Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone, the former chief of staff for US Ambassador David Friedman, spoke with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News about the upcoming US elections and the importance for US citizens abroad to vote.
"To understand what it means to be an American and what an incredible blessing that is. It really is a blessing, but with great blessings also come great responsibilities and one of those is to vote. If you have a voice you must make it heard and because you live abroad it's not as easy to vote as an American (in the US) and that means you have to work harder in order to achieve it," Rabbi Lightstone says.
He ties the challenge to the current Jewish High Holiday season: "We're in the month of Elul, before Rosh Hashana, and we know that great things only happen if you work. I am asking you now as an American: make sure that you work in order to be able to vote, and the first step of that is to register."
Regarding claims that the votes do not have much influence, Rabbi Lightstone says not to listen to those who say that and adds: "Do you know how many young Americans have gone to die to protect your right to vote? On a very basic level, the value of an American is to exercise the right to vote. Anyone who tells you that it doesn't matter - dismiss that because means that the promise and the value of the USA doesn't matter either."
He adds a practical reason for voting as well: "Washington, DC works based on self-preservation, and that comes from 'where are the voters?' And every elected official in Washington knows that there are nearly half a million Americans who are eligible to vote in Israel and they know that less than 10% of them show up to vote. So when they are making critical decisions at a critical time, that affect your life, and your neighbor's life, and your kids' lives, and your parents' lives, they look and say 'If you don't care enough to show up, why would I care enough to make a decision based upon my voters."
Rabbi Lightstone notes an added importance for US voters in Israel to vote: "I would have to imagine that Americans in Israel who live in Israel are some of the most politically informed people on the entire planet; they follow the Israeli political system, the follow the American political system, and that's correct.
He adds: "I wish I lived in a world where the President of the United States, whether he or she winds up winning, would not have an effect on somebody who lives in Efrat or Tel Aviv. But the matter is that it's probably the single most important decision that anybody is going to make this year. The Presidency of the USA makes such an incredible difference in the lives of people around the world with a hyper-focused difference in the lives of people who live in Israel, and most Israelis can't do anything about it. American Israelis can stand up and have their vote counted.
"I know so that many voters out there, when they see me on the street, they're going to complain or complement, and I'll have one question for them: did you do your job? Did you register? Because if not, I don't really care about your complaints. You had a chance not to be a spectator, you had a chance to be a participant, and you did or did not take that opportunity."
While he asked not to delve into his own party affiliation, Rabbi Lightstone notes the difference between the Trump administration and that following it when it comes to the Middle East. "Iran is the greatest purveyor of evil on this planet today. Iran has gotten closer to China and Russia. Iran doesn't just affect Israel, it affects the entire world and certainly the US. One administration stood strongly and firmly against Iran and the other has not, does not, and will not. And when it comes to standing with Israel, you can decide to use 'Talmudic' logic in terms of when, where, and how to stand with Israel, or you can just say 'I stand with Israel.' As an American, there should be no hesitation whatsoever in terms of who is right and who is wrong in this situation in the Middle East. Unoquially, the US should stand with Israel always, and one administration was successful and the other was unfortunately not successful.
He adds: "That's an indictment on two things: on American values, but also people are checking who is voting. It's not a secret that there is a block of voters who are interested in making sure that the US does not stand with Israel. In the end, we see with crystal clarity the differences between politicians and where they're looking to get their votes from. There is without a doubt an element in the US that is getting louder and angrier. The protesters on the college campus are not protesters in favor of the Palestinians they are protesters in favor of Hamas and they've made noise, made a stand, and organized themselves as an element. Now whether they swing any states or not, they carry noise and energy, and if that noise and energy are not matched by people who explain that you must be with Israel, I stand with Israel, I'm not asking you to vote as an Israeli, I'm asking you to vote as an American, that's your right, and if you lose out on the energy that the other side brings, it's an incredible loss, certainly for the US, but selfishly, it's a loss for you."
He says that if someone does not vote because their state votes differently it is a "selfish and frankly lazy approach. People want to stand up and be counted because this is the time to be counted." According to him, just as on Rosh Hashana, G-d counts everyone on earth, "The next leader of the United States will count those people who chose to stand up and dismiss those who did not."
Rabbi Lightstone ends with a message: "The resilience of a person is not tested when things go well. The resilience of a person is tested when something gets punched, and without a doubt, this past year Israel and the Jewish people have received an enormous punch. The resilience, sophistication, and long-lasting effort of this great project called the State of Israel is dependent on how the people of Israel stand up. I would encourage you to be unified, I would encourage you to be strong, and I would encourage you as this week's Torah portion says 'Chazak v'ematz,' when you stand with strength and dignity, you will always triumph over evil if you are committed to that fight."