Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

How to Save A Country_ Congressman Ritchie Torres on Antisemitism, Israel, & the Democratic Party
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[00:00:00] When faced with calamity, where does your mind go? Do you blame God? Do you question God's plans, motivations, the merciless display of power? Do you blame yourself? Am I being punished? Are we being punished? Are we beyond redemption? Or do you simply bow to the randomness of the universe, throw your hands up, say, it's chaos, what can I do?

Well, I'll tell you where my mind goes, because it's been going there a lot since October 7th, and it went there last week. When a series of historically devastating fires engulfed my city from the west, the north, and the east, closing in around Los Angeles like a flaming noose, razing entire neighborhoods in a matter of hours.

Friends lost their homes, their businesses, their most prized possessions. The musical theater studio, where I spent the formative hours of my childhood, gone. The classic beachside seafood restaurant where I've eaten with my [00:01:00] wife, my friends, my kids. Gone. The church, the synagogue, the high school, the grocery store, the gas station.

All gone. Schools closed. Events canceled. Locked up back indoors like COVID times because the air is too unsafe to breathe outside. So where did my mind go? I didn't blame God. This might be a hot take for some, no pun intended, but if or when I believe in God, which is something I've struggled with my entire life.

I certainly don't believe in a god that gets up out of his chair, says, Hold my beer, and sets a city on fire. I also don't blame myself. To me, that's an unintentionally megalomaniacal level of superstition. No different than thinking your favorite sports team will win if you, the most important person in the world apparently, wears the same shirt you wore the last time they won.

And I don't think it's all random, so whatever, and just play a fiddle while Rome burns. Instead, I find myself wondering Am I as loving as I can be? [00:02:00] As present as I can be? As kind as I can be. And if I'm not these things, which undoubtedly is the case, am I holding myself accountable and getting better?

That's where my mind goes, and I know that might sound like bullshit or wellness retreat y, but it's the truth. The line between life and death, between proliferation and destruction, is but a wisp. Our squabbles, our anxieties, our identities even, like the one in the title of this program, None of these things matter when the fire comes for your house.

So don't we have to use what life we have in love, in service, in brotherhood, and sisterhood? I mean, what other worthwhile choice is there? I'm reminded of a quote I love from one of humanity's greatest leaders, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who recognized that we have only one choice. He wrote, We have inherited a large house, a [00:03:00] great world house in which we have to live together, black and white, Easterner and Westerner, Gentile and Jew, Catholic and Protestant, Muslim and Hindu.

A family unduly separated in ideas, culture, and interest, who because we can never again live apart, must learn somehow to live with each other in peace. A simple, unassailable description of reality. And yet one we so often resist or let slip through our fingers. We try to hold on to this ultimate perspective, but then we fall into the easy rhythms of judgment and selfishness and disengagement, and it's gone.

Plus, it's hard to pull yourself out of that game when so many other people are playing it. And still, we must continue to try. To strive to be the most loving, generous, compassionate versions of ourselves. Just like packing a go bag, we can't afford to wait for the next disaster to strike. For [00:04:00] one errant gust of wind to burn our dreams to the ground.

We need to put the work in today. To expand our capacity for humanity right now. Because if we don't, by the time your house is in flames, be it the one you live in or the Great World One we all share. It'll be too late. This is the 17th episode of Being Jewish with me, Jonah Platt.

Today's episode of Being Jewish is sponsored by Richard Sandler. Richard is a great [00:05:00] friend, philanthropist, Jewish leader, and author, whose book Witness to a Prosecution I highly recommend. Richard, thank you for making today's episode possible. Now, today's episode of Being Jewish will not be an ordinary episode.

It's going to be a little shorter and my guest is going to be appearing remotely rather than in studio. Why? Because he's a little busy legislating in the United States Congress. So, we take what we can get. Raised in Bronx public housing by a single mother, today's guest has committed his life to fighting for those without a champion.

