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

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
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.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
