Far-right billionaires throw their weight around Diaspora

In a few weeks, on Rosh Hashanah, Jews worldwide will pray for the good of humanity in the Jewish year to come, 5786. An end to war and to hunger, an end to injustice and to persecution – a year of peace and a personal resolve to do better. Jews will also pray for their country, its leaders and its government.

In the United States, Jews in many synagogues will intone a prayer for the wellbeing of the President and his Administration – and quietly murmur under their breath: “May God bless and keep Donald Trump... far away from us!”

Trump’s first year has been defined by unpredictability and uncertainty, a dismissal of the opinions of Congress, a wave of executive orders and a desire to sell out to dictators. It is government by real estate agents.

On the Jewish level, this represents a reversal of the Jewish Enlightenment, the Haskalah which promoted modern Jewish values – a reverence for democracy, rationalism and the rule of law. Trump’s regime has delighted the haredim who never historically accepted the Haskalah and its openness. Instead, they preferred to rebuild the ghetto walls from which they had been liberated.  

Another group of Jews which has welcomed the second coming of Trump has been a section of the Jewish business community and several now have important posts in government. Jewish communities have always depended on the generosity and munificence of Jewish philanthropists.