Over the past week or so, both The New York Post and Jewish Press filed reports about a recent effort by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt to convince Jewish residents from New York, Chicago and Los Angeles to pack up their bags and move to Oklahoma.
Check this out:
Yep, that’s right.
Kevin Stitt is promoting Oklahoma – a warm, welcoming, and extremely tolerant place that still hires Nazis as cops – as a new home for Jewish people who are looking to flee religious “oppression” in other more welcoming communities.
That makes perfect sense, huh?
Maybe next week he’ll encourage big city journalists to move to McCurtain County.
For the most part, Stitt’s pitch is that Oklahoma has business-friendly laws, a lucrative private school voucher system to exploit, and other benefits that could possibly make someone ignore the judgemental intolerance of Oklahoma politicians and other evangelicals.
For example, Stitt got out his broad brush and says that Jews and Oklahoma Evangelicals share the same conservative values, like, uhm, ignoring Israel's treatment of the Palestinian civilians over the past 50 years and supporting that country at all costs.
Via the New York Post:
Oklahoma is rolling out the welcome mat to the chosen people in the wake of antisemitism swamping the Big Apple.
“The Jewish community is welcome in Oklahoma,” declared Gov. Kevin Stitt in an interview this week with The Post…
“When you think about the values of who we are as Oklahomans it matches with the Jewish community, family focused, very faith focused, entrepreneurial, hard working.”
The Sooner state is practically a promised land compared to the Big Apple said Stitt.
“In New York some of the Jewish community are being persecuted and you’ve got the pro-Hamas and Palestinian protesters all over and we’re like, ‘man, that doesn’t happen in Oklahoma,’” Stitt said.
First of all, I’d like to point out that someone who lives down the street from me has “Free Palestine!” shoe-polished on the back of their SUV, so not everyone around the state unabashedly supports the hardline Israeli government’s long history of oppressive colonization of the Palestinian people in the Middle East, but Sitt’s point is well taken.
Although he may have recently claimed every inch of our state for Jesus of Nazareth, the Oklahoma government not only supports Israel, but also has a strong history of producing and promoting Islamaphobic laws and policies that would make any hardline conservative American Jew proud.
That being said, there is one issue with Stitt’s plea.
Although Evangelicals and Conservative Jews may share mutual feelings on Israel, Palestine and Islamic culture, Oklahoma doesn’t have a very Jewish-friendly infrastructure.
For example, you’re hard-pressed to find a good Jewish rye in this city, much less any kosher food.
Via the Jewish Press:
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt is inviting Jews in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles to quit the Big Apple, with its antisemitism and crime, and move south to his state…
Before you start packing, here are some other things you need to know.
1. There are no kosher restaurants.
2. The Jewish population is just 0.1 percent of the state’s total population.
3. There are synagogues in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, but that’s about it.
Basically, if you’re a practicing Jew moving to Oklahoma, prepare to feel a bit lonely… and very hungry.
Also, if you think the crime is bad in your big city, just wait until you move to Oklahoma!
Anyway, if you’re a Jewish American looking to trade bagels for brisket, we wish you the best of luck.
If you can ignore the news, truck nuts, and xenophobia, Oklahoma’s really not a bad place to live. My only advice is:
A) Avoid living in rural Oklahoma, and
B) Avoid portraying any Jewish stereotypes. You don’t want to spook our lawmakers and inspire any anti-Semitic laws.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We'll keep you advised.
