Donald Trump Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Visit The Western Wall

Image by Forward Montage

By Scott Prosterman May 18, 2017

If Israel allows President Donald Trump to visit the Western Wall on his upcoming visit, it would constitute a horrible desecration of a holy site. This spiritually vapid man would use the visit as another chance to wrap himself in false sanctimony; Israel cannot let this happen.

This would be true even if Trump had not revealed Israeli intelligence in his meeting with Russian officials. Sadly, many thoughtful Jews have bought into the notion that Republicans (and by extension President Trump) love Israel more than Democrats do because Republicans don’t try to restrain Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ilk from self-destructive policies and actions. Well…how do you feel about him now? Trump loves Russia and talks to Russian officials, often recklessly. Russia supports Iran. Iran’s leadership hates Israel. Whether out of malice or carelessness, Trump is compromising Israel’s security.

Republicans may now have set the United States on path towards a new Soviet alliance. Why do I use the dated term Soviet? With Vladimir Putin, a former high-level KGB operative, in charge, it’s not so dated.

Trump doesn’t love Israel or Jews — he doesn’t possess the capacity for any sort of love beyond self-worship. Israel cannot allow itself and our holiest sites to be used as a campaign prop for this self-aggrandizing campaign of wealth concentration and global destruction. Please keep him away from the Western Wall.

H. Scott Prosterman, a rabbinical school reject, is a writer, editor and counselor in Berkeley. He was born in the 50’s, grew up in the 60’s, thrived in the 70’s, barely survived the 80’s and regrouped in the 90’s. He still blames himself for helping to elect Ronald Reagan by voting for Barry Commoner.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO