So it’s April 8, 2025, and I’m doomscrolling X again because apparently I hate myself. Ursula von der Leyen’s name keeps popping up, and it’s not about her latest EU budget fight or whatever. It’s this thing she said back in 2022 at some fancy university in Israel that’s got people losing their minds. She called Europe’s roots “the values of the Talmud,” tied it to justice and all that, and now folks are acting like she’s rewriting history with a Sharpie. I dug up the speech, watched the clip, and I’ve got thoughts. It’s weird, it’s messy, and it’s definitely not what I expected to care about today. Grab a seat; let’s unpack this.
What She Actually Said
Okay, so picture this. It’s June 14, 2022, and von der Leyen’s at Ben-Gurion University out in the middle of the Negev Desert. She’s picking up an honorary doctorate, probably sweating under that academic gown, and she’s giving this speech. She starts personal, talking about being born in Brussels, her dad being one of those early EU guys. Then she swings into this bit about Europe and Israel being buddies forever. “There is no Europe without European Jews,” she says, and I’m nodding along because history backs that up. Then she hits the line that’s got X in a tizzy: “Europe is the values of the Talmud, the Jewish sense of personal responsibility, of justice and of solidarity.”
She name-drops Simone Veil and Franz Kafka like they’re proof Europe’s got this Jewish soul. It’s a big sweeping statement, and she lands it with “Long live Europe. Am Israel Chai,” which I had to Google. It means “The people of Israel live.” In the moment, it’s a nice gesture, a handshake to Israel. I mean, she’s in their house getting a degree named after their founding father. But now? Oh man, it’s a grenade that’s just gone off three years late.
Why’s Everyone Freaking Out Now?
I’m asking myself the same thing. Why’s this blowing up in 2025? Well, Europe’s a pressure cooker right now. Von der Leyen’s in her second term trying to herd 27 countries through wars, gas shortages, and a bunch of grumpy right-wingers in Parliament. People are mad about everything: vaccine flops, secret deals, you name it. I wrote about that Cleveland Clinic study last week where the flu shot might’ve made people sicker, and the mistrust’s spilling over. On X someone posted, “Von der Leyen says Europe has Talmudic values. And y’all were worried about Islam,” with a smirk emoji. Another guy’s like, “What’s this mean when she’s already launched a thousand conspiracies?” It’s like her words got dug up by a mob with pitchforks.
Timing’s part of it. The Middle East’s a mess, and her cozying up to Israel’s got folks side-eyeing her. Plus there’s this vibe on X that she’s some globalist puppet, and “Talmudic values” sounds like a dog whistle to them. One dude tied it to those vaccine deals saying, “Americans are tired of toxin-loaded shots, and now this?” It’s a stretch, but I get the anger. People feel like the bigwigs are spinning tales while we’re stuck with the fallout.
Breaking It Down
So what’s she even talking about? The Talmud’s this old Jewish book, well books really, full of rabbis arguing about laws and life. It’s got stuff on justice, helping your neighbor, owning your mistakes. Von der Leyen’s cherry-picking those bits saying they’re baked into Europe. I’m no historian, but Jewish folks have been around Europe forever shaping things despite getting kicked around. Think Freud, Einstein, even Kafka like she said. She’s not wrong that they’ve left a mark. But saying Europe is that? That’s where I squint.
I grew up Catholic, sort of, church on Christmas you know, and Europe’s got that vibe too. Rome, Jesus, all those cathedrals. Then you’ve got the Greeks with their democracy, the Enlightenment with its “think for yourself” deal. Talmudic values? Sure they’re in the mix, but it’s not the whole stew. She’s in Israel though, so she’s playing to the room. Still feels like a big leap when half of Europe’s checked out on religion entirely.
The Blowback
X is a circus over this. Some folks are pissed saying she’s tossing out Europe’s Christian roots. One guy posted, “As opposed to the Quran’s justice, compassion, mercy?” like she’s picking teams in a holy war. Another’s all, “No democracy when religious dogma runs the show,” which stings because she’s supposed to be this secular technocrat. They’ve got a point; Europe’s got layers, and the Talmud’s just one. Others are digging into the Israel thing calling her a Zionist shill. “The primacy of Zionism, huh?” one post sniped tying it to Ben-Gurion and 1948’s messy birth. I get it; she skips the Palestinian side, and that rankles people.
