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Avigdor Lieberman's Makeover Won't Work
Right-wing Israeli politician Avigdor Lieberman is in the midst of a makeover worthy of reality TV. With an op-ed in the Jewish Week, a team in Washington (including the former ambassador to the U.S. Danny Ayalon) and an assist from namesake Joe Lieberman, the full court press is in motion to convince Americans that Lieberman isn't the far-right demagogue he played in the recent campaign.
Interestingly, I discovered from his op-ed that Lieberman and I actually agree on one thing: the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship is rooted in deeply shared values and national interests that tie the countries together and American Jews to the state of Israel.
Unfortunately, it is Lieberman's platform that threatens those values and interests, and Benjamin Netanyahu should think carefully about the implications, for the U.S.-Israel relationship, of including Lieberman in the next Israeli government.
American Jews should not be fooled by Lieberman's attempted makeover. While he may not use the crude terms of the late Meir Kahane, to whose political movement he once belonged, his positions are no less poisonous. As the Israeli daily Ha'aretz pointed out, Lieberman:
Takes care to use 'clean' language because, in contrast to Kahane, the rabble-rousing religious nationalist, Lieberman is an extreme right-wing politician who blends into his neoconservative worldview colonialist and racist elements. And like leaders of the extreme nationalist racist right in Europe -- Jean-Marie Le Pen, Joerg Haider and others -- he is aiming his propaganda straight at society's nucleus of fear and weakness, fanning nationalist sentiments and using a minority as a punching bag.
While it is the responsibility of Israelis to choose their government, it is the responsibility of American Jews to make clear the damage Lieberman's program could do.
Some American Jewish leaders, to their credit, are speaking out. The leader of America's Reform Jews, Rabbi Eric Yoffie has written that Lieberman ran "an outrageous, abominable, hate-filled campaign, brimming with incitement that if left unchecked could lead Israel to the gates of hell." The head of the American Jewish Committee, David Harris, has written that some of Lieberman's proposals are "deeply irresponsible at best," and threaten to "chill" Israeli democracy.
So what should we American Jews and supporters of Israel do about Lieberman's rise?
For more than six decades American Jews have provided Israel generally unquestioning support. As the pioneer generations made the desert bloom, we sent the seeds. As the young country's army fought and defeated larger enemies, we armed its soldiers. As old warriors ultimately sought to make peace, we provided the table for negotiations.
Through thick and thin, American Jews have expressed profound and enduring love for all that Israel stands for, the hopes on which it was built, and the dreams it aimed to fulfill. Yet for sixty years, the relationship has been a one-way street: what Israel needed, we provided. When Israel asked us to jump, we asked how high?
Underneath it all lay the recognition that despite whatever might divide us, shared democratic values and national interests cemented our relationship.
The question posed by both the Lieberman phenomenon and the rightward drift in Israeli politics is: what happens when Israeli and American values and interests start to diverge?
American Jews are rightfully proud of their historic role in this country's struggle for minority rights and social justice. The election of Barack Obama -- with 78 percent support from the Jewish community -- is seen by many as a crowning achievement for the decades long fight for Jewish values and against racism, intolerance and discrimination.
Meanwhile, the new Obama administration is stating more clearly than ever before that America's national interest includes ending the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts once and for all.
Should Israel choose the Lieberman path, limiting the democratic rights of its Arab citizens, it will run directly counter to profound American Jewish values.
Should Israel rebuff American diplomatic efforts and continue building settlements and cementing the occupation of Palestinian territory, it will run directly counter to the stated national interest of the United States.
The choice ahead for Israel represents more than the decision whether or not to include a right-wing demagogue in the next government. It is also about the direction of the country and the health of its relationship with the United States and American Jews.
The next Prime Minister of Israel should think long and hard before steering Israel down a path so sharply at odds with the values of American Jewry and the critical national interests of the United States.
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I'm American-Israeli, a Zionist, and an active member of my Conservative synagogue. Every movement, every nationalism, has both a constructive and an ugly side. Avigdor Lieberman represents the ugliest side of Israeli nationalism and Zionist sentiment.
Ben-Ami is right: No make-over on earth will change what Lieberman is at heart: an anti-democratic xenophobe (of course, the people of whom he has such a phobia are actually his fellow citizens). The most worrying difference between him and the Le Pens and Haiders of the world is that the Israeli people has acted to make him a king-maker, rather than marginalize him as most responsible European parties did with their radical right.
"Should Israel rebuff American diplomatic efforts and continue building settlements and cementing the occupation of Palestinian territory, it will run directly counter to the stated national interest of the United States" -- not to mention its own security needs (and oh yes, the entirely legitimate needs of the Palestinian people). I take some small measure of hope from the fact that President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton appear to have understood this.
The most worrying difference between him and the Le Pens and Haiders of the world is that the Israeli people has acted to make him a king-maker, rather than marginalize him as most responsible European parties did with their radical right. "
This may be the answer to that fact.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,609428,00.html
Not even the great and well-intended American Jewish diaspora can save Israel. Too late for Israel to change direction. The seed of hatred it has been planting for 64 years in the region is irreversible and is slowly bearing it's self-destructive fruit to us all whose ear is to the ground. It's a matter of time, that's all. Israeli citizens would do well to arm themselves with a multiple-citizenship.
