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Last update - 03:18 16/10/2009
Michael Oren has no right to snub J Street
By Anshel Pfeffer
Tags: Jewish World, Israel News 

Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to Washington, told Haaretz last month that he was "enjoying every minute" of his new job. But according to another interview with the New York Times, before all the fun started, he had to undergo one painful experience.

He told of how difficult it was for him to sign an official "oath of renunciation" of his American citizenship. He had little choice, though, as Israeli ambassadors are not allowed to hold dual citizenships.

The ceremony was so traumatic that his friends from the American Embassy in Tel Aviv supported and hugged him after it was all over. Two week's ago, Israel's most influential commentator, Yedioth Ahronoth's Nahum Barnea, took Oren to task for those words.
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The ambassador should show more gratitude to his adopted country, Barnea wrote. Had he remained in the United States, at the most he would have become a professor at some university.

Israel instead granted him the privilege of its most prestigious diplomatic appointment. I'm with Oren on this one.

The normally prescient Barnea fails to realize how many of us, while confident in our Israeliness, feel toward the countries of our birth. Oren did not leave America because of a lack of opportunities, or due to anti-Semitism or disillusionment with the American dream. One can make a conscious decision to emigrate while still retaining deep emotional connections to the homeland.

I love my British passport and not just because it allows me to stand in the shorter queue at Heathrow. Her Majesty's royal coat of arms on the cover symbolizes for me allegiance to an island-nation that fought for freedom, that gave the world ideals of democracy, decency and fair play; the country that led the world in granting Jews equal rights and where my great-grandfather found sanctuary for his family.

My parent's decision 28 years ago to move us to Israel was in no way a repudiation of all these ideals. We all yearn for the day when we can say the Jewish state firmly stands for similar values, as it originally set out to do. Yes, I know that perfidious Albion hasn't always lived up to its own ideals either, but it's not just about that. Being British - or American for that matter - connects you with the widest possible horizon, with the world's only universal language and a culture that has mainly for better, and also a bit for worse, permeated the entire world.

I think that Barnea was objecting to the current trend of Israelis waiting outside the German and Polish embassies, with birth certificates of long-dead grandparents who were lucky to flee these countries with their lives.

Those seeking "rainy day" passports think this may be ticket to a berth on the last boat should the Arabs throw us into the sea.

That is the reason why I have never been able to bring myself to fill out the forms for British passports for my Israeli-born children, though everyone tells me I should. It is just too morbid, I don't want to contemplate a day when they will need to run away.

Being British is a part of who I am, not my family's life insurance policy. I am certain that Michael Oren felt the same about his American citizenship, why should his decision to spend the last three decades in Israel mean that he has to relinquish his connections to the Land of Free, one nation under God with liberty and justice for all?

Israeli arrogance and J Street

But in one sense at least, he is certainly more Israeli than American. Since his appointment, Oren has repeatedly snubbed the young and energetic "pro-peace and pro-Israel" Washington lobby, J Street, and refused to meet its members.

In two weeks, J Street will hold its first national conference and despite being invited, Oren has yet to RSVP. Since its founding 18 months ago, J Street has been the focus of much controversy.

Is it legitimate for a Jewish organization to call upon the U.S. administration to apply pressure on Israel to force it to make concessions to advance the stalled peace process? Should American Jews be second-guessing the Israeli government when they are not the ones who will suffer the consequences? Do they represent a significant stream in American Jewry or are they just a group of defeatist self-hating do-gooders?

The facts are that while the Israeli left was decimated in this year's elections, J Street's views mirror those held by a portion of Israeli politics which is still part of the "legitimate" Zionist mainstream.

And during a period when interest among young American Jews in their Jewish identity, let alone in Middle East politics, is at an all-time low, this is one group which is bucking the trend and motivating thousands to get engaged with the fundamental questions concerning Israel's future.

Many of Israel's supporters would rather J Street not exist, preferring apathy to being challenged. J Street has rocked the Jewish machers' cozy boat ride.

Whatever one thinks of J Street's policies, at least they give a damn. The old guard of the Jewish "leadership" is now trying to delegitimize the lobby, but it is not their business to tell others how they should support Israel. And it certainly isn't for the Israeli ambassador to bestow or withhold his approval from Jewish organizations.

It is quite possible that Oren is simply caving in to pressure from the old Jewish establishment, threatened by the new kids on the street, but his refusal to meet J Street smacks of good old Israeli arrogance. What do these limp-wristed shtetl Jews who have never held an M-16 know about running a country?

Both of Michael Oren's countries are committed to freedom of speech. If the Declaration of Israel's Independence hanging in his office doesn't remind him of this, he could always open the bottom drawer in his desk and give a little rub to his now invalid U.S. passport.
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  1.   Freedom of Speech does not require that other listen 06:17  |  Binyamin Dissen 16/10/09
  2.   "Limp-wristed Shtetl Jews": 12:15  |  Jackie 16/10/09
  3.   Oy Vey Anshel 16:33  |  Manuel Gold 16/10/09
  4.   J Street is extremist? Try looking into a mirror! 20:33  |  Reuven 16/10/09
  5.   #3 to call J Street members radical extremists is a lie 21:15  |  d 16/10/09
  6.   WHY I STAND WITH J STREET 21:25  |  Lewis Elbinger 16/10/09
  7.   Jstreet gives a damm about Israel the same way Iran is... 21:41  |  PJ 16/10/09
  8.   J Street represents the coming majority - for jackie 21:59  |  dana 16/10/09
  9.   Oren is LIKUD, so why meet the opposition? 23:11  |  Dolphin 16/10/09
  10.   J St 23:23  |  Jeremy Smith 16/10/09
  11.   Yes, they suffer the consequences 23:54  |  J- Street supporter 16/10/09
  12.   J-Street reflects true American Jewish opinion 02:58  |  steve 17/10/09
  13.   anshel 02:58  |  norf london gal 17/10/09
  14.   Anshel Pfeffer - the Supreme Judge to Mr. Oren`s rights. 08:24  |  Vladimir 17/10/09
  15.   #6 Mr. Ebinger and J-Dead End Street 05:35  |  Vladimir 18/10/09
  16.   There Will Be Peace 14:45  |  Gianni 18/10/09
  17.   Well done Anshel for the Israeli arrogance 19:56  |  Abecassis 18/10/09
  18.   I am sure there are plenty of Saudi royals who can attend 01:56  |  steve from raleigh 19/10/09
  19.   I hope not 13:38  |  T Neeman 19/10/09
  20.   The dishonesty of the far left puts Israel in more danger 21:05  |  LA 19/10/09
  21.   "J-Street", like Jews for Jesus, is a fake Jewish organization... 01:24  |  Dr. L. Brnd 20/10/09
  22.   J Street 17:58  |  RDR 20/10/09
  23.   J Street 18:15  |  Mordechai 20/10/09
  24.   One more sad example 00:53  |  EGB 21/10/09
  25.   For RDR@22 & Mordechai @23 A short reply 13:57  |  Jasmine 21/10/09
  26.   Hchael Oren has no right to snub J Street.Oh Who says So? You? 17:47  |  James 21/10/09
  27.   I am sure there are plenty of Saudi royals who can attend @18 19:05  |  James 21/10/09
  28.   Michael Oren and J Street 22:29  |  Raquel Ramati 22/10/09
  29.   J Street 20:07  |  Bryna Weiss 23/10/09
  30.   Nonsensical 16:50  |  Devasahayam 09/12/09
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