"In the immediate shadow of the Holocaust or pogroms, Jews were understandably guided by a sense of their own precariousness. That's what should happen when governments are committed to your annihilation.
"But 60 years later, particularly in the United States, it is wrong to pretend that Jews, as a community, are similarly vulnerable. Jews are the wealthiest religious group in the United States, and with the exception of Hindus, the most educated. ...
"Distrust of the political class is growing by the day, and Israel is an issue on which US politicians are supremely vulnerable. It is increasingly hard to defend Congress' historic rock-solid support for Israel as truly in American interests."
In his blog, written from Canada, Philip Lee, a native of Great Britain, expands the impact of the vote to the increasing right wing movement in Europe, under the headline: "Europe is coming apart at the seams."
"A catastrophe looms post-Brexit and the United Kingdom has chosen to lose its voice.
"European politics are in turmoil. In Austria, Norbert Hofer has narrowly failed to become Austria's first far-right head of state. In France, Marine Le Pen has a good chance of winning next year's presidential election. And in Poland, conservative president Andrzej Duda is intent on seizing control of the country's media, judicial system, and constitutional tribunal (Poland's highest court).
"Government actions in Hungary were recently described by the president of the European Parliament as having the 'characteristics of a coup,' and in Bulgaria the government has allocated $19 million to erect more razor-wire fences to prevent migrants from entering and has called out the army to secure its borders.
"There are aggressive nationalist parties in Germany, Macedonia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Finland, Belgium, and on the 'sceptred isle' itself, where extremist Britain First is trying to provoke what it calls a revolution in the streets through 'militant direct action,' invading mosques, and targeting Muslim officials such as the new Mayor of London."
Philip Lee points further to Natalie Nougayrede's article in the British Guardian which describes the vote as a wake-up call "to save Europe."
Nougayrede writes that the vote has put "the cohesion and strength of western liberal democracies at stake in a global environment plagued with uncertainties. Now populist, far-right and anti-western forces will push forward in the belief that a precedent has been set for other 'exits'."
To quote Bob Dylan, the "times they are changing," but unexpected events have a way of producing change in dramatic form. This could be one of those times.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
 17
 
Was the Brexit Vote "Good for the Jews"?By James Wall (Page 3 of 3 pages) Become a premium member to see this article and all articles as one long page. No comments
|
|
 1
Rate It | View Ratings |
James Wall Social Media Pages: 
James Wall served as a Contributing Editor of The Christian Century magazine, based in Chicago, Illinois, from 1999 through 2017. From 1972 through 1999, he was editor and publisher of the Christian Century magazine. Many sources have influenced (more...)
OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.
If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Most Popular Articles by this Author: (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)
Does Israel Interfere in US Elections?
New York Times Flacks for Jewish Groups Against 15 Major Christian Leaders
How Iran Could Be The Next Neocon Target
Ten Swing States Could Decide the 2012 Election; Obama Leads in Nine of Them
White Evangelicals Stifle Values For Trump
What Protestants Could Learn from Ron Paul
To View Comments or Join the Conversation:
