Why Achieving Trump’s “Ultimate Deal” Remains Elusive

Trump and the Jews

Author: David Rubin

Publisher: Shiloh Israel Press, USA, 2018

Full disclosure: I am a big supporter of President Trump and I have high regard for Israel and its people. Nevertheless, as much hope as this book attempts to convey, and it does so with excellence, it also, perhaps unwittingly, paints the canvas depicting why achieving the President’s “ultimate deal” is such a grueling and feasibly impossible task.

David Rubin is a former mayor in Israel and founder of Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He has written several other books focusing on Israel and her challenges – all well-received by those who are interested in what is going on with God’s chosen people.  This current book brings the battlefield right to our front door as it relates what is going on in the Middle East to what is happening in Washington.

Rubin provides a historical background to Jews in America and how former leaders from Washington up the present President have regarded the Jews. That’s a fascinating read in itself. He shares how the relationship went from a strong one to a difficult one and what Presidents caused it to go south. There’s a chapter reserved for the Obama years alone clearly showing how the 44^thAmerican President was not just neutral towards Israel but became the first one to be blatantly pro-Islamic and Palestinian in his policies, actions, and comments. The write-up on Obama’s “shoe for Israel” is well worth the price of the book.

The book goes on to describe Trump (one of its two main characters) in some pretty detailed accounts about his life prior to becoming a Presidential candidate and then the incredible campaign that he ran. That’s followed by a chapter on the other key categorical ‘character’ of the book – the ‘American Jews’ – telling us who they really were and are. The history is fascinating. What comes out time and time again is the fact that there is no doubt that “American Jews (as immigrants). . . totally threw themselves into American life and culture.” While at the same time, they did not try to change it – instead they changed themselves. That is a contrast we often forget when considering other people groups. Throughout the book, solid statistics are presented on many of Rubin’s arguments from reliable sources.

But not all America’s Jews are fans of President Trump. Rubin explains which ones are not and why. He explains the challenges that go along with that for conservatives and Republicans like Trump.

With the background of what’s going on in America as it relates to Judaism, Rubin then steers his readers to the Middle East. He starts with a chapter on the “Far Left And Far Right” describing their two poles of intolerance. As with the rest of his book, this chapter too is filled with great examples as well as photographs and illustrations. Unfortunately, the polarization seems to be getting worse.

The author then takes us to the “land” itself – Israel and her search for peace. He takes us back to 63 AD (although he calls it CE for ‘Current Era’) and explains the original source of the term “Palestinian”.  This is done exceptionally well.  I’m sure you’ll be as surprised as I was. In this chapter, he also touches on the links between Arab leaders and Hitler, and their requests of the latter.

From there, we are ushered into the world of modern leaders of the opposing sides – Israeli, and Arab or Palestinian, as well as the role the current American administration must play.  There’s a chapter reserved for Iran and how it views the American-Israeli relationship entitled “Big and Little Satans”.  In it, he also delves into the Iranian nuclear deal and why Trump had to cancel it.

To the ordinary reader who watched most of this unfold on television news over the decades, this book was not only a reminder of what they may have experienced, but it also filled in all the gaps in my mind as to why certain things happened. It’s a must-read for those who want to understand what has occurred to date and what may be in store.

Rubin’s last chapter contains “Eleven Suggestions For Trump (From the Jews)”.  I think Trump would do well to follow as many as possible.  And as far as the “ultimate deal” is concerned, Rubin’s book, at least for this reader, does much to convince me that the real Dealmaker won’t be anyone less than the very God that had called Israel “His people” thousands of years ago.

Highly recommended.

·     Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, January 22, 2019, www.accordconsulting.com

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