A Chanukah Message from Mitchell Adam Kaye
Read community insights, advice and perspectives during Chanukah.
Hakarat HaTov: Thank You President Donald J. Trump!
The principle of Hakarat HaTov is that we Jews have an obligation to show gratitude and acknowledge and give thanks for the good that someone has done for us.
I am grateful for and give thanks to President Donald J. Trump for all the good he has done for Jews in America and worldwide. His leadership has been the most pro-Israel president since Harry Truman, being very pro-active in supporting Israel, our most dependable ally in the Middle East and in his efforts to combat anti-Semitism and the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement.
Following unfulfilled promises by previous presidents, Trump moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, the eternal and undivided capital of Israel. This sent a very powerful message that Israel is here to stay and will not be pushed into the sea, which set in motion a series of important events including:
1. Facilitating the “Abraham Accords,” the first peace treaty in over a quarter-century between Israel and an Arab nation (United Arab Emirates) and only the third in Israeli history
2. Facilitating two more peace treaties and normalization between Israel and Arab nations (Bahrain and Sudan)
3. Withdrawing from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal and imposing sweeping sanctions to curb its nuclear, missile and conventional arms capabilities and terrorist sponsoring tentacles
4. Recognizing the Golan Heights as a sovereign Israeli territory
5. Signing an executive order combating anti-Semitism, protecting Jewish university students from discrimination, and endorsing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of anti-Semitism, which includes certain types of harsh criticism of Israel
6. Labeling the international BDS movement as anti-Semitic and cutting funding to such groups
7. Changing U.S. policy to allow those U.S. citizens who are born in Jerusalem to list Israel as their country of birth
8. Signing into law Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today Act of 2017 ensuring that Holocaust survivors and their heirs are able to receive restitution for property taken away by Nazi Germany and post-World War II governments
9. Signing into law the Never Again Holocaust education bill, providing federal funds to expand Holocaust education.
Although just a partial list of accomplishments, Jewish voters responded favorably as Trump increased his share by 25 percent from 2016 and received 40 percent of the vote in Florida and, according to one poll, 50 percent in Georgia!
President Trump is owed a huge debt of gratitude. I hope I can write a similar historic recap next year for our new president.
Chanukah Sameach!
Mitchell Kaye served five terms in the Georgia House of Representatives, has three children and two grandchildren, and lives in East Cobb with his wife Amy.
comments