Beyond comprehension
Some things are beyond comprehension. Among these are the letter from Rabbi Mark Levin in the Dec. 26, 2019, edition of The Chronicle and the letter in last week’s issue supporting him.
President Trump is issuing an executive order directing the Department of Education to consider whether incidents of harassment or discrimination on university campuses are motivated by anti-Semitism, and to withhold government funds if this is the case. Rabbi Levin and his supporter demur. Rabbi Levin states that Jews are not protected under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. He could not be more wrong. Both the Bush and Obama administrations pronounced that Jews are a protected group under Title VI. Why would any Jew oppose this?
To attempt to justify his bizarre conclusion, the rabbi proclaims “the false concept of race.” Wow, he’s solved the race problem, single handedly! If race is a false concept, racism is impossible. How can there be racism if there aren’t any races? He also states that the problem on college campuses must be fought with ideas, by faculty teaching, by the university administration making clear that anti-Semitism will not be tolerated. That is incredibly naive. It is precisely these faculties and university administrations that are in the forefront of promoting anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, and pro-BDS activity.
The rabbi’s ally finds it impossible to believe that President Trump is a friend of the Jews. This is very odd considering Trump, in addition to his executive order, has moved the American embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, recognized the legality of settlements in the Jordan Valley and imposed additional sanctions on Hezbollah.
Elsewhere, Trump has been denounced as an anti-Semite. Very strange behavior for an anti-Semite. Very strange behavior for one who is not a friend of Israel and the Jews.
What this all boils down to is that there are individuals so consumed with hatred of Trump they will never grant him credit for anything, and will advocate any convoluted twist of reasoning, no matter how weird, to denounce anything he does.
Lee Levin
Leawood, Kansas
