Discussion:

And thank you for the non-sequitur.

Mr. Klein,

If Trump’s comments about Dr. Carson are the very first time you have suspected that a Republican politician might not know what they’re talking about, you have my condolences. The cognitive disorder you suffer from is quite serious. Perhaps Dr. Carson could help you out with a diagnosis.

You cast your lot with the Republicans. Suffer the consequences stemming from your destruction of the bipartisan consensus Israel had from 1948 until now. That bipartisan consensus is now gone forever.

It’ll be a fantastic deal…Yuuuge.

Same sneer.

What bothers me most about Trump is if elected he’d have command authority with respect to nuclear weapons.

Think you are right. Seems like in the last few days the R’s are finally starting to ramp up their criticisms of Trump. Their problem, of course, is that about half of the Republican base is bat-shit crazy, racist, ignorant or a combination of all three. Therefore, The Donald resonates with that base.

“Right-wing Zionist group” is redundant.

Yes, Bibi’s temperament is at issue, too. He makes decisions based on emotion and not logic all too often.

If ZOA is worried about Trump why are they allowing him to headline their event?

Well , as my grandmother used to say…you should have thought about that earlier. Mr. Klein and his buddy Sheldon Adelson created the political landscape that allowed a Trump. Money and special interest rule it all now. Trump has the money and he’s is own special interest.

Well, I’ll say this for President Trump: Every day for eight years will be extra, extra special for some - any and all - demographic group.

Trump is making many of us very nervous

Good.

The media frenzy around Trump reminds me of the run up to the Iraq invasion and thats why I’m nervous.

Da winnah!!! … lol

But they do have a lot of expertise building walls, so maybe some common ground can be found ?

Donald Harrumph makes me nervous, but not much more than Mr.Klein: I’m a Reform Jew - people like Klein are little different in philosophical outlook than the Kim Davis wing of Christianity, or the ISIS philosophical outlook (obviously, ZOA isn’t an armed outfit intent on forcing compliance w/ its philosophy). All these right-wingnuts make me nervous. Frankly, as long as Harrumph played on the immigrants & attacked Obama, Klein was fine w/ him. When he attacked his fellow candidates, it was OK . . until it reached Carson? Says a lot about ZOA, don’t it?

I know “Zionist” is part of the name of the group, but I still felt uncomfortable seeing that word in the headline of this article as the writer’s own description of the group. I am not Jewish, but I am familiar with the way “Zionist” is used around the world to stigmatize Jews, with people claiming they are not racist because Zionism is an ideology not a race. (I don’t think Zionism is an ideology; it’s just common sense that Jews have the right to have a homeland.) I would rather that non-Jews don’t describe anyone as a Zionist.

I would have preferred “Right-Wing Jewish Group”. I wonder if any Jewish readers had the same reaction as I did?

I wouldn’t worry too much. Jews use the word Ziionist too to describe the ideology.

True, but it is a bit different when Jews say it, at least to my ears. Whenever a non-Jew uses the word “Zionist”, I am reminded of this Soviet-era joke I saw on Jeffrey Goldberg’s blog:

A prominent scientist is being summoned to his institute’s party secretary.

“Comrade professor”, says the secretary gravely, “the Party has started a new anti-Zionist campaign. Our institute was ordered to purge all residual Zionist influences among intellectuals and scientists. So, you’re fired.”

The professor is shocked. “But I am a loyal party member!”’ he protests. “I have never been a Zionist!”

The party secretary knits his eyebrows very tight. “Comrade professor, do not try to deceive the party!” he says. “We checked. You have a Zionist grandmother.”

(This was in response to Rev. Wright’s comments: http://www.politico.com/story/2009/06/rev-wright-i-meant-zionists-023642 )

I wouldn’t get too attached to that thought. This guy is so deeply concerned about Trump that he had him headline his event.