Though Ms. Wertheimer is correct that Trump was wrong in his approach, she completely misses the larger picture. This can be shown through two of her assertions.

First, she invokes Hitler as a parallel to Trump's rhetoric. This invocation is notably ironic given:

-the swastikas that have been on display at the Gaza border recently as part of the so-called protests;

-the Tlaib/Omar trip was to be hosted by the notoriously anti-Semitic Miftah organization;

-the virulent anti-Semitism in parts of the Arab/Muslim go almost wholly unreported in the West. It doesn't fit the Western press viewpoint. Refer to MEMRI.org if you want to find out what is being said in Arabic, including about Israel and Jews.

Next, Ms. Wertheimer talks about American Jews defending our existence. Again, this is tragically ironic.

-Just a few days ago, 17 year old Rina Shnerb was murdered by a terrorist bomb, and her father and brother wounded. Rep Tlaib offered crocodile tears, and in effect blamed the murder on Jews.

-Within 24 hours, more rockets have come from Gaza, the area from which Israel withdrew over a decade ago.

The murder of Jews here in the U.S. is just as horrible.

But if Jews here act as if the lives of our Israeli cousins don't matter, and ignore the reality of what they endure, we are doing nothing to secure ourselves. The mentality among too many American Jews is rather a sad parallel to those 19th and early 20th century German Jews who thought they had to de-Judaize themselves to fit in with the supposedly cosmopolitan and humanistic society in which they found themselves.

Interesting reading. I was the only Jew in my class and neighborhood growing up around here. I remember very vividly the name calling and not being invited to neighborhood play, birthday parties, etc. I was at a national gathering of Reform Jews a few years ago and had a conversation with a man who was head of Israel's foreign relations committee. He was totally pro-Trump. Also he couldn't understand how Reform Jews rejected Netanyahu's policies and implied we were anti-Israel. I told him that Americans air different opinions all the time, as do Jews. When I said "2 Jews, 3 opinions", he rolled his eyes as if to say "if I hear that one more time". He was surprised when I told him I had been to Israel with my Temple, and what I appreciated about it.

How disappointing that the response to Lina Wertheimer’s thoughtful piece devolved into unreadable mudslinging. We should all be troubled and speak out against Trump’s divisive and hateful language. I’ve been in situations where all present feel the same way about the current situation, but someone in the room feels the need to change the subject to keep the peace. Our silence contributes to normalizing the situation we’re in. We should not be afraid to speak out.

Yes. Silent=Complicit.

Religion of ANY kind has no place in our public and governmental institutions. As the founding fathers (enlightenment thinkers) understood, it is, and has been, the source of divisiveness and hegemony for millennia. It has no place in a democratic government. Or even civil discourse, as the comments here demonstrate.

Liberal Jews have been call out.

Thank you, Linda, for writing this. You are absolutely right: When we ignore racist / anti-semitic / xenophobic / misogynistic statements from Trump, or just roll our eyes and shake our heads but don't speak out, we're effectively denying how truly dangerous speech like this is.

I would say that Trump's speech is " creatively dangerous " .

The reason that Trump's utterances are so potentially dangerous is that there's a lot of intellectual laziness, a.k.a. stupidity, out there. It's true that one person can't wreck a republic alone. It's those who heed his words, however, that are of the most concern.

Will SOMEBODY here besides obnoxious " Mean Girl " answer this question : Why is President Donald Trump so popular in Israel ?

" Being Christian was equal to being American in our school and town." The Irish Catholics experienced the same bigotry .
Today the guiding lights of the oh-so-progressive Democratic Party have made Christianity and any public display of it anathema .
The party of FDR and JFK is beginning to seem more and more like the party of Stalinism and the Moscow Trials.
I was banned from the pretentiously named " World Socialist Web Site " soon after one " guardian angel " for Apartheid Israel ( like Senator Chuck Schumer ) smeared me as a " resident Catholic , anti-Semite , fascist ". Of course, this crackpot political cult -led by one David North - resembles the daffy Church of Scientology with its anointed " Clears " .
President Trump is very popular in Apartheid Israel . Are American Jews and Jews in Israel who support Trump RACIST and ANTI-SEMITIC ? I don't think so.
It does seem that the Democratic Party has declared culture war on white working class Christians - with the full support of Hollywood and limousine liberals.
What is so LOVING about the HATE RUSSIA, New McCarthyism ? What is so LOVING about these Anti-Fa and " Never Again " groups . " Never Again " has its ideological roots in Meir Kahane's notorious Jewish Defense League - on the Left considered downright fascist .
The so called LIBERAL Left has lost all respect for the FREE SPEECH and FREE THOUGHT tradition of Western Civilization. Along with the mainstream FAKE NEWS media.

