My Pro-Israel Friends Need Pro-Zac

Before writing this, I think it is important to talk a little about who I am.

For the last 25 years, my involvement in the Jewish community and Israel have shaped my life. I have chaired campaigns, led missions, and served on the boards of Israel Bonds, Federation, United Jewish Appeal, CLAL, AIPAC, and two Jewish day schools. I have made 20 trips to Israel and studied Jewish texts religiously (I couldn't resist the pun). I still work hard, serve on and chair boards of, and have great affection for those organizations and take my Judaism very seriously. Jewish wisdom is the filter through which I try to run the major decisions in my life.

That's why I am so shocked and dismayed over the debilitating pathology that has gripped much of the organized Jewish community today--particularly those of my friends who proudly call themselves "pro-Israel."

What was once a proud, smart, intelligent, nuanced, and diverse movement has devolved into a combination cult-booster club championed by a handful of amazing people who lead a throng of angry, paranoid, one-issue folks with tunnel vision who often blur the difference between being a player and a fan.

Many of these people are my good friends--folks I really like, hang out with, and respect for most of what they do. That's what makes this so sad.

The deterioration of logic and perspective has been building for a while but it kicked into high gear over the last year when my Jewish friends discovered the power of blast emails. Suddenly ominous screeds decrying acts of anti-semitism and Israel hatred (most of them full of lies and distortions) started flying around the internet like shrapnel.

The senders seemed far more interested in being the first to share the latest tale of outrage than they were in determining the truth of what they were forwarding. I commented on this phenomenon last year (There's Never Enough Anti-Semitism to Make Some Jews Happy) and again when the hatred and paranoia hit new levels with the demonization of Obama during the presidential campaign.

While all this was going on, these same people were sending me more and more blasts making sure that I never forgot that 6 million of our people were killed by "them" during the Holocaust along with constant reminders that Obama was a secret Muslim, a friend of terrorists, not really an American, and wanted to destroy Israel. On a more pleasant note, there were constant triumphalist reminders of how fabulous and accomplished the Jewish people are and testimonials from real or fabricated Israelis telling us how wonderful things are in our homeland but that they need our hopes and prayers.

Discussion--a hallmark of Jewish interaction--was not encouraged. We were often instructed to forward the email to hundreds of our friends if we agreed--whatever that means--but we were told to simply delete it if we took issue with anything.

This was the biggest red flag of all. Judaism has survived and grown against all odds over the years due to its focus on dialogue and discussion. We are instructed by the Talmud to learn from all people. We are the people of "reply to all," not of "delete." We have always been the people of fact-check--not those who blindly race to forward provocative lies in order to be first in line.

This pathology seemed to peak last week after President Obama delivered his amazing speech in Cairo.

As most Americans, Israelis, and the rest of the world expressed their hope and admiration, my Jewish pro-Israel friends were going crazy with fear and anger. My strong suspicion is that few, if any, of them actually listened to Obama's speech. They were simply forwarding emails they received from self-proclaimed pro-Israel writers who knew before Obama opened his mouth that they would hate what he said.

Some have characterized me as an Obama apologist who will defend him no matter what he does. I admit that I am thrilled that Obama is our president but he doesn't need me to defend him. Many of his critics seem to have forgotten that the election is over and we have Obama as our president for the next 43 months regardless. We can't get upset over a speech and vote him out of office tomorrow. It doesn't work that way.

My agenda is not to defend Obama. It's to keep our conversation focused and balanced and to weed out the lies, distortions, anger, paranoia and triumphalism that have fouled our collective garden in recent years.

As bad as these qualities are, they are not the biggest loss we have suffered from this phenomenon.

That loss is the lack of focus on many of the challenges and issues that we need to confront as a people that get completely lost in the din created by the pro-Israel cult.

For example, with all the legitimate concern expressed over Iran and the Palestinian terrorists who want Israel, Jews, and America destroyed (all valid concerns), there is no discussion at all of the fact that Yitzhak Rabin was murdered by a religious Jewish terrorist named Yigal Amir who to this day is regarded as a hero by most religious Israelis. Although he remains proud of his murderous act, the pardon of Amir is supported by a shocking 30 percent of all Israelis. Worth a discussion?

