Why do Israeli reporters ignore the Jewish Diaspora?
As any surveys listing the worries of Israelis shows: The future of the Diaspora doesn't make the list.
By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: Jewish Diaspora Israel newsTwo weeks ago, I had coffee with the president of one of the largest Jewish federations in North America. We discussed a wide range of issues of concern, but he seemed to come back every few minutes to one particular gripe. His federation has just launched an expensive campaign opposing a noisy attempt by a handful of lefty celebrities to boycott Israel from a prestigious international cultural platform. They paid for full-page ads in major newspapers and drafted a glittering list of stars to sign a public letter denouncing the boycotters.
The Israeli media had widely reported on the fracas but why, oh why, complained the president, had no Israeli newspaper seen fit to mention the key role played by the local Jewish community? The man has been coming to Israel for decades, regularly meeting the country's leaders and participating in the most exalted forums of Israel-Diaspora dialogue. This time he was in Jerusalem for the Israeli Presidential Conference, and next week he will speak at the United Jewish Communities' General Assembly in Washington. But I was at a loss to explain to him the total indifference of the Israeli public, and by extension its media, to the worthy efforts on its behalf by organized American Jewry. Israelis, if they give the matter a thought at all, I said, simply see this as their due. He just nodded his head in disbelief.
Spitefully, I thought of telling him that he goes to too many conferences instead of actually engaging with the people the conferees talk about, but I managed to bite my tongue. I shouldn't be mocking the good president. He has achieved many things of substance, both for his community and as a dispenser of many millions in donations for worthy projects in Israel. He is constantly on the lookout for the next initiative that can make a real contribution and bring change to Israeli society.
But his recurring complaint during our meeting that he doesn't just want to be "someone who signs the check." While perfectly understandable, the sentiment is also wholly unrealistic. Any Israeli journalist who has ever covered a "Jewish World" gathering will be asked the same question at the lunch buffet: "Why doesn't your paper/station/Web site pay more attention to the Jewish Diaspora?" Mouths full, we manage a rueful smile, nod sympathetically and head for the dessert table. At the end of the day, the only headline to come out of the deadly serious sessions will be an Israeli politician's utterance on the main issues. Sometimes, buried in the ninth paragraph you will find the sentence: "The minister was speaking at the annual conference of the global Jewish forum."
Next week's GA will be no exception. It will be covered by the A-team of Israeli journalism - the diplomatic correspondent pack, the boys and girls on the prime minister's plane. But don't expect any of them to attend the sessions on Jewish identity, or the workshops discussing the future of philanthropy. They are only there to see the speeches of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama. The rest of the time they will be catching up on their shopping.
The lack of interest on the part of Israeli media in reporting on the Diaspora is so palpable that two foundations actually award cash prizes to the rare journalists who do occasionally pay it some attention. This isn't simply a case of the media being interested only in gossip and sensationalism. Check out any of the surveys on the ten top worries of the average Israeli: The future of Jews around the world simply doesn't make the list. But perhaps a more relevant question than why Israelis don't care about their coreligionists is why the worthies of the American Jewish establishment are so hung up about it. What is it with their need to receive Israeli affirmation?
Why do they need to have the Israeli prime minister grace their annual gathering every single year? What unique contribution do 30 Israeli speakers, constant conferencers the lot of them, bring? Do the organizers really believe that the most successful Jewish community in history has anything to learn from them, or that a load of arrogant Israelis are really flying to the U.S. in order to learn something themselves? With so many pressing matters on the agenda of American Jewry, why are one quarter of the forums and workshops dedicated to Israel-gazing?
I'm sure many readers who have made it this far are already chomping at the bit - Whaddya mean why do we care so much so much about Israel? I know, it is rather churlish for an Israeli to reject this outpouring of concern. But it does seem that the interminable debates on the social gaps in Israel, on how to counter the biased and hostile media, the integration of Ethiopian immigrants and the future of the peace process are more attractive than dealing with the thornier dilemmas of Jewish life in America, such as how to build a truly accessible Jewish education system, create a credible identity that will appeal even to those devoid of any religious belief and define the Jewish family in an age where intermarriage is no longer a threat but a reality.
