For reasons I will try to explain I found myself reading the Epistle to Yemen or Iggeret Teiman recently. It was an important communication written by Maimonides (Rambam) and sent to the Yemenite Jews. The letter was written in Arabic in 1173/4. Rambam wrote the letter in response to the religious persecution and heresy in the 12th century Yemen, marked by a messiah claimant who had arisen there. One of the leaders of the Jewish community in Yemen, Jacob ben Nathanael, the son of the illustrious Natan’el al-Fayyumi, had addressed his concerns in a letter which he had sent to Maimonides, who was in Egypt. Jacob had conjectured that perhaps the influences of the stars were responsible for these occurrences, to which conjectures Maimonides replied that Jacob ought to expunge from his heart the vain concept of being able to determine the influences of the constellations, yet counselled him and the Jewish people of Yemen on how they were to act concerning the person claiming to be the messiah and be saved from his harmful effects.

There Rambam writes:

Indeed our hearts are weakened, our minds are confused, and the powers of the body wasted because of the dire misfortunes which brought religious persecutions upon us from the two ends of the world, the East and the West, “so that the enemies were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side.” (Joshua 8:22). (Iggeret Teiman)

Reflecting on this week, there is no doubt that I am first and foremost thrilled with the return of Edan Alexander. And at the same time there are somethings that do not feel great about it. This is clearly the last American in captivity, but what about the rest of the hostages? This also seems to be another moment where this is happening without consulting Israel.

This great thing is coming in a larger context of events where the United States is moving things forward without Israel. Edan’s release seems to be linked to some back channeling between Hamas and America without Israel. Relatedly, Trump is on a tour of the Middle East this week and not coming to Israel. Israel is not joining the conversations while the Palestinian Authority is there. This is coming after the United States has been negotiating with Iran without Israel. And recently coming to a peace settlement with Yemen. This deal left Israel out to dry allowing the Houthi to continue to bomb Israel without the US getting involved as long as they left US ships alone in gulf. This whole situation plays right into the larger narrative of Israel being an “am levadad yishkon– a nation that dwells alone”(Numbers 23:9).

What we thought was partnership between the US and Israel, was actually just paternalism, or worse something expendable. Thinking about our current situation, Yemen and our being alone is what triggered my rereading the Iggeret Teiman. Again we find ourselves with “persecutions upon us from the two ends of the world, the East and the West”. We knew that we did not have friends in the Middle East. There is no news there. But, we thought that we had friend in the West. Where are they now?

After this week, and I would love to be wrong, but it is hard to see how Trump is actually better for Israel. There were so many people in the Jewish community who said that they were single issue voters. Where are they now? Where is the critique?

Ann Richards, governor of Texas before George W. Bush, supposedly said, “If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re likely on the menu.” It is hard to feel that we are the masters of our destiny. It seems that we are back on the menu. And this silence around Trump seems to be linked to the demagoguery of Trump as a false messiah. Maybe other people should read this prescient letter from the Rambam