The Blind Loyalty of the Jewish Democrats
Liberalism has been a lifeline for Jews, providing them with opportunities and acceptance in America.
When the late Hannah Arendt, the noted Jewish political theorist, wrote in the early 20th century, the Jews of Europe, mainly German Jews, were politically naive and confused, desperately clinging to the Staatspartei, a short-lived German political party, even as political circumstances deteriorated. Their partisan “loyalty at any price” became irrelevant and dangerous at worst.
Most American Jews today are liberal Democrats clinging to a partisan affiliation dating back to the 1930s New Deal and a political perspective whose roots can be traced to the mid-19th century when “liberalism” promised social emancipation and political freedom.
From the beginning of Jewish immigration to the United States, the link between Judaism and liberalism has been unbreakable. Since their arrival, Jews have embraced the ideology of progressivism as a critical aspect of their identity. Through becoming Jewish Americans, they have forged an inseparable connection between their faith and progressive values, cementing them together inextricably.
Liberalism has been a lifeline for Jews, providing them with opportunities and acceptance in America. In…