There has been much emailing accurately documenting the continuous bombing of Sderot and other locations near Gaza which prompted the Israeli incursion and bombing of that area months ago. I haven't heard a word, however, about the press accounts documenting that prominent Israeli rabbis were encouraging soldiers to behave cruelly and "show no mercy" to the Gaza civilians they encountered. Worth a discussion?

Ultimately, the "other"--in this case the Palestinian leaders and Muslims in general--are portrayed as being completely unwilling and/or disinterested in engaging in productive peace negotiations. Many of them deserve that criticism. But the implication is that their Jewish and Israeli counterparts are far more open-minded, and eager for peace.

My friend Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic--a Jewish American who lived and served as a West Bank prison guard in the Israeli army--shared this disquieting piece in his blog. This is a must-see for my many triumphalist Jewish friends. if you don't open any other links in this post, please watch this one. Worth a discussion? Have you received a copy of this from your Jewish pro-Israel friends?

What does it mean for an American Jew to be pro-Israel anyway? We are lucky enough to live at a time when any of us could literally move there tomorrow if we really wanted to or cared that much. We could vote in their elections and have our kids serve in the Israeli army and be full participants in the future of the Jewish homeland. Short of that, we could learn to communicate in Hebrew and own second or third or fourth homes there. That's what my Israeli friends have told me they would like us to do.

But none of my most strident pro-Israel American friends have done any of those things. They just pontificate, forward emails, get more and more afraid and angry, and try to convince others to do the same. Call me a self-hating Jew, but I don't think this is a good thing.

Now a growing number of those friends tell me they have never been more fearful than they are right now and I am right there with them. It's just that we are afraid for different reasons. They are worried that Obama has a secret agenda to "slit Israel's throat" and deliver the Jewish state into the hands of its enemies. I can't find a single reason to share that concern. Everything Obama has said and done and the team he has chosen to help him deal with the Middle East gives me reason for great hope.

My fear is that the principles of fairness, honesty, and intellectual rigor and the values that have made and kept Judaism great and vibrant over the centuries are being cast aside by a group of people who call themselves leaders and mean well but who now define being Jewish and pro-Israel as a spectator sport.

They sit in the stands screaming at the refs and complaining about the dirty play of the other team--often justifiably. But they no longer look in the mirror and focus on the one thing that we can actually do something about--how we can do better and take our own game to a higher level.

Unless and until we define being pro-Israel and seriously Jewish as involving both of those behaviors then we will truly have reason to be very afraid.

Comments

[courtb]

I understand what you are saying, I got those emails as well. However, the vast majority of pro-Israel Jews support Obama and want to see a peaceful solution.

We just made our point clear with our votes rather than hysterical emails.

[forpeacealways]

If you think Israeli-Arabs don't like living in Israel:

http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2008/06/23/77-palestinian-arabs-we-like-living-in-israel-best/

[SiberianRat]

Just like the GOP is NOT pro-America but pro-ideology, I think the same can be said for many of Israel's supporters and a sadly large chunk of its citizenry. If one is pro-Israel, they should be pro-peace. Just like it has not served the US well at all to be constantly at war, the same is true for Israel. Now many loud voices in Israel are screaming "victim" (the favorite chant) louder than ever and saying hateful, absurd things about our President. Obama has a 67% job approval rating, so when Israel lashes out with vitriol, it's aimed at 2/3 of the American population. Also, the rightwing religious fanatics in the US don't give a toss about Israel's peace and security--they need things to stay the way they are to bring about the "end of days," at which time they believe Jews will go to hell anyway--nice.

[Larry Gellman]

You are confusing some of the pro-Israel voices in America with Israeli. The vast majority of Israelis are not screaming "victim" and saying hateful absurd things about Obama. That stuff is coming from a small but influential group of their American supporters who can be very loud. The majority of Israelis support Obama and the VAST majority of American Jews support Obama.

[mommadona]

You are confusing rightwingnut Zionists with people of Jewish persuasion....

