Gaza--How Jews Can Help Make Real Peace

There are far too many reasons to feel distress, sadness, and anger about Israel's massive air bombardment and invasion of Gaza--its shortsightedness; its counterproductive lethality; the self-righteousness of the so-called "friends of Israel" who have leapt to its defense; tasting the final, spoiled fruits of the Bush Administration's reign of diplomatic incompetence--to focus on any single one.

Once again, American Jews--and Israel, I believe--are being ill-served by the bulk of the American Jewish community's organizational leadership which, just as it did during the failed 2006 Lebanon war, has lined up to support Israeli bombs and tanks. This time, it seems they've learned a lesson from their justification for every Lebanese civilian death. The website of the Union for Reform Judaism hasn't--yet--suggested that Jews display lawn signs supporting the invasion, as it did during the Lebanon debacle. This time, its main spokespeople lead with their own pain and discomfort while insisting on the "tragic necessity" of the offensive. It's astonishing, really, since they could have spent some of their considerable political capital pressuring the Israeli government to make real peace, and avoided some of that pain. But the war's far from done, and who knows what the official Jewish propaganda machine could still come up with. If you see lawn signs promoting the invasion popping up on lawns, you'll know why.

The only bright spot I can see in this depressing, infuriating, all-too predictable opera is the most significant change in the American Jewish community since the last war: the birth and rapid growth of JStreet, which bills itself as the "political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement." Mostly (though not entirely) Jewish, JStreet brings a combination of Middle East expertise, inside-the-beltway credentials, and real funding to bear in a savvy political and advocacy operation. (Full disclosure: My son Isaac Luria works for JStreet, and I'm terrifically proud of his work.)

Since the bombardment began, JStreet has provided outstanding updates, principled opposition to Hamas's rocket-launching and Israeli bombing, and a petition calling for a cease-fire that quickly garnered more than 14,000 signatures. To sign the petition, click here.

For these good deeds, JStreet recently earned attacks from Rabbi Eric Yoffie of the URJ, and an editorial writer in the Jerusalem Post. For an important, religiously profound alternative view, see Rabbi Arthur Waskow's analyses on The Shalom Center's website.

Just as American Jews finally rejected the effort to smear Barack Obama as a secret terrorist, I believe that as a community we can eventually rise above the knee-jerk support for any bomb or bullet issuing from an Israeli weapon, and reject the accusation that by insisting on peace and diplomacy, we are somehow being "naïve," "morally deficient," or (always implicit in this narrative), "self-hating Jews."

Comments

[Jezreel]

Warren Goldstein wrote: "... I believe that as a community we can eventually rise above the knee-jerk support for any bomb or bullet issuing from an Israeli weapon, and reject the accusation that by insisting on peace and diplomacy, we are somehow being "naïve," "morally deficient," or (always implicit in this narrative), "self-hating Jews." (Or anti-semitic, I might add)

I am not Jewish, I'm a Christian. I believe that as Americans we must exercise every option to put an end to the madness that is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That's why I joined J Street and will continue to offer my support for their efforts until we create a paradigm shift in America's approach to Middle East policy.

Israel deserves more than blind trust without accountability. And America's Middle East policy is not helpful to our country's reputation, credibility or relationships.

Furthermore, we are endangering the lives of American military personnel and increasing our vulnerability at home by incensing Muslims around the world because of our actions abroad.

Zionists and Jews living in the state of Israel deserve a friend who will draw their government back from the brink of destruction, not one who will watch them walk over a cliff without warning them of the impending danger or try to pull them back before they fall over.

Moreover, Palestinians have a right to self determination, to live in safety and peace, to freedom of movement and to reparations for their land and property.

[blogfast25]

As so many commentators Warren Goldstein means well yet manages to fatally miss the main point and the elephant in the room: that the West Bank has been Occupied and colonised for just over sixty years by Israeli settlers on Palestinian land. Most Palestinian discontent stems from that fact, little reported in the US MSM, that forms the largest largest stumbling block to peace in the ME.

To all well meaning Americans I would like to ask how they would feel if their state had been occupied by brutal military occupation and for a large part settled by people from a neighbouring state that show not the slightest inkling or intention of ever leaving your homeland.

Even the complete elimination of Hamas will not change this reality, to which so many Americans appear to be willfully blind.

[blogfast25]

Oooops, I meant "[...] just over FORTY years [...]" of course, not sixty. My bad... I'm specifically referring to territory captured in 1967, NOT to the creation of Israel in 1948.

[Warren Goldstein - Huffpost Blogger]

Sorry, blogfast25. I don't really understand the point in condescending to someone who agrees with you more than not. There are so many elephants in the room that whoever writes about Israel and Palestine has to start somewhere. And since the active invasion is happening in Gaza, not the West Bank, that's why I wrote about it. Hamas is less interested right now in the West Bank than in its own screwy version of defending Gaza: sending rockets to provoke an invasion so it can say "see, told you!" What real countries with responsible foreign policies--soon that may even describe the United States--need to be doing is insisting on a rigorously guaranteed cease fire, lifting the blockade, international monitors to intercept weapons, and international humanitarian aid to help rebuild Gaza's infrastructure. Of course the occupation has to end, and settlements dismantled, and the peace process restarted. But we have to start somewhere.

As for writing from my "cozy office," usedtowander, where should I write from? Do I need to set up residence in rocket range in order to say anything valid? Or wear a yarmulke? I don't consider objecting to self-defeating war a matter of "hyper-rea­ctivity." I gave the links to JStreet because there's an entire program there, one I agree with, that calls for serious diplomacy from the United States, including pressure on Israel--and Palestinians--to get serious about peacemaking, instead of endlessly justifying this or that tit-for-tat military action.

[usedtowander]

Easy to criticise from a cozy office in Hartford, CT.

Any useful suggestions?
Or just a lot of hyper-reactive, "oh my?"

A petition calling for a cease-fire. Okay, then what?
Just sit back and watch the incoming rockets?
Or, perhaps, give up even more land so the Arabs and Persians can, yet again, dishonor their agreements?

[PoliticalJNKY]

You speak of what you do not understand­...

[stavros]

Strong and well said post.
I can only hope.