Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Hails Donald Trump’s ‘Toughness’ — Calls for Pro-Israel Unity
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach hailed Donald Trump’s victory and called his win a victory over the “weak” legacy of President Obama.
“Love him or hate him, the one thing that Trump showed throughout the campaign was an unimaginable toughness,” Boteach said. “The media, Hollywood, and television punditry threw the kitchen sink at him. And still he went on.”
Boteach said Obama drove America downhill by failing to take firm global leadership.
He called on Trump to reach out across the aisle to unite Americans.
“Trump now has the opportunity to be magnanimous in victory. To reach out to his foes and unite the country,” Boteach said. “He can show a generosity of spirit that will surprise his most ardent foes.”
The rabbi called on Trump to be a much closer ally of Israel’s government than he said President Obama has. He also called on the president-elect to back Israel’s claim to the occupied West Bank.
But most of all, Boteach insisted that Trump’s win was a clarion call for change in the U.S.
“Trump has a chance to bring renewal to America,” he said. “It will begin by doing his utmost to reach out to his critics and remake this country, from left to right and from Democrat to Republican, the United States.”
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
