Many of us American expats living in Israel for years or even decades woke up early on Nov. 9 to watch the presidential election returns. Not obscenely early, of course, because the result was not really in doubt. The idea was to be awake for the moment that the networks declared the winner.
As we sat in shocked silence listening to the newscasters question whether Hillary Clinton "still has a path to the presidency," Israeli radio reported that others, also American immigrants, had gathered in a celebratory rally in downtown Jerusalem. "Lock her up! Lock her up!" they chanted, echoing one of the uglier memes of a bitter campaign just ending.
Putting aside the sadness that the meanness had reached Israeli shores, the belief that Donald Trump's shocking victory augers well for Israel or American Jews is also simplistic and dangerous. Trump's election, in fact, represents a danger to the world's largest Jewish communities.