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Why Barack Obama's win is 'good' for the Jews
By Carlo Strenger
Tags: Obama, Jewish, Israel News

There is no shortage of superlatives about the historic grandeur of Barack Obama's election to the U.S. presidency. I would like to address this moment from a Jewish perspective somewhat different from the angles that have come up so far. The discussion within the Jewish context has been dominated by Israelis and Jews around the world asking whether Obama will be good for Israel. While this question is legitimate, I feel that it demonstrates a very narrow perspective for a people that, after all, has a very long history.

I think that as Jews we should be overjoyed by Obama's election. Thomas L. Friedman wrote in The New York Times that only with Obama's election did the American Civil War come to an end. I would say that with this event, the world has made great steps toward the idea of humanity itself.

The fact that a black man has been elected to the presidency should first and foremost touch us Jews because we have experienced the importance of the idea that all humans are equal. Only in the 19th century did Jews begin to receive equal rights in many countries, and it was not until well into the 20th century that Jews were truly accepted in Western societies. Even in the United States, Jews were not accepted into certain country clubs and or law firms until a few decades ago.
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I was born and raised in Basel, the city where the first Zionist Congress was held, in 1897. In 1860, there was still a sign at the city gates announcing that neither Jews nor pigs were permitted to stay overnight. Jews have known the horrors, the humiliation and the hardship of their humanity not being accepted, and have seen their rights curtailed on the basis of ethnic origin and religion.

We Jews demand of the world never to forget that 6 million of us were killed in the Holocaust. We would do well not to forget that some 6 million black Africans died during the long history of the slave trade, one of the most shameful chapters in the history of humanity.

The enlightenment idea that all humans are equal is far from being implemented throughout the world. As Jews we should be committed to this idea, which was what started the Jews on their long voyage toward a life of dignity.

Hence we should not only ask whether Obama is good for Israel, although I believe that in the long run he will be. It will be more difficult for Muslims to dismiss as anti-Muslim the thoughts of a man called Barack Hussein Obama, who has Muslim ancestry. Al-Qaida quite explicitly said that it would have preferred McCain because he is a much clearer enemy; hence Obama stands a higher chance at playing a constructive role in our region.

But we should primarily ask ourselves what this historic event can do for the cause of tikkun olam. Obama's election is not only a historic achievement, in that he is America's first black chief executive. Half Kenyan, one-quarter Muslim and half-white in ancestry, and of Christian affiliation himself, and having spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, Obama is both American and cosmopolitan, and cosmopolitanism has always been frightening for bigots, chauvinists and ignoramuses, as we well know from our history.

Anti-Semites have always been afraid of Jews because we were accused of being cosmopolitan; because we did not fit into a simple category. Obama's identity is truly global; he is an embodiment of the idea of world citizenship, and it is a sign of hope that the U.S. could elect a man of such complex identity.

Of course, we are not witnessing the onset of paradise. Obama is not the Messiah; he will not make the world's problems, or even those of the United States, go away; and he faces enormous challenges on all fronts. And we still need to see how much energy and time he will have to fulfill his promise that he will not leave the Middle East conflict to the end of his first term.

Nevertheless, because Obama's election is a triumph of universalism over chauvinism, and because we Jews owe so much to the universalist idea, we should rejoice. It has been part of Jewish heritage, especially in the Diaspora, which is the longest period of Jewish history, to rise over immediate reality, and to see the realm of ideas and principles. It is on behalf of this realm that, before returning to the management of our daily affairs, we should pause and see the greatness of this moment.

We should also reflect on the question why, in Israel's upcoming election, there isn't a candidate who inspires hope in the way Obama did. Maybe it is because none of our potential leaders espouses the idea of universal humanity and human rights that has inspired so many Jews during the past two centuries.

Carlo Strenger, a philosopher and psychoanalyst, is professor of psychology at Tel Aviv University, as well as a member of the Permanent Monitoring Panel on Terrorism of the World Federation of Scientists.


