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| 2024 DC Demonstration by Jewish Voice for Peace (Jewish Insider) |
The truth is that there is a Jewish view. But there
are far too many Jews who have no clue what being Jewish really is. Yet they
often speak as if they do - and insist they speak on behalf of the Jewish
people.
The truth, however, is that the Jewish people are now more
divided than at any time in our history. A division that has nothing to do with
Jewish values and everything to do with political ones. The sad reality is that
most secular and heterodox Jews tend toward a progressive worldview, defining
Judaism solely in terms of humanistic values. This lens leads them to
sympathize far more with Palestinian suffering than with Israel’s. Even though
Israel is suffering, to them that pales in comparison to the suffering in Gaza.
Making it hardly worth a mention.
Yes, over 1,200 Jews were brutally massacred, and around 250
were taken hostage on October 7th. But in the eyes of many progressive the more
than 50,000 Palestinians killed by Israel's military response - and the massive
devastation that has left surviving Gazans homeless, starving, and living in
tents is so bad that Jewish suffering is ignored as though it doesn’t exist!
They blame Israel as the sole cause of Palestinian devastation and therefore
feel sympathy not for Israel, but for its enemies.
This is why so many Jewish celebrities have condemned Israel
rather than shown solidarity with it. Some of them, like actor Mandy Patinkin,
are openly proud of their Jewish heritage. And mention it quite often. But
their criticisms of Israel matches that of criticism made by Palestinians and their supporters. And
are typically directed towards Israel’s prime minister, who they jointly see as
a warmonger. A view mirrored by progressive
politicians, and Palestinian sympathizers in the media - particularly in
progressive outlets like the BBC, PBS, NPR, and CNN. It's rare to see a report
from these sources that doesn't subtly - or even overtly - place blame on
Israel for all the suffering in the region.
This explains why you have progressive ‘Jewish’ organizations
like J-Street, Not in My Name, Jews for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace making the same demands
as Hamas; blaming a conservative Congress for America’s complicity in
Palestinian suffering. Not just since October 7th, but ever since
the founding of the State of Israel.
But make no mistake: none of this anti-Israel advocacy is Jewish.
It is a function of progressivism - a political perspective that many Jews now
use to define their Judaism. They dress it up in Jewish terms, calling it Tikkun
Olam, but it's not Judaism. No matter how many Jews define themselves as
progressive. Even when in some cases they might be sincerely proud of their
Jewish heritage, that does not make their views any more Jewish than Christians.
In fact, I would argue that theological differences aside, fundamentalist
Christians often hold values far closer to authentic Jewish values than do progressive
Jews.
This is what happens when the vast majority of American Jews
- some 90% - receive little or no meaningful Jewish education. And yet they can legitimately claim that their
progressive views represent the majority opinion among American Jews. The sad
irony is that this majority is largely ignorant of Jewish values. And even more
so of Jewish law.
To a progressive Jew - the idea that Israel has any
religious significance is irrelevant. Progressive Jews do not recognize Jewish
exceptionalism The concept that we are an Am Segulah, a chosen people;
or an Am L’vadad Yishkon, a people destined to dwell apart - is instead
viewed by them as an outdated or even racist notion. They buy into the
historical revisionism that portrays Zionist pioneers as colonialists who ‘stole’
the land from indigenous Palestinians, who were then relegated to refugee
camps.
As a result, Jewish suffering - even when horrific - rarely
gets honorable mention in their circles. They’re all in with BDS, believing
erroneously that boycotting Israel will bring justice to the Palestinians.
These are the Jews supporting candidates like Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New
York, fully endorsing his progressive stance on everything, including Israel.
These are the Jews who refer to Israel’s actions in Gaza as ‘genocide’.
Now, I’m sure there are many secular and heterodox Jews who
are not like this and who do support Israel. But even they often express undue
criticism of Israel’s war with Hamas, reserving their harshest criticism for
Israel’s prime minister. Joining the chorus of those who blame him for
everything.
It wasn’t always this way. In fact, the opposite was once
true. In the pre-Begin era, support for Israel was practically synonymous with
Jewish identity. Most Jews at the time belonged to Reform or Conservative
synagogues that emphasized supporting the State of Israel above all else.
Jewish Federations across the country raised huge sums of money for Israel. That
was their primary mission. Israel was seen as a progressive, socialist
democracy that aligned perfectly with their worldview.
But Menachem Begin began to change that perception, and
Benjamin Netanyahu put the finishing touches on it. Progressive Jews have never
forgiven him for it. And now, many have gone rogue. By either severely diminishing
their support or expressing outright antipathy for her. Some are celebrities.
Some are academics. Some media personalities. But all are united by their view
of Israel not as a light unto the nations, but as an aggressor state.
As things stand now, it appears that there are only two
significant groups that still support Israel unconditionally: Orthodox Jews and
fundamentalist evangelical Christians. Most of whom support conservative
politicians and share strong pro-Israel views.
Sad to say, but the truly Jewish point of view is now held by only a fraction of the Jewish people. The rest of American Jewry simply lacks the Jewish education necessary to have a valid Jewish opinion. And their voice is increasingly becoming louder.
