Should the GOP Decide Who Is a Jew?

Jews have nationality and race status, according to President Trump’s executive order. Now comes Rudy Giuliani to declare that George Soros— a Jew born in Hungary, like my Dad, and a Jew who survived the Holocaust, like my Dad— is less of a Jew than the Giuliani, a Catholic.

To put this in broader perspective: The GOP’s recent efforts to declare Jewish identity has a historical precedent. A bill in Britain was passed in 1753 to make Jews English citizens. Prior to that, Jews had legal presence but had legal disabilities because they weren’t citizens.

Some Jews were uncomfortable with having their religious identity a matter of public debate. They foresaw that this type of public debate would raise old prejudices against them. And they were right.

The London Post ran a series of Op-Ed pieces that depicted Jews as threats and traitors to the nation. 

Here are two brief snippets from a research article by Prof. G.A. Cranfield, The ‘London Evening Post’ and the Jew Bill of 1753.

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'Britannicus', one of the Post's most forceful writers, entered the lists with a sarcastic account of 'the many great Advantages that will accrue to this Nation by naturalising Jews.’ According to 'Britannicus', it is not to be doubted but all the Hebrew Race wheresoever scatter'd, will flock over, and this Nation be enrich'd with all the Tribes of Israel.... That when they are naturalis'd, they will buy Lands, is also reasonable to suppose. That when they are Possessors of Land, they will have Votes for Members of Parliament, is a Certainty... That they will therefore... chuse Members of Parliament, who can doubt, if we reflect on the vast Riches they are Masters of, and the Manner in which our Boroughs have of late elected?

And this:

To add emphasis to these various strictures, the vicious little verses for which the Post had become notorious in the past, but which recently had faded from its pages, now returned as a regular feature, in such items as 'A Call to the Jews': Come, Abram's Sons, from ev'ry Quarter come, Britain now bids you call her Land your own ... Revenge (your fav'rite Passion) you may hoist, And once more triumph o'er the Cross of Christ.

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Back to Giuliani: His pronouncements regarding Soros have a similar quality. Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, wrote on Twitter: "Opposing Soros isn't what's #antiSemitic. Saying that he controls ambassadors, employs FBI agents and isn't 'Jewish enough' to be demonized is."