Trump offered to sign siddurs at October 7 commemoration event at Rebbe’s grave - The Jewish Chronicle

Former American president Donald Trump is being mocked online after asking rabbis if they would like him to sign a siddur, while paying respects to the victims of October 7.

While visiting the gravesite of the sixth Lubavitche Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the influential 20th-century former leader of Chabad, Trump, wearing a kippah, idly picked up a prayer book and turned to the observant Jewish men beside him.

“Would you like me to sign this?” he asked before being informed of the book’s purpose.

One clip of the incident posted to social media racked up over 4.2 million views in less than 48 hours.

Trump reportedly took part in numerous traditional Jewish mourning practices on the day and placed a hand-written note and stone on the grave. He also posed with the family members of American Gaza hostage Edan Alexander while holding a poster of his image, for which he was also mocked online for grinning widely.

CNN Medical analyst Jonathan Reiner commented: “I’m surprised he didn’t autograph the poster.”

Former President Trump and his vice president pick JD Vance both spent time at commemoration events on Monday, the one-year anniversary of October 7.

I’m surprised he didn’t autograph the poster. https://t.co/cOWT5alUgA
— Jonathan Reiner (@JReinerMD) October 7, 2024

In addition to appearing at the Lubavitche Rebbe’s grave, Trump called in to a New York City conservative radio show and lamented the alleged lack of support for him amongst American Jews.

“Israel has to do one thing,” he said, “it has to get smart about Trump, because they don’t back me. I did more for Israel than anybody. I did more for the Jewish people than anybody. And it’s not reciprocated, as they say, not reciprocal.”

Trump also called the US election next month the “most important day in the history of Israel” and said October 7 – “one of the darkest days in all history” – would not have happened if he were president.

He said: “If, and when, they say, when I’m president, the US will once again be stronger and closer [to Israel] than it ever was,”

“What is needed is more than ever is unwavering American leadership,” Trump added, “The dawn of a new, more harmonious Middle East is finally within our reach. I will not allow the Jewish State to be threatened with destruction. I will not allow another Holocaust of the Jewish people. I will not allow a jihad to be waged on America or our allies, and I will support Israel’s right to win its war.”

Despite his administration relocating the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and overseeing the Abraham Accords, polls show Jewish Americans generally favour Harris over Trump, hovering at around 60 per cent support for Harris according to recent polling.

Last month, Trump implied Jewish-American voters would be partly to blame if he lost the November 5 election and said Israel would likely “cease to exist” if he is not elected.

“If I don’t win this election – and the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that if that happens because if 40 per cent, I mean, 60 per cent of the people are voting for the enemy – Israel, in my opinion, would cease to exist within two years,”

In July, during a radio show interview, Trump repeated his opinion that Jewish people who voted for Harris or who chose not to vote for him should “have their head examined”.

“If you love Israel, or if you're Jewish, because a lot of Jewish people do not like Israel and they happen to be in New York, you know that," Trump said, "but if you are Jewish, regardless of Israel, if you're Jewish, if you vote for a Democrat, you're a fool, an absolute fool."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once referred to Trump as “the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House,” while Trump declared himself “history’s most pro-Israel US President”.