The problem with the criticism of Israel leveled by too many Diaspora Jews, especially Reform and progressive Jews, is that it is based on arrogance and ignorance. As regards arrogance, they evaluate Israel from thousands of miles away, protected from and without regard to the reality in which Israelis live their lives. While Diaspora Jews might sympathize with Israelis having to run to bomb shelters, they don’t know what means to live under the constant threats of attack. They criticize Israel’s conduct but cannot offer alternatives that are either impossible to achieve or would expose Israel to existential harm. At my former synagogue (Reform), I heard members complain that Israel doesn’t represent them as Jews. My response was always the same - you are an American, the Israeli government represent doesn’t represent you; it represents Israelis including non-Jewish Israelis. With respect to ignorance, many of these people have never visited Israel or, if they have, it’s on a highly curated tour that bears no resemblance to living in Israel. In addition, their view of Israel is shaped by what they see on MSNBC, CNN or read in the NY Times, meaning they are influenced by an anti-Israel narrative. Finally, and to complete my latest rant, criticism of Israel leveled by Reform and progressive Jews is that Israel doesn’t reflect their “Jewish values.” However, their “Jewish values” don’t reflect the particularism of Judaism as much as they represent universalist progressive ideology.
Thank you for this post. I always said that as a Diaspora Jew you have no skin in the game and I mean real skin. The only thing that should matter to the Diaspora is full financial support to Israel and it has to be chosen carefully and not to politically opposed causes.
I am for free speech . Jews here can criticize and hate Netanyahu as long as I am free to unload on them especially those who voted for mamdani and who are m ore leftist than jew. We all know many in these categories and who really don't care about israel when push comes to shove. Many still stupidly believe if israel were home the ME and the world in general would be filled w peace and kumbaya. They denigrate t h e US Supreme Court but drool over the Israeli one because it is controlled by leftists w no oversight. Schumer, I am talking to you??
For someone who does not live in Israel, and isn't subject to daily bombardments and sirens, to criticize Israel for responding is preposterous.
My niece, a single mother of a 7 yr. old and a 1 yr old lives near Tel Aviv and tells me that during the recent missile attacks, she has trouble even getting into the shower, because you don't know when the sirens are going to sound, and how do you get out of the shower, dry, dress and grab the two kids and get to the shelter? A good friend of mine lives in an apartment house in Jerusalem. There is a "safe room" toward the bottom of the building, but the elderly residents who don't walk so fast have trouble getting down the stairs quickly, so they just stay in their apartment and hope for the best.
Until you live in those conditions, it is truly obnoxious to complain that Israel is trying to knock out the launchers of the missiles (both the equipment and the personnel).
Thank you for your article. It needs to be said over and over. It is bad enough when non-Jews in the Western world are showing how incredibly Jew hating they are, by only focusing on Israel and their beloved terrorists, while ignoring Sudan where over 100 000 Christians have been slaughtered in the past couple of years, or in Northern Nigeria, where the same is happening. When the smug American Progressive Jews continually criticize and demonize Israel, they are actually what the Arabs in the ME call "useful idiots". The Western media which is ready to pounce on Israel for anything that Israel does that is necessary in the context of an incredibly hostile ME, uses these "useful idiots", by saying, "see the Jews even say Israel is committing ...". Let these same Jews go live in Israel and then complain, but sitting in their entitled, elitist bubble wrapped lives in the US, they are making a mockery of American Jews in general in the eyes of the rest of the Jews in the Diaspora. Granted some are known Marxists and follow the old Stalinist hatred of Jews used in the Cold War, but their religion is Marxism and their god is Marx, and will never change. The rest will suffer the consequences of their own words, by creating more violence, death threats, and shootings due to Jew hatred intensifying.
Piling on the criticism - let's face it, demonizing Israel - is just anti-Zionism, which is a trendy new term for Jew-hate. No other country gets that treatment...only Israel. And that's the proof that this isn't about a "critique" of policies...it's about hate. When Jews living abroad join in, it's mostly their attempt to "fit in" by joining in attacks on their own people...and it's not admirable. In fact, it's contemptible.
As an American Jew deeply committed to Israel here are my thoughts.
1. While I have my thoughts and opinions on things related to Israel as a general rule I do not think I know better than Israelis what is best for them. I
2. I do believe that the many diaspora Zionists who have spent their lives immersed in support for Israel have a right to hold views and opinions even if they haven't lived in Israel. I believe they have the right to be critical BUT...
3. Anyone who calls themselves a Zionist must NEVER make common cause with our enemies. Criticism should not be published where our enemies will see it and use it to support their plans to destroy Israel. Criticism must remain in the family.
4. There is no such thing as conditional Zionism. I love Israel as I love the United States. Anyone whose support is based on whether Israel does the things it is "supposed to do" is not a Zionist at all.
