- Open criticism of Israel is strongly discouraged, but
some say discussion is vital...
-
-
- In the third year of the latest tragic phase of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, American Jews are beginning to renew their long debate over whether
open discussion of Israeli and US policies contributes to a stronger Israel
or threatens its survival.
-
- The community has always been uncomfortable with the
public airing of critical views of any Israeli government, Jewish leaders
say. At a time of terrorist bombings, many see it as anathema.
-
- "It is detrimental when American Jewish groups pressure
Israel for concessions that could endanger its safety," says Morton
Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America.
-
- But others feel strongly that failing to speak out on
what they view as a slippage in democratic values and a devaluing of negotiations
is no longer acceptable.
-
- "There are serious risks to Israel's democracy being
openly discussed in Israel," says Jeremy Ben-Ami, of the New York-based
New Israel Fund (NIF), "and there has been a resounding silence from
the community in this country."
-
- American Jews are diverse in their views, and some feel
under intense pressures to be silent while they see a lively debate taking
place in the Jewish state.
-
- "There is undeniably at this moment a great deal
of tension in the community," says Lawrence Lowenthal, Boston director
of the American Jewish Committee.
-
- "The perception of many Jews is that Israel is facing
potentially a threat to its existence," he adds. "Because of
this anxiety, certain people with views to the left of center feel a bit
intimidated by the level of emotional intensity."
-
- Some, however, are beginning to speak out and to organize:
-
- ï The NIF, which supports projects in Israel, began
a Voice for Democracy campaign in December involving full-page ads and
an open letter to Jewish leaders.
-
- ï A new organization - Brit Tzedek v'Shalom (Jewish
Alliance for Justice and Peace) formed last spring to encourage dialogue
in Jewish organizations and build a grass-roots lobby to put a pronegotiation
voice before the US Congress.
-
- ï Americans for Peace Now last week urged the Bush
administration to place conditions on the $8 billion Israel has requested
in loan guarantees to freeze settlements in the occupied territories.
-
- Mr. Klein, who considers the territories "disputed,
not occupied," calls their arguments "inaccurate and immoral."
-
- These groups insist it is their strong love for Israel
and its democratic vision that motivates them.
-
- NIF's letter campaign calls on Israel to show moral strength
in adhering to democratic norms under fire. That includes, they say, protecting
the rights of innocent civilians even in war, and condemning calls to forcibly
"transfer" Arabs - calls they say are reminiscent of the historical
treatment of the Jewish people.
-
- The letter has sparked debate among a number of congregations
and organizations, Mr. Ben-Ami says, including intense discussions on listservs.
-
- Brit Tzedek - which has grown to 5,000 members in nine
months - is training leaders from 20 cities in dialogue. It is also seeking
grass-roots support for a "Bring the Settlers Home" campaign,
says Cherie Brown, vice president.
-
- In a recent poll, 80 percent of Jewish settlers said
they moved to the West Bank and Gaza for economic not ideological or religious
reasons; 70 percent said they would be willing to relocate to Israel with
adequate compensation or housing. Brit Tzedek will call on the US government
to press Israel to end financial incentives to settlers and support relocation.
-
- They are encouraged by polls showing that a majority
of Israelis and American Jews favor a two-state solution and an end to
occupation that includes evacuation of most settlements in the West Bank
and Gaza. Yet such views weren't reflected in Ariel Sharon's election victory.
-
- "The two dominating emotions right now are hope
and fear - fear is driving the vote, and hope is driving the polls,"
says Rabbi Irwin Kula, president of the National Center for Jewish Learning
and Leadership. "The body politic would like left-wing policies implemented
by right-wing people."
-
- As trust has disintegrated between Israel and the Palestinians,
the US role is seen as crucial. Brit Tzedek's ambition is to develop an
alternative voice to the powerhouse Jewish lobby, AIPAC (American Israel
Public Affairs Committee).
-
- "Jews are being spoken for, not represented,"
says Michael Furstenburg, a psychologist in Cambridge, Mass., who just
joined Brit Tzedek. "The mainstream that purports to speak for the
Jewish community really represents the most conservative."
-
- Brit Tzedek knows it has an uphill climb. "While
polls show a majority support our principles, there is enormous fear and
discouragement, and we are up against a key community issue - whether to
have an open, welcoming place for dissenting views," says Ms. Brown,
head of the National Coalition-Building Institute.
-
- For many, the main concern is anti-Semitism, especially
as it has surged in some countries. "We are a tiny minority in the
US, and there is a lot of apprehension that an airing of issues will feed
anti-Semitism," Mr. Lowenthal explains.
-
- Ms. Brown and others believe it could do the opposite.
Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun magazine, says some with anti-Semitic
views have latched onto criticism of Israeli policy and used it for their
purposes; but the charge of anti-Semitism has also been misused in applying
it to people who simply criticize Israeli policy.
-
- "We have to recognize we are in a period in which
Israeli policy generates a great deal of anger among morally sensitive
human beings," he says. "If you call their criticism anti-Semitism
... the consequence is to impose a new form of Jewish political correctness,
which, like other PC, will explode in our faces."
-
- Mr. Lerner, a critic of current policy who has received
threats and been called a "self-hating Jew," says it's much harder
to dissent today than in the past. He has formed the Tikkun Community -
of Jews and others - to press for a "middle path that is both pro-Israeli
and pro-Palestinian." They are planning a "Teach-In to Congress"
this June.
-
- Jewish-American attitudes on the Mideast peace process
-
- 86% of American Jews say Israelis and Palestinians have
the right to secure and independent states of their own.
-
- 52% support a peace agreement that includes the evacuation
of most Jewish settlements from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
-
- Source: Survey by Zogby International, Nov. 2002, for
Americans for Peace Now/Arab American Institute
-
-
-
- http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0206/p13s01-lire.html
|