Keep the dogma AWAY from the karma - karma will run over dogma every time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnp4kj5lLOU

[posttheist]

Finally, an intelligent discussion on Israel. I am by no means anti-Israel but it seems like they act like a bunch of children AND have no plan in sight to stop acting the victim when they victimize other people as well. Basically, this is what happens when peole believe in ghosts and listen to the divine voices in their heads. If it wasn't religious...they would be in a mental home...

[lgellman]

Thanks but no thanks. Who are the "they" who act like a bunch of children? Israelis face a number of real and unique challenges to their safety and existence. I am right there in their corner when the combat the unprecedented level of terrorism and hatred that surround them. I'm talking about an in-house conversation that is needed among those of us who support Israel.

[posttheist]

...and a lot of people face a "number of real and unique challenges" because of Israel's actions. They act like they are the only ones that matter in the region. Furthermore, people who fight over religious differences deserve to go away because religion is for the weak minded. Like I said, people who believe in holy ghosts (basically ghosts, like in children's books) and believe in third person incarnations of human characteristics should not be put in control of very real Earthly problems... If everyone in that region acknowledged what religion did at one time for an uneducated population (like when most of the old testament was written), which was to create a better society, and that we no longer need the puppet show with some rhyming words to get through the day, we would all live a little longer...

[arle]

You think Israelis suffer a number of unique challenges to their safety and existence? Try being Palestinian for a day.

[sonoffestus]

Thoughtful and reasonable, thank you!

[Macready]

ineresting blog .. . a lot to think about .. happy you mentioned Rabin . . .but like Taxi I wonder how can you be a AIPAC? and pro-Zionist

[lgellman]

I believe AIPAC performs a valuable role at a time when there is so much vicious disinformation being spread about Israel. I also believe that the U.N. and many countries hold Israel to a blatant double standard. AIPAC serves as a counterweight and a valuable one.

As with most organizations I support, there are things that I would like to see change. AIPAC is a little too cult-like for my taste and I think it has become a magnet for a lot of the "pro-Israel" types that I talk about in the post.

But I always prefer to work for change from the inside with organizations that I believe do more good than harm.

[mommadona]

AIPAC and AEI are the MAIN SPREADERS of rightwingnut ideological spew.

With "Armaggedon RULES!" friends like this-who needs enemies?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9100022630137501207&ei=aY8uStqhOqqGqQOLzvzgAw&q=hagee%2Baipa&hl=en&client=firefox-a

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/aipac-cheers-an-antisemi_b_43377.html

[Taxi]

You seem like such a reasonable man.

Yet you support Zionism, an ideology of segregation.

How do you reconcile these two contradictory traits?

[lgellman]

Zionism, like many terms, has come to mean too many things to too many people. In its original incarnation it referred to the desire of Jews to return to the Jewish homeland at a time when that was not allowed and was only a dream. Then 60 years ago it suddenly became possible but most Jews with choices around the world chose not to go and stay where they were. In my mind at that point the term became almost a contradiction--to pray for the right to do something that you could easily do if you wanted. But it remains in use today by anti-semites and those who hate Israel to describe whatever it is they oppose and by Jews around the world who continue to describe themselves as Zionist which basically means that they like the idea of Israel but still choose to stay at home.

I support Israel's right to exist, its right to defend itself against its enemies, its right to have a free and open economy, and its right not to be held to a double standard by the U.N. and most countries in the world. I strongly opposed anyone who disagrees with those principles. If that is supporting Zionism, then I guess I do.

The whole ideology of segregation thing doesn't enter into the picture.

[Taxi]

Explain then the carved in stone tenet that Zionism is a movement that promotes a homeland for Jews only when Judaism is a religion and Jews are a group of people of different nationalities who follow Judaism, not a race onto themselves.

Explain why European Khazar converts to Judaism should claim a land-mass in the middle east only for them?

Every which way I look at Zionism, I'm constantly seeing a religio-political segregation that benefits Jews and only Jews.

[mcantwell]

Mr. Gellman, this is one of the best articles that I have read on this blog in a very long time. If fair minded people like you were directly involved in the negotiations of the peace process, it would have a fighting chance. Please keep your commentaries coming!

