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Last update - 20:07 20/10/2009
Dovish Jews? They love Israel? Excommunicate them
By Bradley Burston
Tags: Israel News, Bradley Burston 

Click here for more articles by Bradley Burston
____________________


We don't need them. They'll never see things our way, no matter what. Let them go.

It's a new Israeli approach which borrows from the very worst of our aging instincts. It says: We're moral, our enemies are out to exterminate us along with our state, that's all you need to know. No modifications necessary. Stay the course. Concede nothing. Ease no siege. Give no ground. Ever.

It is a radical redefinition of Postmodern Zionism, this time from the right. Over the past weeks, it's been test-run in our relations with Turkey, with the Goldstone Commission, with Mahmoud Abbas - and with consistent results.

Now it's about to be tried on North American Jewry, some 6 million strong, a community at a critical crossroads, one that will have lasting and - if mishandled - dangerous consequences for Israel.

The opening shot was fired this month by the former chairman of the Governing Board of the World Jewish Congress, Isi Liebler, who declared it "our obligation to confront the enemy within - renegade Jews - including Israelis who stand at the vanguard of global efforts to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish state."

"Such odious Jews can be traced back to apostates during the Middle Ages who fabricated blood libels and vile distortions of Jewish religious practice for Christian anti-Semites to incite hatred which culminated in massacres," Liebler wrote in the Jerusalem Post. "It was in response to these renegades that the herem [excommunication] was introduced."

Citing the example of Jewish communists who applauded Stalinist executions of fellow Jews on trumped-up charges, Liebler added, "Like their contemporary counterparts, some of them attempted to depict themselves as devoted Jews championing 'world peace.'"

Among these counterparts, it develops, is J Street, the new dovish lobbying organization which describes itself as pro-Israel and pro-peace. Writing ahead of J Street's first annual national conference, which begins on Sunday in Washington, Liebler argued that although J Street and other U.S. Jewish groups critical of Israel may describe themselves as Zionist, "their prime objective is to pressure the U.S. government to use 'tough love' against Israel - a euphemism for demanding that the Jewish state make further unilateral concessions to neighbors pledged to its annihilation."

Israel's official response to J Street, which though less than two years old has been described as a counterweight to AIPAC, this week went from chill to cold-shoulder.

Months after inviting Ambassador Michael Oren to address the conference, J Street last week renewed its request. It noted research which has shown younger Jews increasingly alienated from the Jewish community and from Israel, and increasingly questioning many of Israel's right-wing policies, public statements, and actions.

The erudite, often outspoken Oren had been uncharacteristically mum in response to the request, despite, or perhaps because of, the long list of some 150 U.S. senators and members of Congress which J Street has published as honorary hosts of a gala dinner during the conference. The list has apparently dismayed both AIPAC and conservative commentators.

When an answer finally came, it came in the form of a slap. "In response to the question about J Street's invitation to participate in its conference, the Embassy of Israel has been privately communicating its concerns over certain policies of the organization that may impair the interests of Israel," the embassy said in a statement, an apparent reference to such J Street positions as support for the Obama administration's push for an absolute settlement freeze, and the group's opposition to immediate sanctions against Iran.

"Accordingly, the embassy will send an observer to the conference and will follow its proceedings with interest."

In rebuffing the invitation, the ambassador has erred gravely. Instead, he should have shown up, spoken forthrightly on the ways Israel's government views the future differently from J Street and the other dovish groups co-sponsoring the gathering. Together, they represent a growing segment of the future of U.S. Jewry, a community with which Israel cannot afford to lose touch.

To slight the conference is to dismiss the deep love of Israel felt by many of its critics abroad. To send a low-level diplomat in place of the ambassador sends a message which in some respects can only please Isi Liebler, and the subtext of his message: These doves, they're not really pro-Israel. They can't be. They're doves. And they're not really Jews. How could they be? Not only are they doves, most of them aren't even Orthodox.

Liebler, meanwhile, has another plan. Because Benjamin Netanyahu is "currently riding a wave after his superb United Nations address," Liebler writes, he should convene a global Jewish solidarity conference of Jewish leaders, opinion makers, philanthropists and activists "in order to demonstrate the unity of the Jewish people."