This is an historic post. A non AIPAC view.
Most such views are subject to censorship when the post is meant to smokescreen the reality of ethnic cleansing.
That many Jews oppose ethnic cleansing in Israel and the occupied, and disputed territories by the Likudzi minority is a fact. That increasing numbers of Israeli voters trend towards ethnic cleansing is a reality that most Amerocam Jews fail to appreciate and this is a sad fact..
Jews, stand up against this ultimate contradiction of everything the Holocaust teaches.
Ethnic cleansing of Palestine deniers are the Holocaust deniers of the 21st centruty.
Good Jews will stand up against this contradition of all that is good, all that is true of Judaism.
I hope you're right but I'm not optimistic: Christianity used its "values" to persecute Jews and others for centuries.
I'm much more interested in israelis focusing on the realities. I also see what you report -- on various blogs that I think a large minority of Israelis are getting increasingly serious about ethnic cleansing.
This can't be done instantly -- will take what? weeks? months? People are just going to meekly get into trucks? Or are they going to be driven across the landscape, as the Turks did to the Armenians? Where will they send them? The neighboring states? Or will they exterminate them where they stand?
I'm not a military expert, but I have a hard time envisioning how the IDF will manage a "battle zone" or whatever you want to call it, with hundreds of thousands of refugees, insurgents and maybe some Syrian, Lebanese and maybe even Jordanian forces thrown in. And let's not forget Hizbollah.
The "destination" nations will certainly have to mobilize their armed forces, even if to just keep some semblance of order, and once all these elements mix -- I'd imagine some conflict would be impossible to prevent.
This is madness.
What worries me is that the Israeli leadership has already shown its ability to make crazy and counterproductive moves, without learning anything from their boomerang results.
This is an historic post. A non AIPAC view. Most such views are subject to censorship when the post is meant to smokescreen the reality of ethnic cleansing.
That many Jews oppose ethnic cleansing in Israel and the occupied, and disputedterritories by the Likudzi minority is a fact. That increasing numbers of Israeli voters trend towards ethnic cleansing is a reality that most JAmerocam Kews fail to appreciate is a sad fact..
Jews, stand up against this ultimate contradiction of everything the Holocaust teaches.
Ethnic cleansing of Palestine deniers are the Hollocaust deniers of the 21st centruty.
Good Jews will stand up against this contradition of all that is good, all that is true of Judaism.
The 2 state solution with one state being totally surrounded by another state is impractical and a joke.
The Pals should be compensated for what was done to them back in '48 and given land in the Northern Sinai ( by the Mediterranean ) and Egypt should be compensated for ceding that land to the Pals.
Israel could pay the compensation amortized over 25 years in return for the West Bank and Gaza.
Enough of this Kabuki theatre that never goes anywhere.
New thinking, outside the box thinking; that's what's needed.
Yes, it is all a big board game to people looking from the outside. Take land from this give it to the other. The only joke here is you inferring that Egypt would give any of its land to Palestinians. Read some History about how Palestinians and Egyptians dealt with each other until 1967.
American Jews are currently in an enviable position of influence in the United States, so much so that they confuse the interests of Israel with the interests of the United States. They are not the same.
Thomas Becket, Thomas More and John Walker Lindh all found out that in a modern, secular state a citizen cannot be allowed to put loyalty to religion above loyalty to state.
In the Middle East contempt for the US predates the wars in Iraq and 9/11 and is generated by the observation that Israel is a fully funded proxy of the US in the region.
The US is a free democratic, secular state but Israel for the moment cannot embrace true democracy for all and true citizenship is available only for the coreligionists of the majority. The US as a promoter of democracy cannot be expected so support this iniquity indefinitely. Beware hubris.
Yes, as the Israelis like to say "America's only true friend in the region." What they don't add, of course, is that that's because we and they have alienated everyone else in the region -- and beyond.
Our devotion to "democracy" is spotty at best -- we've used that repeatedly as an excuse to invade or undermine numerous countries. Most recently, Bush pushed democratic elections in the Palestinian territories and then refused to accept the winner - Hamas.
I think we should stop blabbering about "democracy" and start by treating other nations with respect.
"Should Israel choose the Lieberman path, limiting the democratic rights of its Arab citizens, it will run directly counter to profound American Jewish values."
Well, this is a good test of what those values actually are.
You know, you can tell what people really believe when they attain power.
For over a thousand years, Jews faced persecution in the West, and responded with some of the most eloquent statements about the rights of people and the fact that we all need to respect their humanity.
But Jewish actions in Israel speak just as eloquently of another set of beliefs. Those of the conqueror, a master race that can impose itself on "inferior" people.
So let's see which values the American Jewish community actually cherishes.
I think Steele had a clear choice -- either publicly repudiate Limbaugh and then re-repudiate him when the predictable arrogant finger-snapping response arrived -- or cave in, humiliate and disempower himself.
