It’s precisely because we have instilled a strong moral compass and a deep commitment to justice in our children that they are in the streets protesting the Gaza War.
A cousin has sent me Hirsch's comments. He's no Balfour Brickner. I'm in Jeremy's camp: The fate of the Jewish people & the world in which we live are both important & symbiotic.
I'm a member of JVP. Given how proud you are of us, does this mean you're now willing to talk with or work with us? Because just a few months ago, you weren't.
I found this to be very binary and incomplete. Of course people should be free to criticize their country if they wish, and criticizing Israel is fair game. But you oversimplify the nature of the criticism, basically adopting the “sure there are some bad apples” but most protesters are on morally and factually sound ground cliche. But the evidence suggests that many of the well meaning protesters are very short on historical perspective and have taken a very black or white position that boils down to Israel=bad colonial occupiers and Hamas and Palestinians = oppressed victims fighting the good fight for freedom. Leaving aside the colonial occupiers argument which i can only hope you reject, the protesters including most well meaning American liberal Jews I have spoken to or read, know virtually nothing about the region’s history and thus have been suckered into believing a false narrative. They know nothing about the multiple opportunities for a Palestinian state that Palestinian leaders have repeatedly scorned with blood and violence. They utter nary a word about failed PLO leadership and terror group leadership that oppressed Palestinians as much if not more than Israel has, nary a word attacking Hamas for building bunkers under homes and hospitals creating tens of thousands of civilian shields whose death is on their hands, nary a word about Hamas diverting humanitarian aid for its benefit let alone using assistance to purchase weapons to attack Israel. I am sure they are well meaning but many have been willfully blind to the whole story preferring instead a simplistic view that is embarrassing not encouraging. They march under “from river to the sea” banners with little appreciation that it is a bold faced statement calling for elimination of Israel. And when many of these kids withhold their vote from Harris as they are expected to do their complicity in the Trump 2nd term will be laid bare and the price of their ignorance will be one we all pay.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. There are elements of truth to what you write - and of course all things are more complex than simple black-or-white portrayals. One example of that is that - even granting all of the facts you present about missed opportunities, the horrific acts of Hamas, etc. - the behavior of the state of Israel and of the settlement movement on the West Bank is not excusable based on either failed peace efforts or security. In fact, what's being done on the West Bank (home demolitions, denial of water and electricity to Palestinian villages, seizure of land, settler violence) actually undermines Israel's security and its moral standing in the world. Much of what the young protesters are reacting to are actions and policies of the Israeli right that have no basis in security arguments and no connection to any historical narrative other than a belief that the land has been given to only one people by god. I grant your point that none of this makes it worthwhile to consider anything but a vote for Harris and the defeat of Trump and the threat of fascism in this country.
Is this true though Jeremy? I don't see much reference to any of those activities at all in the protests. I see instead mostly the idea that the state of Israel itself is illegitimate, settler-colonial, "white" etc. Hence, "We don't want two state, we want 48." How much more potent would the protests have been if they asked for 2 states?
Yeah I wish these people were just against the current awful government of Israel. Unfortunately that is not the case. They yell “from the river to the see Palestine will be free” at the top of their lungs.
These protesters don’t care if Israel is run by Rabin or Ben-Gvir. They’re against Israel’s existence not its policies. Every single last one? No, I am sure some of the protesters aren’t against Israel’s existence. Even Norman Finkelstein supports a two-state solution. He told a bunch of them in NYC to chant “ceasefire now” instead of “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free”. They did not listen.
Such teaching and praise will produce great leaders b/c the lesson has relevance far greater than Israel/Palestine. The teaching and praise is absolutely required to save Israel.
A cousin has sent me Hirsch's comments. He's no Balfour Brickner. I'm in Jeremy's camp: The fate of the Jewish people & the world in which we live are both important & symbiotic.
I think Brickner would be our camp too! Those horrified by the turn this war has taken are walking in his footsteps.
Excellent comment, the starting point for meetings at congregations across the country, between J St U students and high school congregants.
Jeremy has a voice of reason and a moral compass that makes me value his words. : So elegantly put in today’s article.
Patricia Gordon MD
Thank you for the beautiful message, Jeremy.
During times of fear and division, your moral voice is greatly appreciated.
Hanoch Eiron, Los Altos CA
I'm a member of JVP. Given how proud you are of us, does this mean you're now willing to talk with or work with us? Because just a few months ago, you weren't.
I found this to be very binary and incomplete. Of course people should be free to criticize their country if they wish, and criticizing Israel is fair game. But you oversimplify the nature of the criticism, basically adopting the “sure there are some bad apples” but most protesters are on morally and factually sound ground cliche. But the evidence suggests that many of the well meaning protesters are very short on historical perspective and have taken a very black or white position that boils down to Israel=bad colonial occupiers and Hamas and Palestinians = oppressed victims fighting the good fight for freedom. Leaving aside the colonial occupiers argument which i can only hope you reject, the protesters including most well meaning American liberal Jews I have spoken to or read, know virtually nothing about the region’s history and thus have been suckered into believing a false narrative. They know nothing about the multiple opportunities for a Palestinian state that Palestinian leaders have repeatedly scorned with blood and violence. They utter nary a word about failed PLO leadership and terror group leadership that oppressed Palestinians as much if not more than Israel has, nary a word attacking Hamas for building bunkers under homes and hospitals creating tens of thousands of civilian shields whose death is on their hands, nary a word about Hamas diverting humanitarian aid for its benefit let alone using assistance to purchase weapons to attack Israel. I am sure they are well meaning but many have been willfully blind to the whole story preferring instead a simplistic view that is embarrassing not encouraging. They march under “from river to the sea” banners with little appreciation that it is a bold faced statement calling for elimination of Israel. And when many of these kids withhold their vote from Harris as they are expected to do their complicity in the Trump 2nd term will be laid bare and the price of their ignorance will be one we all pay.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. There are elements of truth to what you write - and of course all things are more complex than simple black-or-white portrayals. One example of that is that - even granting all of the facts you present about missed opportunities, the horrific acts of Hamas, etc. - the behavior of the state of Israel and of the settlement movement on the West Bank is not excusable based on either failed peace efforts or security. In fact, what's being done on the West Bank (home demolitions, denial of water and electricity to Palestinian villages, seizure of land, settler violence) actually undermines Israel's security and its moral standing in the world. Much of what the young protesters are reacting to are actions and policies of the Israeli right that have no basis in security arguments and no connection to any historical narrative other than a belief that the land has been given to only one people by god. I grant your point that none of this makes it worthwhile to consider anything but a vote for Harris and the defeat of Trump and the threat of fascism in this country.
Is this true though Jeremy? I don't see much reference to any of those activities at all in the protests. I see instead mostly the idea that the state of Israel itself is illegitimate, settler-colonial, "white" etc. Hence, "We don't want two state, we want 48." How much more potent would the protests have been if they asked for 2 states?
Yeah I wish these people were just against the current awful government of Israel. Unfortunately that is not the case. They yell “from the river to the see Palestine will be free” at the top of their lungs.
These protesters don’t care if Israel is run by Rabin or Ben-Gvir. They’re against Israel’s existence not its policies. Every single last one? No, I am sure some of the protesters aren’t against Israel’s existence. Even Norman Finkelstein supports a two-state solution. He told a bunch of them in NYC to chant “ceasefire now” instead of “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free”. They did not listen.
Such teaching and praise will produce great leaders b/c the lesson has relevance far greater than Israel/Palestine. The teaching and praise is absolutely required to save Israel.