Then there’s the wild stuff. “Employee of the Devil,” one guy calls her. “Khazar sbire,” whatever that means; sounds like tinfoil hat territory. It’s unhinged, but it’s real. People are mad, and this quote’s a punching bag for it. I’m sitting here thinking, chill, it’s just a speech. But maybe that’s naive in 2025.
Is There Something to It?
Okay let’s chew on this. Europe’s got Jewish DNA, no question. After the Holocaust, she calls it Germany’s “indelible stain,” which hits hard, Jewish life’s clawed back. Portugal’s got a Jewish museum now; Austria’s got synagogues again. Personal responsibility’s in there, sure, but I’d say that’s more my grandma nagging me to clean my room than a Talmud thing. Justice? Every culture’s got a version. Solidarity? That’s the EU’s whole pitch, right? She’s not wrong about influence, but “rooted in” feels like she’s overselling it.
I think she’s just doing diplomat stuff. She’s German, grew up with the EU in her blood, and the Holocaust’s this shadow she can’t shake. At Ben-Gurion she’s honoring Israel, linking it to Europe’s comeback story. It’s not a policy shift; it’s a hug with words. But man it’s landing different now. People on X see a secret handshake, not a history lesson.
What’s It Mean Today?
Here’s the rub. Von der Leyen’s not rewriting laws with this. She’s still chasing green energy, tech rules, and Ukraine aid, not Talmudic courtrooms. But she’s the EU’s big boss; Forbes says she’s the world’s most powerful woman three years running, so her words carry weight. If she’s framing Europe this way, who’s she talking to? Not the folks coughing through a bad flu shot, I bet. X is split: some love her for shouting out diversity; others think she’s lost the plot.
Me? I’m torn. Europe’s a mashup: Athens, Rome, Jerusalem, some farmer in Bavaria. Jewish thought’s part of it, but “Talmudic values” sounds like a stretch when I’m sipping beer in a pub that’s older than the U.S. Maybe it’s just a line that worked better in Israel than it does on my phone screen. Trust’s thin these days though, and this ain’t helping.
What She Actually Said
Okay, so picture this. It’s June 14, 2022, and von der Leyen’s at Ben-Gurion University out in the middle of the Negev Desert. She’s picking up an honorary doctorate, probably sweating under that academic gown, and she’s giving this speech. She starts personal, talking about being born in Brussels, her dad being one of those early EU guys. Then she swings into this bit about Europe and Israel being buddies forever. “There is no Europe without European Jews,” she says, and I’m nodding along because history backs that up. Then she hits the line that’s got X in a tizzy: “Europe is the values of the Talmud, the Jewish sense of personal responsibility, of justice and of solidarity.”
She name-drops Simone Veil and Franz Kafka like they’re proof Europe’s got this Jewish soul. It’s a big sweeping statement, and she lands it with “Long live Europe. Am Israel Chai,” which I had to Google. It means “The people of Israel live.” In the moment, it’s a nice gesture, a handshake to Israel. I mean, she’s in their house getting a degree named after their founding father. But now? Oh man, it’s a grenade that’s just gone off three years late.
Why’s Everyone Freaking Out Now?
I’m asking myself the same thing. Why’s this blowing up in 2025? Well, Europe’s a pressure cooker right now. Von der Leyen’s in her second term trying to herd 27 countries through wars, gas shortages, and a bunch of grumpy right-wingers in Parliament. People are mad about everything: vaccine flops, secret deals, you name it. I wrote about that Cleveland Clinic study last week where the flu shot might’ve made people sicker, and the mistrust’s spilling over. On X someone posted, “Von der Leyen says Europe has Talmudic values. And y’all were worried about Islam,” with a smirk emoji. Another guy’s like, “What’s this mean when she’s already launched a thousand conspiracies?” It’s like her words got dug up by a mob with pitchforks.
Timing’s part of it. The Middle East’s a mess, and her cozying up to Israel’s got folks side-eyeing her. Plus there’s this vibe on X that she’s some globalist puppet, and “Talmudic values” sounds like a dog whistle to them. One dude tied it to those vaccine deals saying, “Americans are tired of toxin-loaded shots, and now this?” It’s a stretch, but I get the anger. People feel like the bigwigs are spinning tales while we’re stuck with the fallout.
Breaking It Down
So what’s she even talking about? The Talmud’s this old Jewish book, well books really, full of rabbis arguing about laws and life. It’s got stuff on justice, helping your neighbor, owning your mistakes. Von der Leyen’s cherry-picking those bits saying they’re baked into Europe. I’m no historian, but Jewish folks have been around Europe forever shaping things despite getting kicked around. Think Freud, Einstein, even Kafka like she said. She’s not wrong that they’ve left a mark. But saying Europe is that? That’s where I squint.
I grew up Catholic, sort of, church on Christmas you know, and Europe’s got that vibe too. Rome, Jesus, all those cathedrals. Then you’ve got the Greeks with their democracy, the Enlightenment with its “think for yourself” deal. Talmudic values? Sure they’re in the mix, but it’s not the whole stew. She’s in Israel though, so she’s playing to the room. Still feels like a big leap when half of Europe’s checked out on religion entirely.
The Blowback
X is a circus over this. Some folks are pissed saying she’s tossing out Europe’s Christian roots. One guy posted, “As opposed to the Quran’s justice, compassion, mercy?” like she’s picking teams in a holy war. Another’s all, “No democracy when religious dogma runs the show,” which stings because she’s supposed to be this secular technocrat. They’ve got a point; Europe’s got layers, and the Talmud’s just one. Others are digging into the Israel thing calling her a Zionist shill. “The primacy of Zionism, huh?” one post sniped tying it to Ben-Gurion and 1948’s messy birth. I get it; she skips the Palestinian side, and that rankles people.
Then there’s the wild stuff. “Employee of the Devil,” one guy calls her. “Khazar sbire,” whatever that means; sounds like tinfoil hat territory. It’s unhinged, but it’s real. People are mad, and this quote’s a punching bag for it. I’m sitting here thinking, chill, it’s just a speech. But maybe that’s naive in 2025.
Is There Something to It?
Okay let’s chew on this. Europe’s got Jewish DNA, no question. After the Holocaust, she calls it Germany’s “indelible stain,” which hits hard, Jewish life’s clawed back. Portugal’s got a Jewish museum now; Austria’s got synagogues again. Personal responsibility’s in there, sure, but I’d say that’s more my grandma nagging me to clean my room than a Talmud thing. Justice? Every culture’s got a version. Solidarity? That’s the EU’s whole pitch, right? She’s not wrong about influence, but “rooted in” feels like she’s overselling it.
I think she’s just doing diplomat stuff. She’s German, grew up with the EU in her blood, and the Holocaust’s this shadow she can’t shake. At Ben-Gurion she’s honoring Israel, linking it to Europe’s comeback story. It’s not a policy shift; it’s a hug with words. But man it’s landing different now. People on X see a secret handshake, not a history lesson.
What’s It Mean Today?
Here’s the rub. Von der Leyen’s not rewriting laws with this. She’s still chasing green energy, tech rules, and Ukraine aid, not Talmudic courtrooms. But she’s the EU’s big boss; Forbes says she’s the world’s most powerful woman three years running, so her words carry weight. If she’s framing Europe this way, who’s she talking to? Not the folks coughing through a bad flu shot, I bet. X is split: some love her for shouting out diversity; others think she’s lost the plot.
Me? I’m torn. Europe’s a mashup: Athens, Rome, Jerusalem, some farmer in Bavaria. Jewish thought’s part of it, but “Talmudic values” sounds like a stretch when I’m sipping beer in a pub that’s older than the U.S. Maybe it’s just a line that worked better in Israel than it does on my phone screen. Trust’s thin these days though, and this ain’t helping.