Yes, I know, many GA attendees are doing sterling work in these fields, but just think how much more could be achieved if the amount of time spent obsessing about Israel was reduced by just one half. Look at all of the passions expended recently over J Street. It all wasn't only about determining the best way to secure Israel's, future and about the legitimacy of the J Streeters calling upon the Obama administration to pressure Netanyahu. What really panicked so many establishment figures was the fact that the most significant joint endeavor of America's Jews - six decades of unswerving support for the Israeli government of the day - could be questioned by a bunch of irreverent youngsters. (Oh and by the way, asides from a small bubble of columnists, Israelis didn't really care. They were merely amused by another political squabble, the kind we have here twice a week).
Why don't we all grow up? We are brothers and sisters. But we live in different neighborhoods, on separate continents. The Jews of both countries can all be proud of their incredible success stories and are all facing enormous challenges. We should try and help each other out, without expecting much gratitude, but ultimately we all have to deal with our own troubles. American Jews are doing themselves a disservice by mistaking Israel's problems for their own.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
Well, I think this is great! It heralds a new age, as now US(and other diaspora Jews)need no longer send those large checks to Israel/Israeli charities. We can keep monies in our own countries to fund schools, hospitals, social welfare, and maybe even a new 'truthright': bring Israeli children to Jewish communities around the world. Reality, Mr. Pfeffer. is that like lives with like. The wealthy American Jew you speak of travels, negotiates, and listens to executives and Prime Ministers--he doesn't need to go to Israel to talk to academics, as they are always coming to him for financial aid. He is in Israel to touch base with what he feels is his 'center', something he supports greatly, but which treats him like the distant rich uncle (no children,lots of money) who must spend his money somewhere...may as well be Israel. Until Israeli papers stop bashing diaspora Jews and accept our differences, there will be continued distance and regret.
Thank you, Anshel Pfeffer, for saying this. If an American Jew suggested the same thing, they would immediately be labeled self-hating. Why does American Jewry obsess over Israel? It's much like an online romance-- it's easier and headier than doing the real work of building a real-time, local relationship. How much simpler it is to focus on Israel from a distance than to tackle gnarly tasks such as making Jewish education accessible to low and lower middle-income Jewish families. In my midwestern Conservative Jewish community, declaring onself an atheist barely makes an impression; questioning the focus on Israel is interpreted as a threat to the very survival of the Jewish people. Israel has replaced spirituality as the cornerstone of American Jewish identity.
no army, no reserve duty, easy life compared to Israelis. The American Jews also have nothing to show it, no country, no honor.
"Better to be a fish in the sea with all its risks than fish in fishbowl, forever fearful somebody`s gonna bash us." What? I'm a proud American, and I never feel like someone is going to bash me for being Jewish.
What is the big mystery? For American Jews to whom Jewish identity is important, Israel is usually part of that identity. For Israeli Jews to whom Jewish identiy is their raison d'etre, America is not part of that identity. Reporters report accordingly.
The answer is very simple. It's Psychology 101. Not having made aliyah, they alleviate their guilt-feelings over that failure by overdoing their "Israel, Israel ueber alles "motto, writing big checks and wanting their Jewish self-esteem underwritten by appropriate Israeli attention and gratitude. David
Chevre, Shabbat shalom I don't want to be an alarmist, but... Our shrinking world is rapidly becoming a much more dangerous place for Jews. This, from a progressive American Jew and Zionist who visits Israel regularly, m'daber Ivrit, and is active in Jewish life and tends to see the world through rose colored glasses. It's no credit to Israeli Jews that they do not demand of their media that they be kept more closely in touch with developments within the American Jewish community. It's no credit to the American Jewish community that more and more members of our community seem to be losing what minimal connection with Israel that they have had in the past. Both communities will soon discover a growing need to nurture ever closer ties among their members. A sense of strength will hopefully offset the desire to run away from Judaism due to the emerging external threats. Who knows? We could even see a significant spontaneous eruption of conversions from all other religions as Jews
When I was younger, I was Israel obsessed because I felt proud to have a country for Jews with many achievements. I was involved in activism since high school and in college. My interactions with Israelis in Israel and U.S. slowly started to turn me off from Israel as a modern state of Jewish People. Israelis look and act like confused teenagers or adopted children that try to fit in or find an identity. 70% of Israeli population is ignorant of Judaism and that is even more sad than assimilation of American Jews. Israeli arrogance and ignorance of Diaspora is telling. For 3000 years, Jewish cultures, foods, literature, and history were shaped in foreign countries. Israelis can't and won't replace that with their impressive IDF or Dana International. More Israelis know something about vudu in Goa and ecstasy parties than Jewish life. While Jews focus on a Jewish identity, Israelis think that their Magen David flag makes them more Jewish, so they ignore Diaspora and Jewish life.
