Posted May 20 2008 by Ezra Butler
Ethnocentricity “and the Jews”
Thomas L. Friedman wrote an inciteful (or insightful - I’m still trying to decide) article in the NYTImes on May 18th. In fact, over a day after being published it is still the most popular article emailed (but not blogged, go figure).
The title: Obama and the Jews.
In my estimation, he could have left out the word “Obama” and still retain the spot of the “most popular article emailed”.
“And the Jews” is a device similar to “Women in [fill in country, time period, location, person's writing]“. It works almost anywhere.
Let’s use Byzantium.
“Byzantium and the Jews”, or “Women in Byzantium”. It’s not a perfect science, there are a few articles/books entitled Byzantium and the Jews, but I should really use another word after Byzantium to get more than 8 hits. But I found 1990 hits on “Women in Byzantium”.
Being a hot-button topic that has relevance anywhere has its perks. For instance, on a slow news day, Friedman can plagiarize a couple of lines from G.W.B., play upon the stereotype of not knowing what Obama feels about Israel, and BOOM. Most popular article.
It sort of helps that many Jews read the NYTimes, and their egos flutter when they see those three special words “and the Jews”. But they are not ethnocentric, they just like seeing that people care about them. (Even if its just Thomas Friedman, another Jew.)
But while we are talking about the article, let’s talk about Friedman’s Jewish voice:
Let’s actually take a look at the arguments that he writes:
1) Nothing is going to change for Israel regardless of who is the next US president.
2)
Personally, as an American Jew, I don’t vote for president on the basis of who will be the strongest supporter of Israel. I vote for who will make America strongest. It’s not only because this is my country, first and always, but because the single greatest source of support and protection for Israel is an America that is financially and militarily strong, and globally respected. Nothing would imperil Israel more than an enfeebled, isolated America.
3)
[I]f Israel is your voting priority, then at least ask the right questions about Mr. Obama. Knock off the churlish whispering campaign about what’s in his heart on Israel (what was in Richard Nixon’s heart?) and focus first on what kind of America you think he’d build and second on whether you believe that as president he’d have the smarts, steel and cunning to seize a historic opportunity if it arises.
Friedman, in his oft-mentioned sentiment, states that he does not vote on basis of Israel. I applaud him for that.
Friedman knows his audience. He knows that he has Jews who vote America first, as well as Jews who vote Israel first. He allays both group’s fears by pointing them in the right direction, through education.
He realizes that we must stop voting from our gut (something that he mentions in the article, with regard the presidents), and to vote from our brain, our knowledge. Certain things are impossible to know (well, besides that McCain wants to keep America in Iraq for another 10,000 years).
The Jewish voice in this case is telling us to learn, to glean facts from wherever we can, and to process them in our God-given intellect. In Judaism, education and knowledge are supreme, and we can be a light unto the world if we share those.
See, we are ethnocentric.
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3 Comments currently posted. 
Gadi Ian says:
Ezra Butler says:
Moi? Un Democrat libéral? Pas possible!
Now seriously, you must be a Republican if you are lacking a sense of humor.
For a slightly more serious post, simply ignore all words between parentheses. That is the Liberal Democrat in my head speaking. I have been able been able to quell him 92% of the time, and utilize earmuffs (parentheses) the other 8%.
It was not my intention to broadcast the various voices in my head, and I apologize profusely.
Gadi Ian says:
Here’s a good response to Friedman’s article:
http://joshuapundit.blogspot.com/2008/05/would-you-buy-obamamobile-from-tom.html
“well, besides that McCain wants to keep America in Iraq for another 10,000 years”
Wow, watch Media Matters much?
Let me guess, you’re a liberal Democrat.