At age 25, he became the youngest member of the New York City Council and the first openly gay elected official from the Bronx. Though he was elected to Congress in 2020 to represent New York's 15th District, he has also become a de facto representative for the Jewish people, as the loudest, clearest, and staunchest political ally of Israel on either side of the aisle.

Give this man the belt, because he is the people's champ. [00:06:00] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Congressman Richie Torres. Congressman, thank you so much for taking the time and being here today. We really appreciate it. Of course. Let's dive in. So when you become governor of New York, what are you going to do on day one?

Well, I've made no final decision to run for governor, but if, if I were to run and win, uh, on day one, when it comes to combating antisemitism, I would direct the division of human rights. To open investigations to every college and university that's violating the civil rights of Jewish students and creating a hostile environment for Jews on college campus and Columbia University would be on the top of my list.

And then I would replace the boards of CUNY and SUNY, both of which have been fundamentally ineffective at combating antisemitism in public institutions. And then I would issue an executive order requiring every state agency to adopt the IRA definition of anti Semitism, so. So clearly you've not given this any thought at all.

I have strong opinions on the subject. [00:07:00] The powers of the governor would allow the replacement of those boards entirely? Not entirely, but the governor controls the majority of the appointments on SUNY and CUNY. The mayor has a few appointments. And I would appoint people who are going to be warriors. In the fight against anti semitism, that's fantastic outside of the fight against anti semitism.

What would your other day one priorities be? Look, I would order the state police to partner with local police departments like the NYPD to dismantle open air drug markets in places like the South Bronx. You have open air drug markets where drug addicts are injecting themselves with fentanyl in the presence of children.

And for me, that is unacceptable. That's not only a risk to the drug addicts themselves, it's a risk to the broader community. No doubt. Moving along. You're obviously known within the Jewish world for your clear and uncompromising advocacy for Israel. For your fellow Democrats who agree with you, what do you think holds them back from speaking out the way that you do?

And for those who don't agree, what do you think holds them back [00:08:00] from grasping reality? Look, the simple response is fear. Fear of what? I think fear of the extremes, fear of a primary challenge, fear of losing one's election, one's political career, fear of the Twitter mob, uh, for me, the greatest threat to our democracy, the greatest threat to the U.

S. social relationship does not come from the far left or from the far right. It comes from the complacency and cowardice of a center that lives in fear of the extremes. You know, Franklin Roosevelt was exactly right when he said, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. And what makes me unusual is not that I'm expressing views that are far removed from the mainstream.

What makes me unusual is that I'm saying what many people are thinking, but are too afraid to say. Why do you think your colleagues are unable to look at the success you're having politically in your races, in your district, um, nationally? And use that as a model. Look, a [00:09:00] lack of courage is not only, is not unique to politics.

It's present and pervasive in every aspect of American society. In many ways, what needs to be explained is not cowardice, but courage. Courage. Is the exception to the rule of human nature. Um, but you know, the question of whether it's good politics remains, you know, I believe in everything I fight for, but I cannot honestly tell you whether, you know, I'm going to succeed politically because of it.

Um, if anything, you do pay a heavy price. Um, there's no issue on which I face more hate harassment and death threats than on the issue of Israel. There have been anti Israel activists, you know, waiting to ambush me outside my home, outside my office. My mother's been the target of, of harassment. There were activists who said to my mother, you're a genocide mother and you should have avoided your son.

Oh my God. Well, I have colleagues, you know, who see the vitriol and invective that is often directed toward [00:10:00] me. And will tell me, you know, Richie, I agree with you, but it's not worth the cost. I just have far too many priorities, far too many battles to fight. You know, I'm not going to allow one issue to completely consume my political career.

And so, you know, I disagree, but I understand the sentiment. What motivates you to keep standing so strongly for this issue, despite that vitriol that you receive, where so many others are getting turned off by it? Well, for me, anti Semitism is not merely a Jewish problem. It's not merely an Israeli problem.

