“The Torah map of this country would look very different without the quiet influence of out-of-town kollelim”
The recent front page depicting President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu as puppets struck me as a troubling public display of a lack of hakaras hatov. Presenting someone as a puppet is inherently belittling, especially when referring to the leaders of America and Israel, two people who have taken significant actions specifically intended to benefit and protect the Jewish people, particularly during this time of war.
I understand the message being conveyed, that ultimately our reliance and emunah must be in Hashem and not in human leaders. That is certainly true. But expressing that idea should not come at the expense of degrading people to whom we owe tremendous appreciation. In fact, hakaras hatov toward people strengthens our recognition that they are the conduits through which Hashem’s kindness comes into the world. Belittling those people undermines that perspective.
But beyond the issue of hakaras hatov, there is a more serious concern. For generations, Jews have been accused of secretly controlling governments and world leaders, one of the most dangerous antisemitic tropes. Just this week, Tucker Carlson was pushing that very narrative. When a Jewish publication depicts world leaders as puppets, it plays directly into that accusation and reinforces a trope that has historically put Jews at risk.
I’m not trying to shame whoever chose this cover, and I understand the message they were trying to convey. But this was the wrong way to do it. The message could, and should, have been communicated in a way that preserves dignity and does not reinforce dangerous tropes that have harmed our people for generations.
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