Q&A: Far Right
Far Right
Question
Lately in Europe, the far right has been gaining momentum and coming to power.
Does it worry you that questionable, “racist” people are coming to power in Europe—for example, the incoming president of the Netherlands, who is very, very pro-Israel, but seems to be quite a racist?
Is it morally permissible for me, as a French-Israeli living in Israel who has the right to vote in France, to vote for the far right because they stand clearly with Israel, even though if I were a French citizen living in France I probably would not vote for them?
Answer
I’m not familiar with the people involved, but the question is whether it is permissible to vote for the lesser evil. See what I wrote about this in columns 189 and 555.
In general, it is worth knowing that the way these people and parties are described in the liberal press is biased, and they are not always as bad as they are portrayed.
Discussion on Answer
By the way, the Dutchman most likely was not elected. The system there is parliamentary, and he is far from getting a majority to form a coalition.
I agree with Rabbi Michi that sometimes there may be exaggerations about them (for instance, the right-winger who was elected in Argentina actually sounds excellent to me). But Donald Trump, for example, definitely seems to me like a very questionable character (less because of his agenda, more because of his very problematic personality).
Why not? You are a French citizen, and that is your interest. It is certainly no worse than voting in order to advance some private interest of your own (that they give support payments to kollel students, or promote one field or another).
Thank you very much.
As for the moral question, do you think there is a problem here? Using my right as a French citizen to promote Israeli interests, even though if I were living in France I would act differently?