And what of J Street and the spectrum of Jewish leftists and peace advocates? The world unity conference would deal with them as well. According to Liebler, "in addition to encouraging millions of Jews in the Diaspora who remain committed to Israel to become more actively engaged in our struggle, such a gathering would also provide an opportunity to exorcise the renegades from our midst."


_________________


Follow Bradley Burston on Twitter

Previous Blogs:

Goldstone, Israel's Frankenstein monster
Working for peace is a form of prayer
The cowardice, the vanity, the sin of boycotting Israel
The Gaza War 'victory' - Has Israel grown dependent on terror?
Can there be such a thing as an Israeli hero?
For Israel, a New Year, and a new left
This Jewish New Year, let's put an end to hope
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
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3,000 Jews - one GA
American Jewry kicks off annual GA conference, but guest star Obama cancels.
Talking to Hamas
Islamists slam Mofaz's vision for negotiations and Palestinian state as 'Zionist vulgarity.'
  1.   Excommunicate them 15:46  |  Frank 19/10/09
  2.   dovish jews 15:48  |  zoe 19/10/09
  3.   Israel doesn`t even really pretend to want peace. 15:49  |  Michael 19/10/09
  4.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 15:50  |  Realist 19/10/09
  5.   Liebler is hysterical - not in a funny way. 15:52  |  Tcherkessi 19/10/09
  6.   Israel & Jews 15:52  |  Shmuelshachor 19/10/09
  7.   Excommunciate? 16:09  |  Yisrael Medad 19/10/09
  8.   J Street 16:11  |  Mark 19/10/09
  9.   Jewish professors 16:26  |  Angry Arab - As`ad 19/10/09
  10.   If our unity as Jews disintegrated we are finishing ourselves ! 16:26  |  Akram Zekaria 19/10/09
  11.   This Christian laughs at this Stupid Article 16:27  |  Stephen 19/10/09
  12.   Dovish Jews? 16:30  |  Al 19/10/09
  13.   the inevitable crossroads for Israel & Jews have arrived 16:41  |  Avram 19/10/09
  14.   Remove their right of free speech 16:41  |  r cummings 19/10/09
  15.   Well said, Bradley, both didactically and conceptually... 16:42  |  Esther 19/10/09
  16.   Peace Plan? 16:45  |  puzzled 19/10/09
  17.   Same Old, Same Old 16:51  |  Yaakov Sullivan 19/10/09
  18.   Excommunication 17:07  |  Steve 19/10/09
  19.   uk michael #3 17:16  |  citizen zero 19/10/09
  20.   Bradley... 17:23  |  Yosemite 19/10/09
  21.   Difference between doves and suckers for Pal propaganda 17:28  |  Joe Sittizen 19/10/09
  22.   the bird won`t fly without a left and a right wing 18:01  |  peter rouget 19/10/09
  23.   No to J Street 18:12  |  Norm 19/10/09
  24.   J Street 18:29  |  James Fargo 19/10/09
  25.   Oren: It`s ok to disagree, but speak with them!! 18:40  |  Lee 19/10/09
  26.   Lee: He Can`t Legitimise Them 18:58  |  Yaakov Sullivan 19/10/09
  27.   To: Puzzled #16 19:47  |  Jan 19/10/09
  28.   Don`t like the truth, hmmm? 20:03  |  Susan 19/10/09
  29.   This debate is not about 20:45  |  Chris Linthwaite 19/10/09
  30.   a bird cannot fly with a left wing bend on self distruction 20:59  |  LA 19/10/09
  31.   Yaakov Sullivan 22:15  |  Laslo 19/10/09
  32.   J-Street is a joke, please boycott Mr. Oren! 22:17  |  4:20 19/10/09
  33.   J-street : unsolicited representation of Diaspora Jews. 22:31  |  17 19/10/09
  34.   most of them aren`t even Orthodox. 22:56  |  Ian 19/10/09
