Biden has done a 'pretty good job... while juggling very hot balls' - Michigan Jewish community

Record ID: 1768863

  • Title: Biden has done a 'pretty good job... while juggling very hot balls' - Michigan Jewish community
  • Date: 26th February 2024
  • Summary: BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 25, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF JEWISH AGENCY OF ISRAEL, ISRAELI EMISSARY FOR DETROIT, LIOR ZISSER-YOGEV, LEADING PRESENTATION, "ISRAEL AND GAZA," AT TEMPLE BETH EL OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHIGAN RESIDENT, COMMUNITY COLLEGE KINESIOLOGY PROFESSOR, CAROL PLISNER, SAYING: "Israel culture is something that is deeply embedded in American Jews. It's something we teach our children right from toddlerhood. So when Israel hurts, American Jews hurt. And I think that there is a very divided feeling among American Jews about the current political status in the United States. I think it's not a one size fits all idea of whether Democrats or Republicans will serve the cause better." MORE OF PRESENTATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) PLEASANT RIDGE, MICHIGAN, RESIDENT AND ACTIVIST, SUZANNE LEVIN, SAYING: "I think Biden has done a pretty good job. I believe that he is juggling very hot balls right now, and I think the way the world treats Israel, the whole issue with them rescuing the those, two men from Argentina that were Argentinean Israelis and the all the world's attention was on how many Gazans died while they were rescuing these people. And it is such a displaced, unfair way that Israel is treated in the international press. It's very sad. But I do think that Biden has done a pretty good job, and he is, the fact that he is now criticizing Netanyahu, who I, it's almost it's hard for me to say Netanyahu as it is to say Trump. I put them in the same basket, only I think he's more dangerous than Trump, because I think Trump is stupid and insane and Netanyahu is not stupid." GENERAL OF PRESENTATION JEWISH YAMULKE (SKULL CAP) / MICHIGAN DIVINITY STUDENT, PHILIP ZOTT, DURING PRESENTATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHIGAN DIVINITY STUDENT, PHILIP ZOTT, SAYING: "I remember the Oslo Accords, like I remember when they tried, when we tried (for peace). And I remember my dad telling me, 'that's not going to happen.' And it didn't happen. And now there was a ceasefire already and they broke the ceasefire. And so my friends that are liberal are saying we need another ceasefire. We need to stop this 'genocide.' They're using the word, 'genocide.' I feel like that's inappropriate. Like if you attack a country and attack indiscriminately civilians, and you're attacking the biggest dog in that area, you're going to get bites. So, like, they're not going to stop. The U.S. wouldn't stop if Windsor (Canada) came over here, right? We wouldn't stop. There's nothing. So I just feel like it's a little naive amongst a lot of young people." VARIOUS OF TRIBUTES TO ISRAELI HOSTAGES IN BETH EL SANCTUARY BLOOMFIELD HILLS BETH EL RABBI, MARK MILLER, EXPLAINING TRIBUTE TO HOSTAGES CLOSE UP OF TAG ON MILLERS NECK WITH TRIBUTE TO HOSTAGES THAT READS (HEBREW / ENGLISH), "BRING THEM HOME NOW" (SOUNDBITE) (English) BLOOMFIELD HILLS BETH EL RABBI, MARK MILLER, SAYING: "So it's been a very difficult time since October 7th. You can imagine. And the truth is, this is a highly traumatic event. And October 7th itself was, of course, terrible. It was the single worst attack on Jewish people anywhere in the world since the Holocaust. And the truth is that some of those reverberations really hit home. It's not even just the enormity of that event. It's that it ties into so much history and so much trauma that we have experienced for literally centuries. But in this moment, that was a horrible trauma. And then since then, the, I can't say worse, because October 7th was terrible, but it's been also a terrible thing to watch this rise of anti-Semitism that seems to have come out of the water locally, nationally, around the world. And it feels isolating. It feels oppressive. It feels like our history, our story, and our lives don't matter to a lot of people." TRIBUTE TO THE FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGES MORE TRIBUTES TO THOSE STILL CAPTIVE ON SEATS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BLOOMFIELD HILLS BETH EL RABBI, MARK MILLER, SAYING: "I think that the Jewish community has a very high level of participation in elections and civic responsibilities. I expect that to continue and maybe even be higher right now, given the stakes. And I think that's