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Anshel Pfeffer / Right and Left, Diaspora Jews more critical of Israel than ever
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent

There is something very strange and more than a little frustrating for a reporter used to being on the frontlines to experience a war in Israel from afar. Having to experience the goings-on not only from the reports of one's Israeli colleagues but also through the hall of mirrors that is the international media, with its sometimes incomprehensible agenda and likes and dislikes. At least as an Israeli you know where you stand, with all the familiar personal views, loyalties and criticisms. But to be a non-Israeli Jew can be a lot more difficult during such times.

Well not for all Jews. A vast number, I hesitate to say the majority, are just not that interested. They are much busier eking out the days left of their Christmas/New Year's vacation, and news of renewed conflagration around Gaza receives only a passing register. Those who are engaged enough to really care and spend time glued to the news channels and reading every bit of information available on Web sites can be divided into three groups.

There are large number of Pavlovian flag-wavers, good and innocent Zionists and Jews who see only the trauma inflicted on the people of Sderot, Ashkelon and other parts of the country's south-west, and instinctively position themselves behind the IDF, often saying that the government should have allowed it to go in further and strike harder.
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There is, in my impression, a somewhat smaller but highly vocal group belonging usually to the more radical left, and even fewer to the anti-Israel Neturei Karta sect, who feel compelled to atone for Israel's manifold sins and join its enemies in the demonstrations and sign petitions accusing the Zionist entity of war crimes. They have cut themselves firmly off from the local community's mainstream, and they are fine where they are.

There is, though, a third stream of Jews - perhaps not the widest one, but I believe quite significant - who have more complex and uncomfortable feelings on the matter. They care deeply for Israel and understand even why its government felt compelled to launch the devastating Operation Cast Lead, but they are extremely disturbed and hurt by the level of civilian deaths and destruction that almost seems part and parcel of the action. Surely, they say, there must, there has to be another way of doing this. And they live with those doubts, often unexpressed, even among families and close friends because the worst thing they find is that others around them don't seem to discern between the different nuances, and can't find in themselves compassion for the dead and wounded on the other side. They begin asking themselves very awkward questions: Are they surrounded by latent racists, or is something wrong with them that denies the feelings of certainty of those around them? Or does everyone have similar doubts but are simply afraid to express them?

Perhaps those in the most difficult predicament are those who work daily in Jewish and community organizations, the kind of august institutes that have already felt the need to issue those meaningless announcements that "the pan-national Jewish forum stands firmly in support of Israel." Almost constantly, they find their dearest beliefs challenged.

"I just couldn't understand how the other people in the office were just incapable of acknowledging there was any real suffering on the Palestinian side, and that Israel has a significant portion of the responsibility for that," said to me a friend working in one of those organizations in London. "I feel so alone because no one seems to understand how torn I feel about this. I understand Israel's position very well and to a degree identify with the reasons for launching the operation, but why are none of them saddened by children dying? They don't even seem to see these reports."

Two sides of the same coin

My friend found his own peace by trying to keep quiet at work but donating money to an NGO purchasing medical supplies for hospitals in Gaza.

For Jews in the U.S., things are easier. Due to the size of the community and the relative self-confidence of American Jews, there are more platforms and mid-streams that allow people to show both support and criticism at the same time, and far greater openness to individuals forming and expressing their own independent views. In smaller communities like those of Britain and France, the establishment seems to operate on a siege mentality, and the ideas of "us" and "them" are much more rigid.

Many Israelis will think that all this is indulgent bleeding-heartedness on the part of those who don't serve in the IDF and pay Israeli taxes, and their families are nowhere near the range of the Qassams and Grads: Why should we care about what they are thinking? But Israel expects support, fund-raising, lobbying and media advocacy efforts to be made by the Jews of the Diaspora on its behalf, and that can only take place in an open environment.

Ultimately, only Israel's citizens, Jewish and Arab, have the right to vote and decide, but it has to be realized that while the world's Jews are still broadly in favor of Israel, they have more information and less innocence than ever before and will give that support, but with a healthy dose of criticism - whether from the Right of the Israeli government being too namby-pamby with the Palestinians, or from those on the Left who want to see the military option used as sparingly as possible.