Uh, anti Semitism is a civilizational challenge. You know, any history tells us that in any civilization that embraces anti Semitism. or enables it will ultimately rot from within. And, you know, if we as a society cannot condemn with moral clarity, the mass murder of Jews and Israelis, then we have to ask ourselves, [00:11:00] what are we becoming as a society?

And what does that reveal about the barbarity of the American heart? Uh, and so I feel like by speaking out so forcefully against anti Semitism, I'm not only fighting for the Jewish community, I'm fighting for the soul of my country and civilization. Well, we appreciate you being on the front lines of that fight.

You're stuck with me. New York City has been home to some of the most disruptive anti Israel demonstrations in the country. Why do you think that's happening on the scale that it has in New York City? Look, for a long time, New York City has been ground zero for anti Zionism in America. I would submit to you that October 7th did not change the state of anti Semitism.

It simply revealed a process that had been unfolding long before October 7th. And I'll give you one example specific to New York. So in the summer of 2020, the New York City Democratic Socialists of America [00:12:00] sent out a questionnaire asking city council candidates a series of questions. And the questionnaire Had a foreign policy section that only had two questions.

Question number one, do you pledge never to travel to Israel if elected to the city council? Question number two, do you pledge to support the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel? So in the democratic socialist. World view, it is morally permissible to travel to China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, but travel to the world's only Jewish state is strictly forbidden.

And if that is not evidence of anti Zionism as anti Semitism, then I'm not sure what would be. So, I was keenly aware of anti Semitism on the far left as far back as 2020 and even long before that. As far back as 2015, and I felt like most [00:13:00] of the political establishment was asleep at the wheel. To what do you attribute that?

You know, it's, it's quite obvious to anyone paying attention, and clearly you are. How, how have so many leaders whose job it is to be informed and be in front of things like this, how's it, how's it slipping through the cracks like that? Politics in New York. And elsewhere in the country has been ideologically captured by the extremes.

You know, there are democratic institutions that have been captured by the far left. I would argue the Republican Party has been captured by the far right, uh, and so we're witnessing the triumph of the extremes over the center in American politics, which is corrosive not only to the U. S. S. relationship, it's corrosive to liberal democracy and, and Western civilization.

Which leads me right into my next question, which is that. [00:14:00] Many lifelong Democrats at this moment are feeling politically homeless, that they can't connect to the priorities of the right, but they feel afraid and, and disgusted by what they're seeing on the far left, and they're not sure how they fit into this party anymore.

What do you say to those people? Well, I do believe the Democratic Party is the natural home for most Americans, including most Jewish Americans. But, you know, if there's disenchantment with the party, the solution lies not in giving up. But in fighting for the party, the party belongs to you. It does not belong to the anti Zionist and the anti Semites.

And so instead of conceding, we should be fighting back. We should be fighting for the soul of the party. If we, if those of us who are Zionist purge ourselves. From the Democratic Party, then it means the other side is won. Right, we're abandoning ship. [00:15:00] Here's the analogy that I often make. I feel like the DSA is to the Democratic Party in American politics what Jeremy Corbyn became to the Labor Party in British politics.

And the burden falls on pro Israel Democrats like myself to actively resist the Jeremy Corbynization of progressive politics in America. So my response is fight back, never give up, never purge yourself, never do the bidding of of the enemy fight back. And when we fight, we win. What does that look like for average people who are not in a position of political leadership like you, but want to be a part of this fighting back?

Look, we see examples of people fighting back every day. We see Jewish students fighting back against anti Semitism on college campuses. We see elected officials like John Fetterman and myself speaking out forcefully and frequently against anti Semitism. We've seen the defeat of anti Israel candidates at every level of government, including Congress.