[Khirad]

Thank you, that was a very interesting read. I've been noticing a certain paranoid right-wing Jewish shrillness similar to that of fringe conservatives on the net. All the sensible ones can defend Israel without sounding like loons. In addition, even a few who didn't vote for Obama, but actually listened to his Cairo speech - approved! I was as shocked as anyone. I hope those you speak of are just a very vocal minority and not as endemic as it might appear.

[Gewyne]

A nice article Mr Gellman.

I am not sure what to think of Americans with dual citizenship, who are pro-Israeli - I often feel that living in what is a comfortable and generaly safe US and a predominately comfortable and safe Israel feel that the current status quo is best and that the Palestinian problem is one that will go away over time (settlements continue to grow and the Palestinians forced to move or become labourers as they are currently in a lot of West Bank cultivated areas working under Jewish plantation owners).

Having a 2 state solution on the 1967 borders is an unknown and one I can never see Israel agreeing to even if morally it is the correct decision - The Jordan is Palestine will not work in the eyes of Palestinians (though I can see Jordan going for it one day if financially they get a little incentive along with some land concession) and the one state solution is never going to fly as Israel would become a non Jewish state.

I see American Jewish citizens as having caused this impass by accepting things in the pass and giving support for just about anything - If they had been fair and firm handed in the past we could have a 2 state solution already, instead the energies were on colluding with Israeli government confusing US / Israeli policy.

I hope a solution can be found, but I fear I am a lot less optmistic than you

[courtb]

Maybe I misunderstood what you were saying, but are you blaming American Jews for the Palestinians not having their own country?

[krompessor]

Any person who sees them selves as "pro Israel" must agree with President Obama. It is ultimately in Israel's best interest to stop the occupation. If they continue on the same path since 1967, expand settlements, and deny the Palestinians their own country. Then they must give the Palestinian people the same freedom and civil rights that the Israeli citizens receive. This means the RIGHT TO VOTE. Of course that would completely change everything in Israel. So if a person who was "pro Israeli" would be wise to see that Obama is thinking of their best interest.

.....Any time a person or a leader claims "Israel is illegitimate and should not exist". Israeli government and spokesmen scream over and over claims of "anti-semetic raciscm".And insist on their neighbors to claim Israel's right to exist, YET THEY DENY A PALESTINIAN STATE'S RIGHT TO EXIST???

[forpeacealways]

Israel offered a state 2 times. This government has stated publicy that they will follow the roadmap to peace which states the end goal of a Palestinian State.

[arle]

"Israelis say Bush agreed to West Bank growth"
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/world/middleeast/04israel.html?hp

...in flagrant violation of the roadmap.

[Wisdo]

No they didnt. They offered a bantustan, that was unworkable and which privately they themselves considered unworkable for the Palestinians. A myriad seperate tiny islands of land for the palestinians connected by corridors patrolled and overseen by the Israelis is what was offered.

May as well have offered them a kick in the arse while they were at it.

[arle]

Thank you for this post, Mr. Gellman. I know it's not easy and the pro-Israel crowd is just as likely to attack another Jewish man who contradicts them as they are anyone else. I personally think Zionism used to be something reasonably noble, in the past, but clearly it has become something radicalized and extremist. Maybe we can still salvage it -- but that means we have to confront these people who are spouting lies and propaganda and intolerance -- even when they turn out to be our own friends and family.

Thank you for your courage and keep speaking out. Just as we need to seek out and listen to the moderate voices of the Islamic community, so too must we seek out the moderates in the Jewish community as well (in the Christian or any other faith community too, for that matter)

[lgellman]

I still think Zionism is noble but I have to admit that I don't understand the notion of calling oneself "zionist" and not moving to Israel if you can.

I firmly support Israel's right to exist, to defend itself against aggression, and not to be held to a double standard by the U.N. and the rest of the world. There are people out there who feel differently and I will fight them with every tool I have.

But where in ANY democracy do people who honestly support the country agree with the government about everything. Certainly not here or anywhere else that I know of.

I believe that it is a sign of weakness and fragility when any group feels it has to maintain a unified public front in the face of real issues that need to be discussed.

It's not about giving up on zionism. It's about getting back to respectful and constructive discussion.

[Wisdo]

Isnt Zionisim simply Jewish Nationalisim? Its hardly any more 'noble' than Italian nationalisim or British nationalisim or German nationalisim.