Both Israeli and Diaspora leaders should be providing space for this kind of discourse, because stifling will not consolidate support for Israel but increase frustration and disillusionment with it.
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  1.   This Diaspora Jew.... 06:07  |  David 02/01/2009
  2.   Anshel, You Are Badly Mistaken 06:16  |  Tod Zuckerman 02/01/09
  3.   all that different? 06:34  |  bronxite10 02/01/09
  4.   Think again before you speak of innocence... 08:15  |  David Gottfried 02/01/09
  5.   To David (#1) 08:39  |  Chris Travers 02/01/09
  6.   war 08:59  |  gaddi 02/01/09
  7.   "This kind of discourse" 09:20  |  EZ 02/01/09
  8.   People starting to think for themselves? 10:09  |  Manny Goldstein 02/01/09
  9.   re: Chris Travers 10:11  |  UsedToPostHere 02/01/09
  10.   ANSHELL.You are wrong.Jews may disagree but most support Israel 10:25  |  PETER SM 02/01/09
  11.   "i feel alone because no one seems to understand how torn i feel" 10:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/01/09
  12.   Apart from the Palestinians, the Jewish Diaspora is suffering.... 10:35  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/01/09
  13.   To Cipora Julianna Kohn 11:10  |  British Jew 02/01/09
  14.   are shia and sunni muslims at peace 11:21  |  rich 02/01/09
  15.   #13, British Jew 11:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/01/09
  16.   When will they protest Egypt for keeping its gates closed? 17:02  |  observer 02/01/09
  17.   #13 British Jew. 17:14  |  John Allen 02/01/09
  18.   Ex Metetz in Argentina not confused 17:15  |  Daniel 02/01/09
  19.   I have met exactly 1 Jew that did not support Israel 17:56  |  Ron 02/01/09
  20.   Diaspora Jew- Confused about Israeli leadership, not Israel 17:57  |  Yacov 02/01/09
  21.   Israel is the occupier, not Egypt. 17:57  |  Labhras 02/01/09
  22.   Critical Of Israel? Moi? 18:45  |  Heather Czerniak 02/01/09
  23.   Settlements 18:47  |  Thomas 02/01/09
  24.   inevitable 18:51  |  The Realist 02/01/09
  25.   More critical is not enough 19:14  |  JD 02/01/09
  26.   Diaspora Jews response 19:21  |  J B Tiernan-Lang 02/01/09
  27.   #21 19:46  |  jeff r 02/01/09
  28.   To JD (25) 19:56  |  Chris Travers 02/01/09
  29.   We are sad when kids die in Gaza 19:56  |  jerryr 02/01/09
  30.   Empathy 20:50  |  Zojo 02/01/09
  31.   Re:26 20:51  |  Michael 02/01/09
  32.   Labhras 21:03  |  omar 02/01/09
  33.   Terrorism from Hamas 21:25  |  Richart T 02/01/09
  34.   Refreshing, if only true 22:04  |  David 02/01/09
  35.   You summed-up my feelings well 22:14  |  Michael Alan 02/01/09
  36.   It`s different when seen so close 22:28  |  Ilana 02/01/09
  37.   Equating critism and protest with attack 22:44  |  Mike Kowalski 02/01/09
  38.   What have we accomplished??? 23:01  |  Amnon 02/01/09
  39.   to # 28 Chris 23:04  |  Robbie 02/01/09
  40.   Another one 23:15  |  AM 02/01/09
  41.   Diaspora Jews (3rd atmt) 23:25  |  The Teacher/Instruct 02/01/09
  42.   Cipora#11. You surely must be blind of what you are writing. 23:33  |  John Dew 02/01/09
  43.   #29 jerry H, you do sound like you really sorry 23:48  |  The Rabbit 02/01/09
  44.   For Cipora # 11 00:08  |  Fortuna Benmayor 03/01/09
  45.   Right for the job 00:21  |  EilaCon 03/01/09
  46.   #18 says it perfectly 00:27  |  JP 03/01/09
  47.   From an American Jew 00:29  |  Marcia 03/01/09
  48.   not a jewish problem 00:54  |  cm 03/01/09
  49.   Diaspora Jews more critical of Israel than ever 00:59  |  Marilyn 03/01/09
  50.   36 john dew 01:00  |  alan 03/01/09
  51.   Reply to the Teacher Instruct 01:21  |  Joy Wolfe 03/01/09
  52.   Amnon`s amnesia 01:26  |  Joy Wolfe 03/01/09
  53.   Diaspora Jews 01:34  |  EJF 03/01/09
  54.   message to Daniel 01:36  |  Joy Wolfe 03/01/09