  35.   J Street = State Department 23:02  |  David Berlyne 19/10/09
  36.   dovish isreali 23:05  |  sam 19/10/09
  37.   dovish my ass 23:17  |  StevieT 19/10/09
  38.   Assimilated, Obama-voting J-streeters see real zionists just as 23:23  |  Paraclete 19/10/09
  39.   Akram Zekaria, it`s far too late... 23:27  |  BBSNews 19/10/09
  40.   Susan, let me break down the real truth for ya... 23:31  |  BBSNews 19/10/09
  41.   Crack that whip 23:38  |  Colin Wright 19/10/09
  42.   And what of the spectrum of Jewish leftists and peace activists? 00:07  |  Hanna 20/10/09
  43.   Israel`s peace plan? 00:29  |  Janice 20/10/09
  44.   Liebler is loosing ground 00:39  |  roberto 20/10/09
  45.   MICHAEL UK the Arab peace plan is a deliberate non starter 02:21  |  PETER SM 20/10/09
  46.   Out of Touch on American Jews? 02:31  |  Meron 20/10/09
  47.   looney left wing 02:32  |  Mark 20/10/09
  48.   Forgetting the Prophets 03:11  |  Honi 20/10/09
  49.   Ex Communication 03:13  |  Ron 20/10/09
  50.   unity under isy liebler`s tutelage? 03:57  |  eshkol hak 20/10/09
  51.   Dovish Jews 04:04  |  Gershon Ron 20/10/09
  52.   Don`t Make Them Into Victims 04:15  |  Rick 20/10/09
  53.   they called a global jewish solidarity[w/israel] conference 05:10  |  eric 20/10/09
  54.   Excommunciate Me, Please! 05:14  |  L. Winer 20/10/09
  55.   Excommunication no! Confronting them yes!!! 05:27  |  Edward 20/10/09
  56.   J Street funding #8 Mark 05:48  |  Ron 20/10/09
  57.   Go J Street! 05:56  |  Rabbi Maurice Harris 20/10/09
  58.   #23 Norm. You are misinformed 06:04  |  Ron 20/10/09
  59.   Dovish Jews 07:04  |  Sara 20/10/09
  60.   Avram 07:39  |  Rosie 20/10/09
  61.   Israeli right-wingers worse than American Republicans 07:47  |  John 20/10/09
  62.   describes itself as pro-Israel 08:50  |  john 20/10/09
  63.   Michael from the UK 09:10  |  Purple Canary 20/10/09
  64.   J-Street 09:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/10/09
  65.   Foreign and domestic extremism 09:45  |  Mike Angstreich 20/10/09
  66.   excommunicate 09:49  |  Samuel 20/10/09
  67.   The list is now less than 100 senators... 10:10  |  Mike 20/10/09
  68.   arab peace plan 10:19  |  sid 20/10/09
  69.   With friend like these... 10:20  |  NADAV 20/10/09
  70.   to # 16, Arab peace plan 10:29  |  Samuel 20/10/09
  71.   31 PETER SM. OK, there`s never going to be peace, 10:59  |  Michael 20/10/09
  72.   Mike Angstreich 11:21  |  Purple Canary 20/10/09
  73.   In the name of Unity..accept J Street with an open heart 11:36  |  mier Gush Etzion 20/10/09
  74.   #45 This was the voice of the german rep. of AIPAC 11:55  |  Ardi 20/10/09
  75.   SCOUNDRELS 12:43  |  fly in the ointment 20/10/09
  76.   Purple Canary 44. Read the truth about Camp David 2000. 12:46  |  Michael 20/10/09
  77.   MICHAEL read Clintons book on who was responsible 13:23  |  PETER SM 20/10/09
  78.   Dovish Jews? They love Israel? Excommunicate them .... 13:29  |  Aaron 20/10/09
  79.   Meretz & J Street 13:36  |  m. cimber 20/10/09
  80.   PETER SM 64. Shlomo Ben-Ami disagrees with you. 14:29  |  Michael 20/10/09
  81.   What `love` are you talking about- Soros love? 14:38  |  Shalom Freedman 20/10/09
  82.   120 Congress People are Honorary Chairs 14:40  |  Stephen 20/10/09
  83.   For Angry Arab-As`ad # 9 How right you are! 14:40  |  Jasmine 20/10/09
  84.   L.Winer 14:44  |  ssss 20/10/09