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      1.   Billy Graham: Respect the Earth as God`s Creation! 06:25  |  James Everitt 12/11/08
      2.   there are no blacks there are no whites 06:35  |  a Jew 12/11/08
      3.   Change ? 06:51  |  Dani 12/11/08
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      5.   hypocrisy? 08:03  |  richard 12/11/08
      6.   Ethereal goals take long to materialize 08:19  |  allang 12/11/08
      7.   Jews marched and died for African American civil rights 08:38  |  PETER SM 12/11/08
      8.   human rights MEANS RIGHTS FOR WOMEN TOO 08:57  |  victor hardman 12/11/08
      9.   Universalism 08:58  |  DW 12/11/08
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      11.   JEWWS marched and died for African American equality 09:36  |  PETER SM 12/11/08
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      13.   Sorry, if I have to rub a little bit of salt into the wound..... 10:18  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/11/08
      14.   carlo strenger 10:26  |  george 12/11/08
      15.   Ethereal goals take long to materialize 10:30  |  allang 12/11/08
      16.   A very important point 10:33  |  Shalom Freedman 12/11/08
      17.   only problem with Obama is Iran 11:16  |  Joey 12/11/08
      18.   Obama is good for the Palestinians too 11:29  |  Joe 12/11/08
      19.   Post -racial euphoria? And they criticize Israel! 12:00  |  Israeli citizen 12/11/08
      20.   HOW IT FEELS AMERICANS 12:06  |  indrajaya 12/11/08
      21.   to James Everitt (1) 12:16  |  Palestinian in UK 12/11/08
      22.   "he is an embodiment of the idea of world citizenship" 12:16  |  Matt C 12/11/08
      23.   Carla Strenger 12:25  |  Alex Rhodes 12/11/08
      24.   Separation of issues 12:59  |  Ilan 12/11/08
      25.   #20 indrajaya 13:22  |  daniela 12/11/08
      26.   That`s an excellent article 14:28  |  C 12/11/08
      27.   Obama is an AMERICAN president 14:48  |  ScotGuy 12/11/08
      28.   # 20 indrajaya 14:54  |  17 12/11/08
      29.   #23 as long as He`s good for America.. 15:23  |  Edithann 12/11/08
      30.   #22 mattc doesnt answer about the world citizenship of women ? 15:24  |  victor hardman 12/11/08
      31.   dont forget 1968 15:45  |  bri 12/11/08
      32.   In reality... 15:45  |  Lexo 12/11/08
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      34.   It`s not what you believe that matters... 15:48  |  Lexo 12/11/08
      35.   ugh....how naive.... 15:49  |  pelsar 12/11/08
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      39.   # 38, PELSAR 16:30  |  indrajaya 12/11/08
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      42.   40-45 % of the "white vote"? 17:04  |  Stuart 12/11/08
      43.   33 aunist dwells in fairyland about peace talks with arabs 17:18  |  victor hardman 12/11/08
      44.   To #43: If Obama fails, Iran will force the israelis to get rid o 17:38  |  Aounist 12/11/08
      45.   Hypocrisy 2 17:48  |  Ed 12/11/08
      46.   "Obama`s win is `good` for the Jews?" Huh? 18:11  |  how stupid can 1 be 12/11/08
      47.   #11 petersm Al Capone gave to Charity -- 18:12  |  Labhras 12/11/08
      48.   #42 Stuart 18:24  |  mike 12/11/08
      49.   reverse racism 18:31  |  Rix 12/11/08
      50.   # 49, RIX 18:47  |  indrajaya 12/11/08
      51.   RE: there are no blacks there are no whites 18:49  |  Your brother 12/11/08
      52.   The Loving of Obama 19:00  |  Trey 12/11/08
      53.   Obama is also one-quarter "Jew" 19:11  |  Daniel 12/11/08
      54.   An Obama win is also good for 19:36  |  Erastus CoupeDeVille 12/11/08
      55.   # 37 Abby 19:38  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/11/08
      56.   Compliments to Carlo Strenger 19:40  |  Helle 12/11/08
      57.   # 42 Stuart 19:44  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/11/08
      58.   The Myth That We Are Better Off Under Islamic Rule 20:07  |  UsedToPostHere 12/11/08
      59.   re: Aounist 20:10  |  UsedToPostHere 12/11/08
      60.   re: Stuart 20:14  |  UsedToPostHere 12/11/08
      61.   SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT OBAMA..... 20:56  |  david jones 12/11/08
      62.   Forget Jews. In time, Obama`s Presidency will tear U.S. apart. 21:49  |  Pssd off American. 12/11/08
      63.   You people make me sick... 21:56  |  EDA 12/11/08
      64.   #52 trey 21:58  |  bri 12/11/08
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      69.   Peter Sm 22:44  |  Connie 12/11/08
      70.   david - 61....take it easy. 23:39  |  pelsar 12/11/08
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      76.   #61 David Jones 00:52  |  ballistic 13/11/08
      77.   TO ANSWER MR STRENGER`S QUESTION 01:08  |  Ian 13/11/08
      78.   ballistic 02:26  |  Connie 13/11/08
      79.   re: MA 06:24  |  UsedToPostHere 13/11/08
      80.   # 68 steve 11:29  |  Swiss (Dino) 13/11/08
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