The collective nations of the UN simply ask that Israel abide by a single standard - treat the palestinians like human beings, instead of like inferior ones. The only double standard here is that Israel is not taken to task for developing nuclear weapons in secret. Israel is allowed to build on land it has taken by force (imagine if , oh I dunno say Iraq took over some land by force - what would happen then?).

It is always one standard for Israel (do whatever you like to whomoever you like with no consequences) and another for every single other country in the world. (Iran - how DARE you even think of developing nuclear power!).

Every country on the planet is against Israels occupation of the west bank - finds it to be illegal, abhorrent, and wrong. The voice of the collected nations is reflected in the UN, so by castigating the UN you are simply stating that no other countries, no other people matter except Jewish americans and Israeli Jews.

Theres your double standard.

[forpeacealways]

He forgot that over 70% of Jews in the United States voted for Obama. All of my pro-Israel freinds voted for Obama.
Iam very well-informed on the issues and you want Israel to evacuate 500,000 people who live in West Bank settlements. Obama hasn't even called for that. Whatever that is what you believe. I won't hate on you for that. I know that there are things that have hurt innocent civilians and alot of that happens within the context of wars with terrorists. I mean the US has killed many more civilians in their wars and they weren't wars of necessity. Obama hasn't even done anything to minimize civilian deaths in Afganistan and Pakistan. I believe that eventually when the time comes that Israel can withdraw from most of the West Bank that there will be a landswap. Israel will keep the majority of their settlements and Palestine will take Arab Majority areas currently part of Israel.

Judaism has survived for a longtime but how many Jews died for being Jewish. I don't care about Judaism surviving because I believe religion is what you want to make it you don't need it to be organized. I just don't want people to try and kill me for being in a place that is deemed Jewish. Hezbollah has done that in Argentina and is still a political party in Lebanon.

[arle]

And why, exactly, can't Israel withdraw /all/ of their settlements in the West Bank? It's occupied territory, the Israeli settlers are there illegally, and the Palestinians deserve a coherent state -- THAT Obama /did/ say. Carving up the West Bank into bantustans so that Israelis get to keep the choice land while the Palestinians have to make do with whatever's left is /not/ a fair and just solution.

[forpeacealways]

Things aren't the fairest when there are wars. When Israel declared their independence their neighbors attacked. Everyone can agree that if Israel's neighbors didn't attack or never attacked, their would be no Nakba and there would be a Palestine. When Jordan had the West Bank, they didn't allow a state of Palestine to be formed. When Israel won the 67' war and got the West Bank and Gaza, Israel was in a process of annexing them. There were no borders or road blocks between West Bank and Israel or Gaza and Israel. Palestinians were soon to become citizens of Israel.
I agree that many settlements will need to be dismantled to make the West Bank more coherent.
Obama has not called for Israel to withdraw from those settlements, just for a freeze in settlement building. He alse said the Jerusalem should be unified. Israeli leaders in the past have offered East Jerusalem for a Palestinian State (even though Muslim holy places are built on top of Jewish holy places) and Palestine was never supposed to have that. Jordan had East Jerusalem when Israel was established. So you have to agree that is a nice gesture.

[TheFriendlyAtheist]

"Palistine will take Arab majority ares currently part of Israel." How nice of Israel to give Palestine all the land that belongs to Arab Israelies. Of course what you really want to do is rid Israel of its' non-Jewish citizens. This is just ethnic cleansing prettied up as some kind of land swap.

[forpeacealways]

Then why can't Palestine take Jewish people?

[robiform]

A terrific post, Mr. Gellman--you've expressed many things that I've been thinking. I'm also an American Jew who supports Israel, but I don't support everything that the Israeli government does. If Israel is to continue as a viable state into the 21st century, its leaders MUST face the fact that the two-state path is the only way for Israel to go. And that means that the Israeli settlements on the West Bank have to be dismantled. On the other hand, as part of the overall peace process, it would be nice if the Palestinians would allow access to biblical sites like Jericho and Hebron for everyone--Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Having visited Israel in the past year, I understand the intense desire for security by Israelis. But this security should not achieved at the expense of suffering by people who also live in the region, i.e. the Palestinians.