important for people to express their opinions. And so, yes, I think there will be a strong participation level in the upcoming elections. I think that's important, and I think it would be sad for anyone to sit it out, because the only way to try to make things better is to be part of it." MILLER SEATED DURING PRESENTATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) JEWISH AGENCY OF ISRAEL, ISRAELI EMISSARY FOR DETROIT, LIOR ZISSER-YOGEV, SAYING: "So I feel like, the support that Israel has received from the American government has been widely appreciated in Israel. We saw a very big support from many countries and organizations throughout the world after the October 7th massacre and terror attack caused by Hamas, and after Israel started acting to retrieve the hostages that are still held captive in Gaza and, and, you know, demilitarize Hamas and, you know, just defend itself, then the support was lost in many places. But I feel like the American government has continued to support Israel, to understand the importance of Israel defending itself. And that has a right to exist and defend itself and keep our citizens safe and retrieve the hostages that were taken and kidnapped on October 7th. So that's something that personally, as an Israeli, I feel like, we feel like we have a support, from our American allies. I know that here (Detroit) within the Jewish community, there is a big support of Israel. And I don't know what it's like in, in the wide American society. But I do know that Israelis appreciate the support and that means the world for them at this time in history, when we feel like we've lost so many lives on that day." PRESENTATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHIGAN RESIDENT, COMMUNITY COLLEGE KINESIOLOGY PROFESSOR, CAROL PLISNER, SAYING: "I think initially President Biden's response to the situation was helpful and it was supportive. I think as time has gone on that has become more questionable. And I think that the United States needs to have a stance that is deeply protective of democracy across the world, and that means deeply respective, deeply respectful, respectful of Israel. And I think if that doesn't happen, it will be a worldwide tragedy. And I think that whatever government is elected in the United States needs to have that perspective." WIDE OF AUDIENCE LISTENING VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF TEMPLE BETH EL
  • Embargoed: 11th March 2024 14:12
  • Keywords: American Jews Bloomfield Hills Detroit Israel Michigan primary
  • Location: BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES
  • City: BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001346226022024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:The situation in Gaza and the Middle East has become a focal point in the U.S. presidential campaign, with much focus on states with large Arab populations.
    None has perhaps come under sharper focus than the Arab communities in Michigan, who will hold primaries this week. But the Mideast swing state also has a sizable Jewish population of about 100,000.
    And members of the Beth El synagogue in Bloomfield Hills held a meeting Sunday (February 25) to discuss the latest happenings with an Israeli emissary to the Detroit Jewish community present.
    "I think Biden has done a pretty good job," said Pleasant Ridge resident, Suzanne Levin. "I believe that he is juggling very hot balls right now, and I think the way the world treats Israel… is such a displaced, unfair way."
    But the members also acknowledged both how central Israel is to their politics as well as how diverse the community's views are.
    "Israel culture is something that is deeply embedded in American Jews. It's something we teach our children right from toddlerhood. So when Israel hurts, American Jews hurt," said Carol Plisner, a Michigan resident. "And I think that there is a very divided feeling among American Jews about the current political status in the United States. I think it's not a one size fits all idea of whether Democrats or Republicans will serve the cause better."
    But whereas there is much talk of apathy or voting uncommitted, Jewish leaders do not expect such a result from their community.
    "I think that the Jewish community has a very high level of participation in elections and civic responsibilities. I expect that to continue and maybe even be higher right now, given the stakes," said Mark Miller, the rabbi at Beth El in Bloomfield Hills.
    (Production by: Hussein Al Waaile and Dan Fastenberg)
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