number of ways. And on those issues that are clear-cut, for example racism, all politicians claim to agree.
The one exception is Israel.
When it comes to Israel many politicians and world leaders suddenly reveal their complete moral ignorance and confusion.
Anyone who can imply any sort of moral equivalency between a terrorist and his victim clearly lacks moral clarity. Anyone who blames the killing of innocents on the building of settlements, or even implies it, cannot distinguish between right and wrong.
Israel is the perfect morality litmus test. It’s the one issue that’s so clear-cut on the one hand yet so many have gotten it wrong on the other.
If a candidate doesn’t “get it” when it comes to Israel, then I don’t trust he or she will “get it” with any other issue.
I have a lot more faith in a candidate who can clearly differentiate between right and wrong, between the only democracy in the Middle East and it’s neighbors that are sworn to its destruction.
Who is that candidate? I’ll leave that to you to decide.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Benjy Silverman
P.S. Join us for services followed by a light Shabbat dinner tonight at 5:30 pm