  85.   Have Pals got something to offer other than 1967 borders+ROR 14:58  |  Sam 20/10/09
  86.   To Sam in Canada 16:43  |  John 20/10/09
  87.   Dovish Jews? They love Israel? Excommunicate them 16:46  |  John B 20/10/09
  88.   jingoism, then and now 17:29  |  Bob 20/10/09
  89.   Speaking as an American Jew, I`m waiting to see how J-Street 19:29  |  Jacob Blues 20/10/09
  90.   Pro-Israel is Pro-Peace 19:36  |  RfaelMoshe 20/10/09
  91.   J Street`s "Younger Jews" Reject being Jewish in Any Sense 19:56  |  Alan-NYC 20/10/09
  92.   #9 Angry Arab, Sadly You Are Correct 20:05  |  Alan-NYC 20/10/09
  93.   AIPAC and J Street belong to themselves, not to America. 20:26  |  S 20/10/09
  94.   always the same question 20:51  |  michael 20/10/09
  95.   MICHAEL Ben Ami was NOT talking about the Clinton plan that 21:00  |  PETER SM 20/10/09
  96.   BSNews and the delegitimization of Israel 21:37  |  SDHD 20/10/09
  97.   It Is Precisely Its Growth That Threatens Israel 21:41  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/10/09
  98.   psm---clinton and Barak needed a scapegoat 22:09  |  Labhras 20/10/09
  99.   Jews are left wing but do not trust Jstreet. Why should anyone? 22:51  |  Realist 20/10/09
  100.   peter sm 23:45  |  michael 20/10/09
  101.   Rav Harris # 57- J Street Represents Millions? 00:40  |  Meron 21/10/09
  102.   Thank God for a sane voice telling the TRUTH.S@93 01:46  |  James 21/10/09
  103.   Alan -NYC .Those jews mariy out ,and are not what I would call 01:50  |  Benny 21/10/09
  104.   Burston, Don`t You Get It ? 02:12  |  Yisroel 21/10/09
  105.   Not In My Name! 05:56  |  Disgusted 21/10/09
  106.   Meron 07:36  |  Pdixon 21/10/09
  107.   Another one for Isi Liebler`s list 14:09  |  Simon_Of_Sydney 21/10/09
  108.   Difference between doves and suckers for Pal propaganda @21 18:32  |  James 21/10/09
  109.   Let the Civil War begin! 07:36  |  Chris 23/10/09
  110.   It`s their Right! 19:11  |  Steve Grumman 23/10/09
  111.   J Street Claims to be Realistic 13:28  |  Robert A. Gutman 24/10/09
  112.   From J street Member 18:21  |  J Street Member 24/10/09
  113.   J Street opposes right wing extremism both in Israel 19:41  |  go, J Street 24/10/09
  114.   39~BBSNews read my post 10 again ... 23:26  |  Akram Zekatia 24/10/09
  115.   zekaria 06:39  |  zoe 25/10/09
  116.   Charlotte-YOU ARE DESPICABLE 16:21  |  obamba 25/10/09
  117.   ONLY TINY PERCENT OF JEWS PERPETUATE JUDAISM 14:46  |  SHMUEL IN GALUT 26/10/09
  118.   J Street & Dovish Jews 08:54  |  Dr.Lee Egbert 27/10/09
  119.   Michael: Camp David small print even worse 13:21  |  AT 27/10/09
  120.   No mandate for Liebler 13:57  |  Ched 27/10/09
  121.   Ghetto Jews, Nothing has really changed. 20:07  |  Georg von Starkerman 27/10/09
  122.   Georg #121 20:53  |  Zeev ben Avram 30/10/09
  123.   dovish jews 00:25  |  matteo d`agostino,it 31/10/09
  124.   Settle illegalities, then make a peace offer #63 Purple Canary 00:57  |  Ron 31/10/09
  125.   shmulik in galut 13:52  |  shai 31/10/09
  126.   Number of American Jews 11:48  |  Rachel 01/11/09
  127.   deep love of Israel? 06:01  |  Justin White 03/11/09
  128.   The Jews of Germany did not take the Nazis at their word 06:16  |  hmp49 03/11/09
  129.   124 14:14  |  Samuel 03/11/09
  130.   61 14:25  |  Samuel 03/11/09
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