To try and help us understand why Sarah Palin was wearing a blinged out Star of David while visiting NYC yesterday, we went to the Jews who love her the most: Jewish Americans for Sarah Palin.
Director Benyamin Korn told Heeb:
Her favorite, I guess you would say philo-semitic, symbol is the pin of the American and Israeli flags, and she has worn that very, very frequently over the past year and a half. I saw her wear that to a pro-life conference in Hershey Pennsylvania.
Korn noted that Palin is “comfortable wearing symbols that express affinity with Israel and the Jewish people.”
But why that big-ass Star of David?
She sees American exceptionalism, the American Constitution…as a Judeo-Christian development. America as a Judeo-Christian nation. This is a familiar trope in Conservative circles, a part of contemporary American conservatism.
But isn’t there a political motive?
I don’t think she seeks to gain anything except as an expression of what she really feels. She’s not pandering to the Jewish vote; most Jews are probably uncomfortable with that level of Jewish identification. This is about what she deeply believes as an American leader.
Korn noted that Palin “has challenged American feminism,” stating that, “We have accomplished everything [it seeks] to accomplish. But at the same time, we are pro-life.”
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. G!d(dess) that was revolting.
I’m glad to see Sarah Palin and her supporters getting some press. She has every right to wear the Star of David if she supports the Jewish people and the State of Israel; my mother a”h, who was not Jewish, also wore one. I admire Sarah, and if she runs for president I will vote for her.
Wait, so should Jews be wearing the Crucifix as a sign of shared ideals then? I mean, isn’t that what she’s saying by her laissez-faire approach to religious symbolism? As a jewish American I am offended by her pimping of the star of David. If she wants to show affinity, wear an Israeli Flag pin.
If she’s trying to win any votes, she just lost mine forever.
Seriously? Of course she is reaching out to Jews who fall to the right side of the political spectrum.
Hey whatever floats her boat. the star does look like an old Miami grandfather Star though…
“I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.” You beat me to it.
“She has every right to wear the Star of David if she supports the Jewish people and the State of Israel”
Oh for God’s sake, grow up. She “supports” us because she thinks Israel is the trigger for Armageddon. A critical number of Jews emigrate, Jesus comes back to Rapture them, then you and everyone you’ve ever loved or cared for dies in a nuclear holocaust and burns in hell for eternity. Yes, Asher – she really believes this.
“Jewish Americans for Sarah Palin”. Jesus H. Christ. I’ve lived too long.
It is amazing and revolting at the same time to read responses showing self-hating Jews not only on Heeb but also in many other publications. As a Jew I am glad to see that Sara Palin embraces the Jewish Star (or David’s Shield as we call it in Israel). I have seen her on TV wearing it many times in the past few months. She shows support to Israel and the Jews so let’s thank her for this. Maybe she finally figured out the BS in the Moslem-Jewish war and supports Israel a thing I can’s say about some Jewish responders here and other places as well. I wonder if any such responders had a problem with Mr. T wearing the Jewish star.
The Star of David is a Christian symbol.
I’m a Jewish convert to Christianity, and I dislike Sarah Palin for various reasons but her politics is not one of them.
With what I have seen of her East Coast tour she is probably wearing the Star of David because she believes that everyone is Jewish on the East coast. I have little respect for this poorly educated soul.
Sarah Palin has no right to wear the star of David as Jewish pass into the next USA election. She is undoubtedly conservative and neo fascist with a so new good looking. We don’t need any exalted messianic christians who want all the jews at the last judgement convert to Christianism
Sarah’s good for Israel and just what the US needs. If you didn’t like her wearing the Mogan Dovid you just don’t like her and you’ll most likely vote for 4 more years of failure.
Pics of a young Sarah Palin. http://bit.ly/aU9Qb
I guess when you can distill or simplify life into symbols, beliefs, labels you can parade them out, get attention, be a populist. It’s much harder to deal with issues for her and the masses that be. Still it is some good for the Jews even if self fulfilling for her.
Good comments above; all have some truth.
“Pics of a young Sarah Palin” – One wants to be able to go back and tell her, “Try not to grow up to be batshit insane.” Then, of course, you see the pics of her with automatic weaponry, and think “Too late.”
“Good comments above; all have some truth.” – No, some are idiotic; e.g.: “If you didn’t like her wearing the Mogan Dovid you just don’t like her and you’ll most likely vote for 4 more years of failure.”
I would never vote for her. She’s entertainment at best. She really doesn’t know how ignorant she is. That’s the problem. The culture is American Idol centered, craving entertainment not serious thought.
As Israeli society grows more fascist, it is bound to gain the support of fascists like Sarah Palin. Right-wing Christians — some of whom hope for a pre-apocalyptic ingathering of the all Jews to the State of Israel, so that we may all be killed as a prelude to the coming of the Messiah — have a well-cocumented history also of supporting Israel and its crimes against the Palestinians and Lebanese, and have never minded when Israel has supplied weapons to dictators like Mobutu, Suharto or Amin. The State of Israel benefits, therefore from such support. Sarah Palin’s wearing of the Star of David is therefore not surprising at all.
I didn’t leave the previous comment, although it was much along the lines of something I’d say.
Hey, Jeff!
By coincidence, we have:
a) posted comments similar to one another and b) are both named Jeff.
To make it easier for readers to distinguish us from one another, I will begin listing myself as “Jeff L.”
You are quite correct, by the way, that the support of persons like Sarah Palin is spurious — it is pathetic, in my view, that any Jewish person could consider such “support” to be supportive.
Note: Perhaps you have seen Bill Maher clarify this issue with certain “supporters” of the Jewish People on his show, in a manner similar to the way you have done here.