The prime example of a group that violates every one of these is JStreet which is clearly antiZionist and a Shondah. An individual who violates every one of these rules and always has is Thomas Friedman. He is NOT a Zionist.
Great essay with several points that target the criticism and/or opinions of Israel. One that has always stood out for me is when you identified the people who criticise, but have no solutions, or solutions that have been tried multiple times and have failed. Criticism is a right we have but what you said, and rightly so, is that they are speaking from afar, or as the woke say, not from a 'lived' experience in Israel. And with all the criticism directed at it, Israel is still thriving, innovating, and modernizing despite constant rocket barrages, sirens blaring on a daily basis, amidst a world that would like to see it and its people vanish. I wonder if they've ever given any thought to that.
The value I derive from the criticism of Israel is an insight into the critic him or herself. It becomes the crux of how any further interactions I have with that person (or organization) will be conducted.
My Canadian cousin said to me: there will only be significant Aliyah from North America once Israel gets its shit together. I responded: Israel cannot get its shit together without significant Aliyah - to counter the rapidly expanding charedi demographic (now 14% of the total population but growing quickly) whose unsustainable “triple threat lifestyle” of no work, education or service poses an existential threat to Israel’s survival.
Because, of course, Israel is still a democracy, which offers all citizens voting privileges no matter what they contribute (or not). So just imagine what the future could be if 1/2 million mostly educated, motivated and committed Jews moved to Israel.
As a Canadian Israeli I find it incomprehensible that the רק ביבי המלך המשיח crowd accept with perfect equanimity that “no tricks no shticks” Netanyahu lies every time he opens his mouth, and has for decades, but when Bennett broke one campaign promise (partnering with the Arab Ra’am party - only after Smotrich nixed it for Netanyahu’s coalition) he is forever banished.
If Jews only realized how perilous their situation is they would worry about their safety and not focus on Israel’s internal policy of which they know very little or nothing at all.
“The way Israel affects me here outside of israel is all that matters. Their chronic presence on the nightly news is so cringy embarrassing. So do something different and I don’t care if it’s suicidal just so I won’t have to explain or apologize about you. “
Great post. 👏
I have no problem with anyone that criticises the State of Israel as long as it's supported with facts and merit.
https://honestreporting.com/how-criticize-israel-without-being-antisemitic/
The problem with the criticism of Israel leveled by too many Diaspora Jews, especially Reform and progressive Jews, is that it is based on arrogance and ignorance. As regards arrogance, they evaluate Israel from thousands of miles away, protected from and without regard to the reality in which Israelis live their lives. While Diaspora Jews might sympathize with Israelis having to run to bomb shelters, they don’t know what means to live under the constant threats of attack. They criticize Israel’s conduct but cannot offer alternatives that are either impossible to achieve or would expose Israel to existential harm. At my former synagogue (Reform), I heard members complain that Israel doesn’t represent them as Jews. My response was always the same - you are an American, the Israeli government represent doesn’t represent you; it represents Israelis including non-Jewish Israelis. With respect to ignorance, many of these people have never visited Israel or, if they have, it’s on a highly curated tour that bears no resemblance to living in Israel. In addition, their view of Israel is shaped by what they see on MSNBC, CNN or read in the NY Times, meaning they are influenced by an anti-Israel narrative. Finally, and to complete my latest rant, criticism of Israel leveled by Reform and progressive Jews is that Israel doesn’t reflect their “Jewish values.” However, their “Jewish values” don’t reflect the particularism of Judaism as much as they represent universalist progressive ideology.
Amen!
Thank you for this post. I always said that as a Diaspora Jew you have no skin in the game and I mean real skin. The only thing that should matter to the Diaspora is full financial support to Israel and it has to be chosen carefully and not to politically opposed causes.
I am for free speech . Jews here can criticize and hate Netanyahu as long as I am free to unload on them especially those who voted for mamdani and who are m ore leftist than jew. We all know many in these categories and who really don't care about israel when push comes to shove. Many still stupidly believe if israel were home the ME and the world in general would be filled w peace and kumbaya. They denigrate t h e US Supreme Court but drool over the Israeli one because it is controlled by leftists w no oversight. Schumer, I am talking to you??
I agree 100%.
For someone who does not live in Israel, and isn't subject to daily bombardments and sirens, to criticize Israel for responding is preposterous.
My niece, a single mother of a 7 yr. old and a 1 yr old lives near Tel Aviv and tells me that during the recent missile attacks, she has trouble even getting into the shower, because you don't know when the sirens are going to sound, and how do you get out of the shower, dry, dress and grab the two kids and get to the shelter? A good friend of mine lives in an apartment house in Jerusalem. There is a "safe room" toward the bottom of the building, but the elderly residents who don't walk so fast have trouble getting down the stairs quickly, so they just stay in their apartment and hope for the best.
