Sometimes an anti-Semitic tweet is just an anti-Semitic tweet

Was the tweet that Donald Trump refuses to disown anti-Semitic?

It was not – except that it was.

The content of the tweet was not anti-Semitic. No one would say it is anti-Semitic had it been published by, say, The Jewish Journal to protest the corrupt ways of, say, Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. That is to say: there is nothing inherently anti-Semitic about the Star of David. There is nothing inherently anti-Semitic about calling Hillary Clinton – last I checked, not Jewish – corrupt. So it is not the content that makes the tweet suspicious. It is the context that makes it so.

What is this context?

1. We know that some people (anti-Semites) associate Jewishness with corruption.

2. We know that the “star” in the Trump tweet was taken from a website of people who associate Jewishness and corruption.

This means that Trump should have been more careful because A. he does not want to play into the hands of the people who associate Jewishness with corruption, and B. he does not want to employ people who copy and paste material from the websites of anti-Semitic bigots.

At least I think he doesn’t.

* * *

Is Trump right to feel that his tweet was overhyped for political reasons? Of course he is. This is high noon of a political season, and every move of every candidate is overhyped by the other side. Had it been a Clinton tweet, I am pretty sure Trump would have used it against her. I also think that had it been a Clinton tweet, she would have handled it better – the person it charge would be fired, an apology and correction would be promptly posted, an unapologetic clarification would have put it to rest (although Trump would still not be satisfied and would still try to use it against Clinton).

* * *

Does this make Trump anti-Semitic? No it does not. It makes him insensitive to the fears of fellow Americans – in this case Jewish. It makes him careless and irresponsible in dealing with a specific group among his followers – those who believe that in him they have finally found an ally for bigotry and hatred. It makes him look like a political amateur. It makes him angry – and while anger is somewhat useful during campaign season, it is also a habit that ultimately increases the chance for more errors.

But there is hardly anything new about all of these Trump qualities – we already know that he is insensitive, careless, politically amateurish and angrily aggressive. 

* * *

Trump’s anger is understandable. He is a target of the worst possible allegation – and he genuinely feels that he is not guilty. He does not hate Jews – in fact, some of the people he likes the most are Jewish. He did not intend to hint that Clinton is “Jewishly” corrupt. His campaign was merely using an easily accessible slogan to make a point – not “that” point, just that Clinton is corrupt.

The “star” controversy plays into Trump’s narrative and apparent belief: that in America a person can no longer say what he wants, and have beliefs as he pleases, without being subjected to the treatment of a mysterious thought police whose sensitivities are boundless and often unpredictable. Who would have thought: Clinton’s picture decorated with a star is also forbidden?

And now people want Trump to apologize for the star, but Trump is busy making a career of refusing to apologize for political-correctness offenses. No wonder the star controversy keeps giving.

* * *

Is there an upside to this incident of not much significance? I think there is: it gives Jewish Americans an opportunity to consider the meaning of anti-Semitism in America. And the meaning of hinting that this or that person is anti-Semitic.

If they cautiously consider it, they might conclude that calling a candidate that forty percent of Americans support anti-Semitic is a serious matter. No less serious than it was to hint that Barack Obama is anti-Semitic because of the views of his pastor back in 2008 – as some idiots did.

If the Trump campaign is indeed anti-Semitic, then Jews might have to call him that. But in that case they also ought to consider what this means for their future as Jews in America. 

If the Trump campaign is not anti-Semitic, then people might want to tone down the tendency to run around and call a political rival – with as despicable views as they think he has – an anti-Semite.