Jeff, Israel is not growing fascist as you wrote Israel only defends itself not be overrun by the Moslems. It must be your hallucination (watch what you are smoking or eating) or self hatred that got you. I will tell you in a nutshell what the problem is. The Moslems don’t want to Jews in the Middle East or in any other area. Therefore they invented the Palestinians to put the war against he Jew on the correct order of magnitude. That is, not 1.5 billion Moslems with infinite land and resources against 7 million Jews on microscopic land with no resources which is the true story, but 7 million Jews against 2 million Palestinians which is false. Further there was never Palestinian nation anywhere on this planet all of these people were work migrant that came to Israel to work and stayed there. Even Yasser Arafat who was the leader of the PA was born in Egypt. Please remember that the British, who had the mandate from the League of Nations to create a homeland for Jews in Israel, prevented the Jews from coming to Israel but enticed the Moslem to come to Israel and hence the problem. The British also created Jordan which should have been part of Israel. This is in a nutshell and I hope it helps you understand the situation better. However if you suffer from self hatred as a Jew this explanation probably will not help you.
“Perhaps you have seen Bill Maher clarify this issue”
I don’t get HBO, so I don’t see him as often as I’d like.
Yuli pretty much has it nailed, with the exception that what he is calling Jordan is shown as “TransJordan”.
Maybe a more consistent response, making these points will remind the WaPo, NYT, etc. what history, not a bunch of ideologues, tells us is accurate.
Meanwhile, Batguano Palin’s Mogen Dovid may be a symptom of a greater problem, the appearance of a group of Christian fundamentalists who are now claiming to be Jews.
Hi,
I want to tell you that I’m Moslem but not from ME. If many people that I’m sharing religion with and people from other religion think the same way as I do then we will never have any problems.
I’m Bosnian-American and I been thru horrible war, which was not civil war btw it was aggression made by Serbian fascists who are orthodox christians over Bosnian muslims and catholics.
Even all that happened to my people and me, I don’t hate everyone and I can’t. I hate those psychopathic people who did similar things as Hitler did Jewish people.
Because of all that what I been thru I can totally relate to Jewish people and what they been thru. My husband has very good Jewish friend and I totally adore her and her family. I don’t really care what might think some ME muslim about me because we only share the same religion but not opinions, feelings and attitudes.
I don’t care about politics and territory conflicts I care about people who is normal and evaluate me and other people by their good human values.
Regarding topic,I was reading news and I end up somehow on this page and I saw comments so I decided to tell you my story. My opinion is that she or anybody else should not mix any religious symbols with politics.She is politician who wants to be president and Star of David is religious symbol and she should leave out and respect that as someones religious symbol. If she wants to show respect and have some Jewish community votes she should just wear Flag pin and that’s it.
Ok, thats all from me, thank you for reading my post. I wish all of you and all good people health and happiness to your families.
Thank you,Maya.
Dear Mr. Bernard Mendelbaum,
“big-ass Star of David”???
I am sorry, but Star of David can not be mention in one sentence with … That is a very poor choice of words.
Hi Yuli,
You have condensed a great number of errors into a small space. I will not correct all of these, but will cover four of them quickly. First, you say, without evidence, that the State of Israel has not been growing increasingly fascistic. Such indicators as recent electios and opinion polls, the outright and intentional slaughter of civilians that marked Operation Cast Lead, the Ansar torture centers, the continuing starvation of Gazans, all constitute intensificatios of fascist trends. Your second error consists in confusing Jews with Israelis and Arabs with Moslems, instead of focusing on what is pertinent in this context, namely comparative military power. This tactic provides you the numbers you need to make it appear that Israel is at great military risk. The fact is that Israel has long been the pre-eminent military power in the Middle East, and is supported by the world’s only superpower. Thirdly, Israel’s logistical support for mass murderers such as Suharto – approximately 200,000 killed, Amin — approximately 500,000 killed, Somoza — approximately 40,000 civilians killed with Galil assault rifles, and Mobutu — approximately 1,000,000 killed, had nothing to do with defense of Israel, and everything to do with power alone. Lastly, while you repeat the old myth that the Palestinians all come from outside of Palestine, it is actually we –the European Jews — who came from elsewhere, while the Palestinians, as documented by such Israeli historians by Benny Morris, constitute the indigenous population.
Jeff, the war in the Middle East is Moslem against Jews and has been like this for many years even when most Jews were in the Moslem countries. Consider also that Jordan was created by the British and the Moslem countries are not against it. Do you know why? I’ll give you a hint, Jordan is a Moslem country. Worst yet, Jordan like the Palestinian “Nation”, have no history and were created from the thin air by people who hate Jews in order to eliminate the Jews. As for the “starvation” of the people in Gaza strip this is again your hallucination. First no one starves there and Israel got nothing to do there except protect itself from rockets coming from Gaza. Please note that Israel withdraw from Gaza and the Moslem instead of developing the area they spend all their money on arms to attack Israel. You can see also that in spite the “Peace” papers Israel has with Egypt the Egyptian keep fighting Israel through a third party which suppose to indicate to you that it is very dangerous to give anything to the Moslems. The Moslems can just change the rules any time they want and there is no one to stop them. The rest of your response and accusation of Israel in world’s problems are just not true. It seems to me that you have adopted the propaganda of Jew haters all over the world. That again tells me that as a Jews you suffer from self hatred.
[…] help us all: Jewish Americans for Sarah Palin. It […]
Why the “big-ass Star of David”?
That’s easy. As Sarah herself explained it, “I was walkin’ around New York City, kinda takin’ in the sights, and I saw this real pretty tsatske on, I think, 47th Street, so I bought it from an old man with a beard and wearin’ a big black hat.”