Until you live in those conditions, it is truly obnoxious to complain that Israel is trying to knock out the launchers of the missiles (both the equipment and the personnel).
If you don't have an oar in the water, you have no right to say how fast the canoe should go.
Diaspora Jews--when it comes to Israel-- fail to understand this reality.
What a well-written essay!
Thank you for your article. It needs to be said over and over. It is bad enough when non-Jews in the Western world are showing how incredibly Jew hating they are, by only focusing on Israel and their beloved terrorists, while ignoring Sudan where over 100 000 Christians have been slaughtered in the past couple of years, or in Northern Nigeria, where the same is happening. When the smug American Progressive Jews continually criticize and demonize Israel, they are actually what the Arabs in the ME call "useful idiots". The Western media which is ready to pounce on Israel for anything that Israel does that is necessary in the context of an incredibly hostile ME, uses these "useful idiots", by saying, "see the Jews even say Israel is committing ...". Let these same Jews go live in Israel and then complain, but sitting in their entitled, elitist bubble wrapped lives in the US, they are making a mockery of American Jews in general in the eyes of the rest of the Jews in the Diaspora. Granted some are known Marxists and follow the old Stalinist hatred of Jews used in the Cold War, but their religion is Marxism and their god is Marx, and will never change. The rest will suffer the consequences of their own words, by creating more violence, death threats, and shootings due to Jew hatred intensifying.
Piling on the criticism - let's face it, demonizing Israel - is just anti-Zionism, which is a trendy new term for Jew-hate. No other country gets that treatment...only Israel. And that's the proof that this isn't about a "critique" of policies...it's about hate. When Jews living abroad join in, it's mostly their attempt to "fit in" by joining in attacks on their own people...and it's not admirable. In fact, it's contemptible.
As an American Jew deeply committed to Israel here are my thoughts.
1. While I have my thoughts and opinions on things related to Israel as a general rule I do not think I know better than Israelis what is best for them. I
2. I do believe that the many diaspora Zionists who have spent their lives immersed in support for Israel have a right to hold views and opinions even if they haven't lived in Israel. I believe they have the right to be critical BUT...
3. Anyone who calls themselves a Zionist must NEVER make common cause with our enemies. Criticism should not be published where our enemies will see it and use it to support their plans to destroy Israel. Criticism must remain in the family.
4. There is no such thing as conditional Zionism. I love Israel as I love the United States. Anyone whose support is based on whether Israel does the things it is "supposed to do" is not a Zionist at all.
The prime example of a group that violates every one of these is JStreet which is clearly antiZionist and a Shondah. An individual who violates every one of these rules and always has is Thomas Friedman. He is NOT a Zionist.
use critiquing the "Likud" not Israel...read the Likud Charter of 1978....
Great essay with several points that target the criticism and/or opinions of Israel. One that has always stood out for me is when you identified the people who criticise, but have no solutions, or solutions that have been tried multiple times and have failed. Criticism is a right we have but what you said, and rightly so, is that they are speaking from afar, or as the woke say, not from a 'lived' experience in Israel. And with all the criticism directed at it, Israel is still thriving, innovating, and modernizing despite constant rocket barrages, sirens blaring on a daily basis, amidst a world that would like to see it and its people vanish. I wonder if they've ever given any thought to that.
The value I derive from the criticism of Israel is an insight into the critic him or herself. It becomes the crux of how any further interactions I have with that person (or organization) will be conducted.
Am Israel Chai.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
My Canadian cousin said to me: there will only be significant Aliyah from North America once Israel gets its shit together. I responded: Israel cannot get its shit together without significant Aliyah - to counter the rapidly expanding charedi demographic (now 14% of the total population but growing quickly) whose unsustainable “triple threat lifestyle” of no work, education or service poses an existential threat to Israel’s survival.
Because, of course, Israel is still a democracy, which offers all citizens voting privileges no matter what they contribute (or not). So just imagine what the future could be if 1/2 million mostly educated, motivated and committed Jews moved to Israel.
As a Canadian Israeli I find it incomprehensible that the רק ביבי המלך המשיח crowd accept with perfect equanimity that “no tricks no shticks” Netanyahu lies every time he opens his mouth, and has for decades, but when Bennett broke one campaign promise (partnering with the Arab Ra’am party - only after Smotrich nixed it for Netanyahu’s coalition) he is forever banished.
If Jews only realized how perilous their situation is they would worry about their safety and not focus on Israel’s internal policy of which they know very little or nothing at all.
“The way Israel affects me here outside of israel is all that matters. Their chronic presence on the nightly news is so cringy embarrassing. So do something different and I don’t care if it’s suicidal just so I won’t have to explain or apologize about you. “