So we've seen real life examples of fighting back and we just keep, we have to [00:16:00] keep doubling down on fighting back because we're playing catch up. Like I feel like most of the world was complacent and hibernating before October 7th and post October 7th political moment has been both an awakening and a reckoning, uh, and we've seen heightened political activism.

from the prozo community. And, you know, it feels like we're living through a, uh, I mean, you would know better than I, but it feels like we're living through a Jewish renaissance in America and elsewhere in the world. There's a heightened sense of Jewish identity. That's for sure. They call it the surge.

Jewish renaissance sounds so much nicer, I guess. I do like Jewish renaissance. I haven't heard that. Let's go with that. So, uh, what, if anything, would you have handled differently? in regards to the Biden administration's handling of the war in Gaza since October. So look, I do feel the Biden administration has been fundamentally supportive of Israel, especially in the early [00:17:00] weeks.

I agree. And, you know, President Biden proudly identifies himself as a Zionist, which is a rarity in politics. So I do feel he, he, he, he feels it in his kishkas. Nice. But, but having said that. You know, there, there are moments when I felt like the administration, you know, made pronouncements or pursue policies that might have undercut Israel's ability to win both the ground war and the information war.

And so I think if you're, if you're an ally of a country that is fighting for its security and survival, you have to be careful not to take actions or even make public statements. That, that impair the ability to win the war, uh, and to achieve the military objectives. So that would be my criticism of the Biden administration, you know, the, the insistence that Israel refrained from going into Rafa, I think has proven to be unwise advice from the United States.

Um, I think the Israel is vindicated in the [00:18:00] end. That's for sure. But then we saw, you know, the, the partnership between the United States and Israel in intercepting the rockets, the missiles from, uh, Iran. relationship. So I

feel like the story of the Biden administration has largely been a story of support for Israel, but far from perfect, but largely supportive. Speaking of Israel, you have been there a few times yourself. What do you feel being there, in that place amongst those people, and what if anything surprised you upon being there?

So I have been traveling to Israel for 10 years. I've been on six occasions. My favorite place in Israel by far is the Old City, is the Holy Land. And, you know, it's inspiring to experience the Old City as just a magical and marvelous [00:19:00] mosaic of religious pluralism. Yeah. See the most developed Jews, Christians, and Muslims praying largely in peace.

And, uh, you know, I found out something interesting about the Church of Holy Sepulchre. Tell me. Oh, the Church of Holy Sepulchre is beautiful. The holiest site in Christianity, particularly for Catholics, and it turns out that the keys to the holiest site in Christianity is held by a Muslim custodian in a Jewish state.

You gotta love it. So it captures just the special pluralism of the Old City and it, and it underscores Israel's role as a guardian of, of, of holy land that has immense meaning to billions of people across the world. What, if anything, when you were there surprised you? When I first went to Israel, first I was shocked to discover that Jerusalem was home to an LGBTQ center.[00:20:00]

Uh, the Jerusalem open house, the, the notion of an LGBTQ center in the holiest city, the most religious city, uh, on earth, uh, came as a shock to me 10 years ago when the Bronx, not even the Bronx had its own LGBTQ center. Right. Uh, so that's something that, that struck me as an LGBTQ person. Um, but when I first went to Israel, it was.

You know, learning more about the singular security situation that Israel faces. It's unlike any in the world. And I remember in particular conversation I had with the local mayor of Staro, who said that the majority of his children struggle with post traumatic stress because children like his live under the threat of relentless rocket fire.

And I remember seeing bus stops doubling as bomb shelters. I thought to myself, imagine the sheer trauma of a five year old Israeli child seeking refuge in a bomb shelter where [00:21:00] rockets are being fired. And sirens are going off, and adults are panicking in the scene of pandemonium. And I come from the Bronx, which is a rough neighborhood.

You know, I have constituents who live in fear of bullets, guns. But no one anywhere in the United States lives in fear of rockets or missiles, right? None of us worry that Mexico and Canada are going to fire rockets into American homes and communities. And so I came to realize early on that Israel faces a level of insecurity that has no equivalent in the American experience.

Like Americans have no conception of just how fragile Israeli security can be. When you're surrounded by numerous enemies intent on wiping you off the map, like there's a sense in which we, we, as Americans, we're privileged. We live in an ivory tower guarded by oceans, surrounded by peaceful, you [00:22:00] know, we're a continental nation with the most powerful country on earth.

Israel's a tiny state, the size of New Jersey. Yeah, in the most dangerous volatile region in the world. And so I think our own privilege Blinds us to the complexity of the Israeli security situation I just have to say it's so refreshing to hear you lay that out in such clear simple terms Because this is one of those things that you know, the Jewish community Wrings our hands over why can't people?

Get what is so clear and obvious and to hear you put it out there so clearly and obviously is just, uh, refreshing to hear. Look, I, there's a sense of which it is clear, but, um, you know, I put in the work, like I've been traveling to Israel for 10 years, I've been thinking about Israel for 10 years, and so I've come to these views based on intensive and extensive engagement with Israel as a country, as a region, but, but not everyone is going to put in that work.

Clearly. [00:23:00] Therein lies the challenge. Yeah. If you had to choose between. embracing a simplistic oppressor versus oppressed narrative or traveling to Israel for 10 years and thinking about it for 10 years, you know, human nature will gravitate toward the simple narrative. The path of least resistance. It spares you the burden of critical thinking.

Right. So we're about to have a big shift in power in this country. What are your greatest hopes for the incoming Trump administration, and what are your biggest fears? My hope is that there will continue to be bipartisan support for Israel, bipartisan commitment to combating anti Semitism, to sustaining and strengthening the U.

S. Israel relationship. Um, you know, I disagree with Donald Trump on most issues, uh, but my refrain is that even a broken clock is right twice a day. I like that. When a broken clock is right twice a day, I'm willing to collaborate with you twice a day. Right. Uh, but if I disagree with him, I will have no hesitation in, [00:24:00] in, in opposing him, so.

Are there specific issues in which you're particularly concerned that you're going to have to go to bat for? Obviously, we've much has said about democracy, but I'm actually most concerned about the social safety net. There will be attempts to make savage cuts to social safety net programs that will disproportionately affect the lowest income people in places like the Bronx.

People who depend on nutritional assistance, people who live in public housing or Section 8, really the urban poor in America could be the hardest hit. by Donald Trump's assault on the social safety net. And that's what keeps me up at night, and that's what worries me the most. If you would, as a, as a parting gift, offer a piece of advice or inspiration or call to action for Jews in America right now who want to change the tide of hate against us, but [00:25:00] maybe aren't sure.

What the road is or what the action is to help just never lose hope, you know, that the long arc of history is going to bend toward, uh, justice toward Jewish liberation, you know, despite the tragedy and trauma of October 7th, I am hopeful that both the Jewish state and the Jewish people are going to emerge from this moment better and stronger, more resilient, more unified than ever before, because history tells us that hope haktipha is the anthem of the Jewish people.

It's the DNA and destiny of the Jewish people. Uh, so my best advice is never lose hope. It's like, you know, it's better than we know ourselves. What's beautiful about a democracy is when you're a representative, you're supposed to represent communities as if you were a member of those communities. And I try to do that not only with the Jewish community, but with every community I represent.

I want every [00:26:00] constituent to know I have your back. We certainly know that. I know those in your district do as well. If only we had more like you. Congressman Torres, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for your candor. And, um, thank you for continuing to be such an incredible ally and voice for the Jewish community and the American people.

Absolutely. And please tell your mother I said hello. You know it. Take care. You too. Thanks for tuning in to this special episode of Being Jewish. A big thank you to Representative Torres for squeezing us in between sessions of Congress. And thank you again to Richard Sandler for sponsoring today's episode.

We'll be back to our regular format next time, so I hope to see you all right back here for the next scintillating episode of Being Jewish with me, Jonah Platt.