by Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi
It is possible, of course, to raise objections and reservations over the optimal way to present the risks and danger of the Iranian nuclear issue before the U.S. public and politicians. However, there is a difference between a legitimate disagreement and the current cries heard in the Jewish community.
The harsh remarks made
recently by more than a few prominent members of the American Jewish
community and of the U.S. Congress, and the criticism of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's slated speech, evoke the shameful deafening silence
of this community during the Holocaust. These may be different
circumstances and a different era, but you cannot ignore the connection
between the passive and defeatist conduct of the Jews during those days
of darkness, and the outburst of belligerent activism against the
Israeli government today coming from the lion's share of the prominent
figures in this community.
U.S. Jewry has come a
long and impressive way in its social and political involvement since
the Holocaust, and since the days of the Joe McCarthy-led senatorial
committees investigating un-American activities, a sizable number of
whose victims were Jews. But while many years have passed since then,
time has not completely dissolved the repressed anxieties and fears Jews
have over their status and role in American society.
There is still unease
over showing unwavering support for Israel -- especially during an
administration that is so adversarial to its leadership -- in fear that
this could be seen as dual loyalty and put the Jews' secure position in
society into question.
A good example showing
that even during times of increased strategic cooperation there are
still remnants of the 1950s is the case of Jonathan Pollard, which
exploded in 1985. While Pollard's conviction for spying did not result
in any punitive measures by the Reagan government against the Israeli
government (then led by Shimon Peres) it had a traumatic effect on
American Jewry (and not just by means of American bureaucracy, which
developed a long-standing grudge against Israel). The crisis reopened
difficult questions over the identity and loyalty of the Jewish
community. The Pollard issue convinced many in the American Jewish
community that support for Israel could in some extreme cases hurt
American defense interests.
The result of that
ordeal was that Jewish leaders in America opted for an overcautious
approach, and in the second half of the last decade generally refrained
from making big gestures in support of Israel. Three decades have passed
since the Pollard incident, yet it appears time has frozen on this
volatile issue. Indeed, although the Jewish community (and Congress)
were unequivocal bases of support for Israel, and on more than one
occasion saw fit to criticize an administration and muster support
against its actions, that stance currently stands opposed to the current
figure at the top, President Barack Obama. So once again we see Jews
and Jewish groups expressing reluctance to confront the White House.
On the contrary, these
days we often see prominent community figures lead the choir of the
president's supporters in the domestic theater. This was the case at the
height of the 1992 loan guarantee crisis, which focused on U.S. aid
funds being funneled to settlement construction, and this is the case
now, at the height of the Netanyahu Congress address crisis.
It is possible, of
course, to raise objections and reservations over the optimal way to
present the risks and danger of the Iranian nuclear issue before the
U.S. public and politicians. However, there is a difference between a
legitimate disagreement and the current cries heard in the Jewish
community.
It is precisely because of the
level of intensity in the current American discourse that these cries
seem to raise the suspicion that we are actually seeing just another
manifestation of the same old identity problem, which many Jews have not
been able to overcome, despite having already realized the American
dream. One can only hope that as the speech approaches, we will hear
less background noise and pave the way for pertinent and candid
communication with this community.
Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=11615
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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