Back in 2015, conservative commentator Dennis Prager went to bat for Ann Coulter, who had been accused of antisemitism after her disgraceful “f-ing” Jews tweet.
During the course of the second Republican presidential debate, Ann Coulter, the well-known commentator, writer, speaker and provocateur, tweeted:
“How many f—ing Jews do these people think there are in the United States?”
Her explanation was that she had grown frustrated with the candidates’ remarks that concentrated on things nearly all Republicans agree on – admiration of Ronald Reagan, opposition to abortion and support for Israel – and ignored what she considers the biggest domestic problem facing America: immigration, both legal (under current law) and illegal. She regarded the candidates’ remarks as “pandering” to various Republican constituencies and tweeted out a series of critical and angry comments, including the one about Jews, in response to repeated pledges to support Israel.
She was rightly condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike for the tweet. How could she not be? It was indefensible. And it did damage to Republicans, conservatives and supporters of Israel.
But that should not be the end of the discussion.
The tweet raises a number of important questions. These include whether Ann Coulter is an anti-Semite, who we should label an anti-Semite and who the enemies of Jews are in America today.
The first is the easiest. Ann Coulter is not an anti-Semite. Those Jews who think she is point to two pieces of evidence: the recent tweet and something she said in a 2007 interview with Donny Deutsch, a TV personality who happens to be Jewish.
In that interview, she said that America (and presumably the world) would be better if everybody were a Christian. Deutsch asked if that meant all Jews should become Christian. Coulter said yes and Deutsch was offended. He was further offended when she labeled Christians, including herself, and Jews who became Christians “perfected Jews.”
Against this is a lifetime of defending Jews and Israel. Every mention of Jews or Israel I’ve read in any of her books is a spirited defense of Jews and Israel, or an attack on those who attack Jews and Israel. I should add, for what it’s worth, she has been to my home twice for Shabbat dinner. Indeed, she has said that experiencing Shabbat and reading the explanation for it in my book, “The Ten Commandments: Still the Best Moral Code,” have moved her to start observing a Sabbath. I guess you can say she might become a perfected Christian.
Her remarks to Deutsch were hardly anti-Semitic.
First, both common sense and Judaism demand that we judge people by their behavior, not by their religious beliefs.
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We need to be very careful before labeling people anti-Semites.
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We are very right to be worried about hatred of Jews and Israel. But Israel hatred and anti-Zionism – today’s expressions of anti-Semitism – aren’t coming from Ann Coulter or her side of the political spectrum. They are almost always to be found on the left – in America and everywhere else outside the Muslim world.
Well, take out your keyboard and start typing again, Dennis, because she’s still at it.
Oh wait, this is about Democratic US President Joe Biden’s cabinet, not the Republican Presidential candidates in a debate.
There are 5 Jews (or at least with some Jewish descent) in the cabinet of 23. That’s less than 25%, not 73%. So what prompted Coulter’s tweet, which is not a dog whistle as much as a dog ensemble orchestra?
A look at Ann Coulter’s twitter timeline reveals she is not constantly bashing Jews. In fact, many of her tweets seem in defense of Jews. Like this one:
Note the rank hypocrisy here. She is bashing British Muslims for having a belief about Jews she clearly has!
So what’s going on?
Unlike Dennis Prager, I do believe Coulter harbors ill-feelings towards Jews. And it is not just the Democrat Jews but also Republican ones, judging by her equal opportunity Jew-bashing tweets.
Usually, she is quite good at hiding this, but occasionally, in moments of frustration, she allows her inner Jew hater to shine through.
And why does he loathe us so? Again, this is just my opinion, but I do think her religious beliefs play into this. She either blames us for killing her saviour (which we didn’t anyway) or hates us for not accepting him as such (guilty as charged!)
Guess what, Ann. 100% of your saviour Jesus was Jewish. I guess we really are that powerful and really overrepresent when it comes to Messiahs.
As G-d told the Jewish forefather Abraham (Genesis 12:3), “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.”
F-ck you, Ann Coulter.
Hat tip: Debbie