  55.   Message to Labhras 01:41  |  Joy Wolfe 03/01/09
  56.   Reply to JD 01:46  |  Joy Wolfe 03/01/09
  57.   Message to JB Tiernan-Lang 01:50  |  Joy Wolfe 03/01/09
  58.   Swiss (Dino) MEconflit and spreding the world 02:01  |  David Israel 03/01/09
  59.   #10, Peter Sm 02:42  |  Josh 03/01/09
  60.   Jerry 29 02:50  |  Ben C. 03/01/09
  61.   "job done" sounds alarmingly like "mission accomplished" 08:13  |  DOE 03/01/09
  62.   Innocent victims 08:23  |  Arie 03/01/09
  63.   Another Diaspora Jews 09:53  |  Sharon 03/01/09
  64.   It`s the other way around 10:07  |  David Gottfried 03/01/09
  65.   "finish the job once and for all"??!! 11:06  |  Heartbroken Observer 03/01/09
  66.   #59 Josh to Peter Sm 11:55  |  Franco 03/01/09
  67.   "critical" diaspora jews 12:54  |  margot 03/01/09
  68.   To Franco #65 12:55  |  Ilana 03/01/09
  69.   Diaspora Dunces 13:27  |  Ori 03/01/09
  70.   pferrer`s daspora jews 15:59  |  elliot 03/01/09
  71.   Trying to overcome Haaretz`s censorship for the 5th time. 16:02  |  Fortuna Benmayor 03/01/09
  72.   40th Year Anniversary Of Occupation 16:02  |  Steve 03/01/09
  73.   you are so right juliana!! 16:07  |  an israeli mother 03/01/09
  74.   Expectations for this war was to get abetter terms for a truce on 19:21  |  Susanna/Shoshana 03/01/09
  75.   Glad I`m an ATHEIST! 19:28  |  Catherine 03/01/09
  76.   DIASPORA JEWS 19:50  |  SALAM CANTOR 03/01/09
  77.   Not so Quick Tthou Athiest Catherine 19:52  |  Fromm 03/01/09
  78.   Another Jew in the Diaspora. This author so wrong 20:11  |  Craig 03/01/09
  79.   To #76 about Diaspora Jews 20:52  |  Michelle T 03/01/09
  80.   We Jews in Israel 21:11  |  Robert Haymond 03/01/09
  81.   TO CRAIG # 78 02:19  |  Osher 04/01/09
  82.   Tod-it`s you are mistaken 02:21  |  k 04/01/09
  83.   SALAM CANTOR 02:26  |  k 04/01/09
  84.   We are sad when kids die 04:39  |  Gail 04/01/09
  85.   New York Jews are with Israel 04:49  |  Janna 04/01/09
  86.   You mean NY ISN`T Israel? 07:50  |  Palestinian Brit 04/01/09
  87.   Palestinians support IDF! 09:27  |  Zeidan 04/01/09
  88.   Jews more critical of Israel than ever 13:29  |  Junior Witkowski 04/01/09
  89.   MK Seattle 14:46  |  lily 04/01/09
  90.   Compassion and Blame 16:14  |  Howard 04/01/09
  91.   #90 Howard 19:04  |  Franco 04/01/09
  92.   American Jew 21:28  |  Aaron 04/01/09
  93.   The truth 21:42  |  Seth 04/01/09
  94.   what other way? 09:02  |  Stacy 05/01/09
  95.   to Stacy #94 11:26  |  zeev 05/01/09
  96.   Cognitive Defect 11:42  |  JMK 05/01/09
  97.   Criticism 12:06  |  Benjamina 05/01/09
  98.   to JMK #96 13:28  |  zeev 05/01/09
  99.   Thoughts on the situation 01:52  |  Ann Levy 10/01/09
  100.   I am a diaspora jew 05:21  |  Joelle 10/01/09
  101.   to Joelle #100 19:14  |  zeev 10/01/09
  102.   to observer #16 (6th try) 19:16  |  zeev 10/01/09
  103.   What is Jewish? 18:17  |  Burt Cohen 11/01/09
  104.   Self doubt 14:57  |  Deborah 12/01/09
  105.   Zeidan, Are you really Palestinian? 09:50  |  Rivka Bar-Yaacov 13/01/09
  106.   more comprehensive media coverage would help 01:20  |  Jen 17/01/09
  107.   Diaspora Jews and Israeli Jews. 19:51  |  Disgusted 17/01/09
  108.   Listen to the Voice of the Diaspora 06:08  |  John Q. Public 20/01/09
  109.   #76 06:16  |  John Q. Public 20/01/09
  110.   In Response to Mr. Zuckerman 20:39  |  A Third Group Jew 20/01/09
  111.   In Response to Mr. Zuckerman 20:51  |  A "Third Group" Jew 20/01/09
  112.   In response to D. Gottfried 21:04  |  Diaspora Jew 20/01/09
  113.   to Fortuna,71 01:07  |  carlos 23/01/09
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Yossi Melman: Obama plan to talk buys Iran time for nuclear program
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