Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., November 17, 2009 Cheshvan 30, 5770 | | Israel Time: 15:25 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Jewish World Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction Business Travel Magazine Week's End Anglo File Books
Share |
Last update - 14:08 05/11/2009
Why silence over Israel's wrongs is anti-Zionist
By Alex Sinclair
Tags: Israel News, Zionist 

Israel is not living up to its potential, and one reason for that is because American Jews have not insisted that their voices be heard.

The recent flood of articles and essays about American Jews "losing their love" for Israel is based not only on a misguided conception of Israel-Diaspora relations, but also on a misguided conception of what a loving relationship is about.
Advertisement

There is a famous Rashi on Genesis 2:18, in which God decides to create a partner for Adam. The Biblical narrator has God say "It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper against him." The Hebrew here, "ezer k'negdo," is tricky, and has always perplexed translators. Some try "corresponding to him," some try "beside him," some try "fitting." None of these captures the oddness of the Hebrew.

Rashi comments as follows: "If he is worthy: a helper; if he is not worthy: against him, to fight with him." Generations of rabbis have used this beautiful comment to talk about the complexity of the relationship between spouses, and to suggest that a true marriage is based on the ability and willingness to give honest and critical feedback to one's spouse if they lose their way. A spouse is not a yes-man (or woman); a spouse is someone who disagrees with you when you are wrong.

The current crisis - and it is a crisis, make no mistake about it - in the relationship between American Jewry and Israel is because we have forgotten this Rashi.

We need to remember this Rashi because it suggests that American Jews should offer angry, vocal, confrontational critique when they feel that Israel is practicing particular policies that they find unworthy. Note the word that Rashi uses: "to fight." Not just to critique, not just to gently remind, not just to seek to influence, but to shout, to confront, to demand to be heard.

If we want American Jews and Israel to be in a truly deep relationship, then we need to enable American Jews to be the ezer k?negdo, the helping spouse who fights. After all, they do enough helping. We can't ask American Jews to support us, visit us, give us their money, and be inspired by us, without allowing them - demanding of them - to tell us what they think. It is taxation without representation. It is an abuse of the relationship between us. It is blasphemy to the very notion of a Jewish state.

This approach will ultimately lead to a much richer marriage between American Jews and Israel. Young American Jews throw their weight behind other causes, causes where demands are made on them, where they are encouraged to fight against injustice, to debate, to create change. We don't give them these opportunities with Israel. Go and change the world, we say; but when it comes to Israel, you must close off your creative energies, your critical thinking, your fiery emotions, and just support politely from the sidelines. No wonder they are not interested.

Young American Jews will not develop renewed commitment to Israel unless we demand that they make demands; that they become the ezer k'negdo. Every Jewish day school should require every single student to join an Israeli political party. Every synagogue should do the same for its members. When American Jewish groups come here on missions, they should be doing so not just to support, but also to demand, to critique, to tell us where we are going wrong.

The lack of American Jewish voices in modern Israel is a tragedy. Israel, for all its wonders, its achievements, and its robustness, is not living up to its potential, and one of the reasons for that gap is the lack of American Jewish voices in its culture, religion, and politics.

Thomas Friedman writes more perceptively about Israeli politics than any Israeli journalist or politician; why are his pieces not regularly and immediately translated into Hebrew? Abraham Joshua Heschel revolutionized our understanding of Jewish spirituality; most religious Israelis have never heard of him. Diaspora Jewish educational thinkers and practitioners have made enormous strides in working out how to get Jews of different religious streams to sit, talk, and learn together; Israel is decades behind. There are countless other examples. Both sides are at fault. Israelis have been too stubborn, too arrogant, or too busy, to listen; but American Jews have not been willing to be the ezer k'negdo, the spouse who fights.

Israel is not living up to its potential, and one reason for that is because American Jews have not insisted that their voices be heard. This is scandalous. It is anti-Zionist. It is suicidal. It must change
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Bibi, be a statesman
Netanyahu knows exactly what he must do for peace with Syria, Palestinians.
Unilateral Palestine
Netanyahu says there is no substitute for talks, appeals to PA to negotiate at once.
  1.   Well Stated. And he`s right about Thomas Freidman as well. 05:16  |  Ed 02/11/09
  2.   observation 05:50  |  potobac 02/11/09
  3.   Admit Wrongs, Fix Them 06:25  |  Vladek 02/11/09
  4.   Words from accros the seas. 09:34  |  arieh zimmerman 02/11/09
  5.   Silence? What Silence after JStreet Conference 12:00  |  Ussishkin 02/11/09
  6.   There`s nothing wrong with criticising Israel, but..... 14:50  |  DR 02/11/09
  7.   I`m Not Sure it`s Anti-Zionist.. 16:18  |  Stephen 02/11/09
  8.   the critic 17:57  |  p vd Spuyt 02/11/09
  9.   Liberal crap... 19:32  |  Michael Greenberg 02/11/09
  10.   For Michael Greenberg, #9 23:16  |  arieh zimmerman 02/11/09
  11.   Critical of Israel state not Anti-Semitism 22:11  |  Noel 04/11/09
  12.   good article, but... 07:01  |  rosie 08/11/09
  13.   What about us goyim? 08:51  |  Neil 12/11/09
  14.   Is this guy for real? 22:07  |  Boris 16/11/09
  15.   Boris the ignoramus (14)... 04:53  |  observer 17/11/09
  16.   observer the uncanny 15:11  |  Boris 17/11/09
Special Offers
Advertisement
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Date Local Jewish Singles
Ready to meet your match? Join Jdate today!
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
More Headlines
15:08 Netanyahu: IDF refusal will bring about Israel's collapse
13:50 EU rejects Palestinian bid for unilateral declaration of state
14:40 Iran boosts fuel output to prove it can handle nuclear sanctions
14:44 Israel ranks No. 32 least corrupt country in the world
15:07 U.S. politician wants American Jews to buy West Bank homes
09:21 Argentina protesters to Peres: You deserve Nobel for murder
15:01 Who is funding the rabbi who endorses killing gentile babies?
11:39 TV ROUND-UP: Pro-settler IDF troops demoted; Lieberman slams press
08:43 For its own sake, Israel must keep the Palestinian Authority alive
09:35 Poll: Nearly 50% of Israelis fear state pushing them into poverty
11:05 Police expose illegal arms trade in Israeli Arab town
08:56 Palestinians to Arab states: You can stop Jerusalem light rail
10:52 Court orders cop to pay NIS 50,000 to right-wing protester he attacked
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
| Advert: Recommended Restaurants | Makom: Engaging on Israel
| Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved