This week, Trump once again proved his friendship to the Jewish state. In a pair of tweets, Trump addressed his accusers head on. He publicly affirmed that he considered Israel a "GREAT Ally" one that is "Courageous, Bold, Loyal, and Smart". He also directly addressed the accusations that he was being manipulated by Israeli forces, stating that "Israel never talked me into the war with Iran." He was attacked for these comments, which were taken as proof that he is somehow under Zionist control. He could have stayed silent and hoped things blew over. He did not.
Over and over, Trump has refused to bow down to the hate mongers. Despite their efforts and despite possible damage it has done to his own cause, he has stood by Israel and the Jewish people. His consistency under fire, his unwillingness to sell-out his principles in exchange for momentary support, his determination to side with what is right, not what is popular, places him squarely among the most praiseworthy leaders the Jews have ever encountered.
He's not alone. Lindsey Olin Graham, the senior United States senator from South Carolina, has been a longtime stalwart friend to Israel. His friendship with us is now something heroic. Graham recently told Pope Leo that "you've got this all wrong" on the Iran war. A Christian defending Jews against the Pope is not something one sees every day. He may have lost support from his own base, but refuses to back down.
Lest I be accused of taking political sides, let me point out that such courage is bipartisan. Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman is a proud Democrat. He is also a proud supporter of Jews, Israel, and the current Iranian war. This support has made him a virtual pariah in the Democratic Party. He recently commented that "I may have lost the socialist vote and the pro-Iran vote in my party, but that's part of my party that's growing, unfortunately." He also remarked that "There's been a fracturing between me and my party... primarily it's been Israel."
It would be easy for Fetterman to tow his party's new line, but he won't even consider doing this. Fetterman understands that doing the right thing is more important than doing the popular thing, stating: "That might isolate me politically, but I've had no regrets because I've always felt that's the moral clarity, and I never checked, you know, whatever politics are behind it."
Fetterman again broke party ranks this week when he supported the War with Iran. “I don’t understand why other Democrats can’t acknowledge that pulverizing the Iranian military and their capabilities…that’s a good thing overall." He has since been labeled a traitor by men in his party. He could have simply said nothing. From a career perspective, he probably should have stayed ssilent. But from a moral perspective, he knew he couldn't just keep quiet, and so he didn't.
These are high-profile examples, but all over the world, there are similar cases of well known and ordinary people doing the same. These rare individuals need to be celebrated. People often wonder how they would have acted had they been alive during the Holocaust. They are now being given the chance to find out, and as then, most are failing the test.
That’s why it’s so important to recognize those rare few who do rise to the occasion. When we Jews fight for ourselves, it’s always because we have to. How much more impressive it is for those who could quietly remain on the sidelines and do nothing, but see the challenge and meet it? When we suffer a loss, we have no say in it. They chose to incur a loss, not because they must, but because it's the right thing to do.
Perhaps you know one. A righteous gentile who has defended Israel and paid a personal price for the courage of their convictions. If you do, be sure to let them know how much we appreciate them. How grateful we are for them. Not only for what they did and what they gave up, but for the reminder that there are still good people in this dark world. These are the righteous among the nations in our days. In the Shoah the time to honor them only came later. Today, we have the chance to tell them now just what their sacrifices mean to us and to humanity.
Ilan Goodman is a museum collections professional and exhibition curator. He also serves as a rabbi and educator. He made Aliyah to Israel in 2011 and lives with his wife and children in Beit Shemesh.