Sorry about that, the last sentence was picked up accidentally from a file. Bad mousing, mea culpa.
Well, you know what happens to every captive market after a while. If American jews want to stop being Israel's captive market, I'm sure you can work out what to do about it.
Thank you for your courageous writing and for the courage you display in trying to bring peace to Israel and Palestine.
Lieberman represents the "Russianization" of Israel. A dangerous perspective that cannot see the possibility of win/win solutions. Only - there's one goat and if you have it I don't and if I have it you don't. So I'll kill you if necessary to have the goat.
I'm not sure it's useful to put the blame for Lieberman's ideology and its success on one community. Sure, there are some powerful strains of Soviet-era politics in Yisrael Beitenu's schtick, but a very large number of non-Russian Israelis had to accept the whole idea for Lieberman to be where he is today, and a large number of ethnically Russian Israelis also reject the man entirely.
I guess I just think it's too easy and inaccurate to blame one group. We Israelis have to do some serious soul-searching, and it needs to go much deeper than that. I just fear that the past decade proves that we're not up to the task.
They are not Arab-Israelis They are Palestinian-Israelis
Palestinians are Arabs.
Their nationality is Palistinian- Israeli eg. Italian-American
Their religion is Muslim and 30% Christian some are etnic
Arabs many are not.
As an American Jew and a proud Zionist, I fear what this man represents and am truly saddened that Israelis feel so lost and afraid that they voted for this party. It's unfortunate that the elections were held so soon after a war (or that a war was started so close to elections). I feel this man and his party represent all that is backwards in Israel and will bring little good to the Israeli gov't. I just hope the Israeli people come to their senses and a new election is held soon.
Why not isolate Lieberman and Netenyahu until they recognizes the right of a Palestinian state to exist? LOL Of course we can't hold Israelis to the same standard we set for Palestinians. The hypocrisy in our approach to this conflict does not appear to be changing.
EXCUSE ME?
"Jewish-American" values.?????????????????????/
If you are an AMERICAN, they are AMERICAN values.
That you happen to be of JEWISH PERSUASION doesn't change the fact that you are a CITIZEN of the UNITED STATES, not ISRAEL.
I'm getting REALLY REALLY sick of people standing on this side of the pond, demanding money and support for ANOTHER state.
Isn't that why Israel was developed in the first place? So that people who state they are JEWISH had an independent state ALL THEIR OWN?
I now call it the State of Zion, since the rightwingnut ZIONISTS are now in full control.
And I do not want ONCE CENT of my tax dollars going to support such a State.
I thought Jewish people the world over have dual citizenship with their home country and the state of Israel. Isn't that still true even though the migrations of people into Israel caused such a strain that the state was trying to slow immigration?
You're point about Jewish or American values is not factually correct, is it? If a Jewish person can vote in Israeli elections, can't they take their American values with them?
If not, why not?
I think you can possess dual citizenship for any country and America these days, but just because I am Jewish doesn't mean I am Israeli. I am only American...I have not made aliyah nor applied for Israeli citizenship (not that easy just because I am Jewish).
You tought wrong, just take some time to read about immigration and you will see that you need to apply for Israeli citizenship just like any other country, no Jew outside of Israel is born an Israeli citizen and 20% of the Israeli population is not even Jewish.
I believe that the Law of Return in Israel grants citizenship to those who can prove themselves to be Jewish. So the application process basically is where you provide the evidence of your being a Jew. Furthermore, I think that there are some extreme circumstances where you can be denied citizenship even if you are Jewish, such as if you are a dangerous criminal. I think gangster Meyer Lansky was denied Israeli citizenship (he's the inspiration for Hyman Roth, the character in Godfather II) after he applied.
Being Jewish does not automatically grant you citizenship to Israel. You still have to apply and go to the long immigration process. Just like Germans, Japanese, Italians and many others who are of a specific ethinicity and have to apply for citizenship to that specific country. Is that hard to understand?
If you're Jewish, you go through some formalities and are then granted citizenship. If you are Palestinian, the most you will get is a 3-month visa to visit the country your parents grew up in.
Israel's apparent abandonment of the two-state solution and long-standing denial of equal rights are depressing, to say the least...
Why is it that many Americans cannot see that the following statements are BOTH true:
"The United States must be a supporter and key ally to Israel."
-and-
"Israel needs to be criticized by the United States for unjust treatment of Palestinians."
Isn't it finally time for America to be a REAL HONEST BROKER?
http://TheSnarkingLot.blogspot.com
It's the notion that if one is a friend, one tells the truth.
Oh, and the further notion that it is possible to hold two truths in one's mind at the same time.
These notions have long seemed very distant indeed from American policy toward Israel. I believe this Administration is now trying to act on both, but I'm close to convinced that it's too late, and Israel has gone too far round the bend.
Congratulations on your new endeavor - the Israeli people have not been well served by their leadership and most of the public is fearful of expressing opposing opinion. Sensible opposition opinion begins here and moves there. Having your support and the support of American Jews will undoubtably help those in Israel who do not agree with the direction their leaders are taking them, begin their own movement for change.
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