Your antisemitism is a disease, Ronnie, just like your racism. Get some treatment.

Don't you ever - EVER - use the words "self hating Jew" again you miserable sack of human garbage.

Shut your filthy mouth

You're now defending Nazi sympathizer Charles Lindberg.

Oy vey.

Republican mega-donors Koch Brothers invest in Israeli ... - Haaretz

https://www.haaretz.com › israel-news › business › republican-mega-donor...
Dec 14, 2017 - Businessman David Koch arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala 2015 celebrating the opening of "China: Through ...
Netanyahu aide Eli Groner to manage Israeli subsidiary of Koch ...

https://www.haaretz.com › Israel News › Business
Feb 20, 2019 - FILE Photo: David Koch speaks during a senate debate in Orlando, Florida, August, 2013, Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Photo ...
Koch Brothers' Father Helped Build Major Nazi Oil Refinery ... - Haaretz

https://www.haaretz.com › Jewish World
Jan 12, 2016 - The father of billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch helped construct a major oil refinery in Nazi Germany, a new book reports.

You need some ketchup. It has mellowing agents.

I can take any sincere criticism but a dearth of THOUGHT of coherent counter-points is annoying.

PLEASE EXPLAIN : " President Trump is very popular in Apartheid Israel " .

Get a second opinion from a CHRISTIAN here . Are ANY Christians employed by NPR/ WBUR ? If so , then guess who's coming to dinner ?
Do you support an affirmative action program for white working class Christians in the mainstream news media ?
So YOU think that Anti-Zionism = anti-Semitism ? Is that UNANIMOUS at NPR , so very PUBLIC NPR ? Send them MONEY to preserve their independence !

You are sick, Ronnie. Get some treatment!

Can some rational soul here answer this question for you ?

To the title and article. It certainly shouldn't and I come from a time where it didn't either, Linda.

Think this is just another prime example of how our society is changing. I've seen it and think you likely have too. Perhaps the difference between us is the fact I didn't cloak my Christianity, but boy have I seen a change in the "church" over the years. So much so, I seldom go to church. I pray, I at times where one of my crosses, I rely heavily on my faith and not sure where I'd be without it.

11 Jews were killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh last October.

And never ever forget: they were killed by someone who believes Jewish Democrats who are disloyal to the United States and are funding a Central American invasion of the country with the goal to replace white people with brown people.

This is a message perpetuated by Trump's and the Republican Party's media surrogates. This particular white supremacist terrorist expressed hatred for Trump, but only because he insisted Trump isn't doing enough to stop this non-existent invasion...but in general, this messaging is from Republicans, designed to help Trump and Republicans, at the expense of the Jews who are falsely portrayed as traitors.

In other words, the Republican Party is now trafficking in antisemitism and portraying as traitors. Republicans are getting us killed.

And also remember the "protesters" in Charlottesville were chanting "Jews will not replace us!" as they marched with their torches, a reference to the same lie that Jews are behind a plot to have people of color invade the country and usurp white people. This was at the original protest against removing the Confederate monuments, long before the event spiraled out of control into riots the next day. The original organizers of the protest were behind the message that Jews are the enemy of white Americans, anybody who tells you a bunch of Nazis they didn't want there showed up and ruined the event is lying...the organizers WERE the Nazis. And that's who Trump called "very fine people," people who were chanting "Jews will not replace us" and "Blood & Soil!" (a Nazi slogan).

Trump is a malignant narcissist who will say and do anything if he sees some personal advantage in it. His racism, misogyny and religious bigotry is well documented. His supporters either share his vile, hateful views or they just don't care.

Most of America views Trump this way. Most of the world does too.

The " malignant narcissist " Trump will probably rout any " liberal " Democrat in 2020 . As a democratic socialist I find him less about HATE than the Anti-Fa storm troopers of very ILLIBERAL LIBERALISM .
Nothing rivals HATE politics like the " identity politics " and political correctness of the party of " Wall St. Hillary, " Hawk Hillary ", " Corrupt Hillary ".
And I speak from the democratic socialist Left .

Get some help, Ronnie. You have a mental illness [as you have been told by many,many people]. Get some help, buddy!