Discussion on Jewish Identity and Politics

I didn't know who he was,

but he had a very

distasteful vibe.

And I took my baby son,

and I moved him from my left arm between the stranger and me to my

right arm, so my baby would be between Mario Cuomo

and

me, not between this man.

This man got up to speak,

and I remembered that, uh, he was, uh,

introduced, uh, as, uh, the ambassador from Israel

to the United Nations.

And I remember sitting there because I'd often hear my parents say this phrase

on the South Side of Chicago in the Jewish community, "That's good for

the Jews," or, "That's bad for the Jews." And in

my mind, out loud, I heard, "That's the

definition of what's bad for the Jews."

And I didn't know this man. I knew nothing about him.

I just knew he was a threat to my child.

And later, I learned that that man

was named Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hmm.

Oh.

And I loved that I had no idea who he was or what his position meant.

You felt the vibes.

I felt it. Then, uh, uh, I don't remember exactly when.

I think I w- I... What age? It was a while ago, 10, 15 years ago.

I was in Philadelphia getting ready to do a concert with Patti, my

dear friend Patti LuPone, and I go up to the hotel room.

Catherine was in the hotel room.

And, uh, the movie The Princess Bride was on. She was watching it.

And just as I walked in the room is that final scene in the movie where Inigo

is

sitting by the window with the man, Man in Black, and the Man in

Black asks Inigo would he like to be the next Dread Pirate Roberts.

And the Inigo Montoya actor,

who was me-

I remember, yeah

... uh, at, at, at, at

36 years old, I think, some... It was 1986. Do the math.

I was born in '52.

34.

Said these words, said these words which I did not really know

what they meant, that William Goldman wrote,

which I think are the singular

greatest words I've ever read, and those words are, were, and

always will be,

"You know,

I have been in the revenge business

so long.

Now that it's over,

I do not know what to do with the rest of my life."

And I ask Jews

all over the world to consider what this

man, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his right-wing government is

doing to the Jewish people all

over the world. They are endangering not only the State of

Israel, which I care deeply about and want to exist, but they are

endangering the Jewish population all over the world.

He is the most dangerous thing, not just since October 7th.

It has, it has been a, a, a deeply

troubled situation.

And, yeah.

And to watch what is happening for the Jewish people,

to allow this to happen to children and civilians

of all ages in Gaza for whatever

reason is unconscionable and unthinkable.

And I ask you Jews everywhere, all over the world,

to spend some time alone and think,

is this

acceptable and sustainable? How could it be

done to you and your ancestors, and you turn

around

and you do it to someone else?