A very acute article. Why indeed should Israelis care about the squabble between J Street and AIPAC et al.? Anything the supporters of J Street have said - and far tougher and more challenging things too - can be read daily on the editorial page of Haaretz. Why should Israelis even be interested? But what this shows is that the US Jewish establishment needs to grow up, much as Israel has done, and not treat debate and dissent as tantamount to treachery. If being ignored by Israel will help us grow up, all to the good.
We will be interested in Israel-gazing for the simple reason that is a potential place for us to live, whereas fewer Israelis actively ponder a move back to the Diaspora unless for a personal reason such as marriage or business. American Jewry has a collective interest in knowing what is going on in Israeli society, because there was always the threat, sometimes distant, that we may need to move there in a hurry.
You talk like you don't know the first thing about Israel. It's fine that you don't know, but it's preferable you don't make a fool out of yourself with ignorant statements. Do you know anything about Israel's dynamic democracy, multitude of Jewish streams and cultures, or the melting pot that brought Moroccans, Poles, Ethiopians and every ethnicity under the sun united by their common Jewish history back to their homeland to restart Jewish Hebrew independence? Be honest, when was the last you were here, do you speak more than 2 words of Hebrew, do you know anything about Israeli culture, arts, literature, cinema, night life, nature reserves, history? Or do you get your information from foreign (yes non-Israeli) shallow biased sources? That's why you call Israel a "military with a country" - only an ignoramus would not know that the IDF is everyone's army, everyone's brother. father, serves in the army either as conscript or in the reserves. You're better off staying silent on Israel
And your comments are based on what? Every Jewish pupil studies the Hebrew bible till the 12th grade. All schoolchildren are taught about the holidays. All learn the history of the Jewish people. Those who want a more religious education can go to a religious school for free. As to being militaristic; for a country literally under almost daily attack we are remarkably unmilitaristic Jewish money from the states is in fact much appreciated and most Israelis love the US and especially American Jews. It's true that we don't like people from outside who don't have to pay the price for making mistakes, telling us what to do.
What's the big deal? It works both ways. Except for the Hebrew speakers among North American Jews, most of five and some million Jews in the States don't know much about Israel at all, and some could care less. If that's the case, why should Israelis show any interest back. Heck, we have enough gvirim, we don't need some dude with money to tell us how to live our lives. As it is, in spite of the way some American Jews trash Jewish life in the Jewish State, we still are the most vibrant place to be Jewish. Better to be a fish in the sea with all its risks than fish in fishbowl, forever fearful somebody's gonna bash us.
incredibly arrogant and incredibly sad. just hope all these israelis who don't care about the diaspora don't come knocking on diaspora doors when iran drops a bomb here.
The israeli and jewish diaspora are moving apart, something that's obvious to everyone but Israel. Yes, most groups are still Israel-centric but the ties are weakening and new groups and younger people have less and less interest in Israel, other than as a country in the ME hell bent on dragging the US into wars. Sometimes I feel sad for the Jewish americans who poured so much love and generosity into Israel. Their love is unrequited and many have woken up shocked to realize that this one way "love" is more like an ossession without reciprocity. As the more zealous zionists are coming to appear as just zealots - the community is moving on. And what's israel got to do with Judaim? Israel has become one of the worst and least tolerant places in the world to be for a Jew. Most have no clue about jewish values or the evolution of jewish thought. It's more like a military with a country, slowly turning into a garrison. Time for the jews of the world to move on...