The Tree of Life Massacre

President Trump’s announcement that he will travel to Pittsburgh in the wake of the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue is a reminder that every decent American is with their Jewish countrymen at this hour of tragedy. The outpouring of grief and solidarity from leaders of all parties, religions, and communities reminds us of why Jews maintain such an ardent affection for America.Yet the dead aren’t buried and already the Left has begun campaigning to divert the blame from the anti-Semite who committed these murders to Mr. Trump himself. The idea is that the president’s campaign to curb illegal immigration has created the climate from which the accused gunman emerged. A writer in the Nation is blaming “Jewish political and business figures” who “enable” the president.This is a moment to remember what anti-Semitism is about. We have been making this point in these columns for years, including in our first issue, which coincided with the largest pro-Israel march ever mounted in Washington. “The thing to remember about anti-Semitism,” the editorial averred, “is this — it is not a hatred of Jewish behavior. It is a hatred of Jews.”Nor is it about any president’s behavior, leastwise Mr. Trump’s. He has set a welcoming example in respect of Judaism. At the personal level, he has embraced his daughter’s conversion to Orthodox Judaism and welcomed her husband and family into the White House. At a political level, he has made his administration as supportive of Israel as any administration in history.Much will be made of postings on the internet by Robert D. Bowers, who has been charged in the Squirrel Hill massacre. Among those he raged against was the venerable Jewish charity known as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people,” read a post the alleged killer made on one internet site but hours before he began his rampage.That was an apparent reference to the fact that HIAS has thrown itself into the work of helping settle here not only Jews but also other refugees, who aren’t Jewish. Yet HIAS, which has a heroic history, is no more to blame for the killings than are the supporters of President Trump, who is even being blamed for encouraging synagogues to review their security procedures.It would be inaccurate to suggest that American Jews have taken for granted their lives of freedom and security in America. Yet though there have been some terrible acts of anti-Semitism in American history, Jews heretofore have been spared the fears that have prompted their European co-religionists to surround their synagogues with iron fences and locked gates.This is owing in large part to the friendliness of the vast majority of Americans. This is nowhere more evident this week than in Pittsburgh itself, where a modified version of the Steelers logo is circulating with the Star of David front and center and where the entire city and well-wishers from afar are gathering to condole the extended congregation of the Tree of Life. Leaders of both political camps will be with them in body and spirit.________Image: A modified version of the Steelers’ logo that is circulating on the internet.

The Tree of Life Massacre

The Tree of Life Massacre

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