Good for the Jews
By Claude KandiyotiOn May 3, French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy traveled by train from Paris to Brussels to attend a major Jewish event hosted by the European Parliament. A short time before, he had received a surprising phone call. On the other end was Richard Prasquier, president of the CRIF, the umbrella organization of French Jewry.
Prasquier tried to convince Levy that it was a mistake to have signed "the petition" and advised him not to attend what he thought was sure to be an Israel-bashing event: "Bernard, if you go there, many French Jews will not understand," Prasquier recounted telling him this week.
The event he was referring to was a gathering of worried European Jews. Inspired by the American organization J Street, though not intended to be a carbon copy of it, and calling themselves "JCall," this assembly of representatives of various Jewish communities across Europe gathered around a document entitled "Call for Reason," which, over the course of a couple of weeks, had already been signed by some 6,000 people.
The text castigated Israel's occupation of the territories and the settlement enterprise, and called upon the European Union to "apply pressure on both sides" to work out a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The signatories, many of them prominent intellectuals and professionals, affirmed in the same breath their total commitment to Zionism and the Jewish state, which was, so the letter explained, part and parcel of their own identity.
What was striking was not so much the call itself, which did not contain any really new ideas, but the negative response it elicited among self-styled mainstream European Jewish institutions and communities. Since the Geneva Initiative in 2003 we haven't witnessed so fierce a debate among European Jewry. There have been op-eds, articles and even a counter-petition - "Garder raison" ("Maintaining reason" ) - signed by equally prominent French intellectuals, who accused the JCallers of being one-sided and giving succor to Israel's haters. The storm refuses to abate.
If, as Emanuele Ottolenghi argued in a recent opinion piece in Haaretz English Edition ("As mainstream as they come," May 7 ), "No mainstream Jewish organization stands today against the two-state solution," then what is it in the JCall letter that set off so many of those same organizations? Why such disproportionate, sometimes violent, reactions? Ottolenghi suggested that JCall's opponents resent the fact that the signatories' "pledged love for Israel is overshadowed by the blame they squarely lay at Israel's doorstep."
There might be another answer. As Prasquier told me: "JCall, with the prominence of its signatories, might actually create enormous confusion and divisions within French Jewry and this is not good."
JCall encroached on sacred territory. Its very existence challenges the role assumed by the European Jewish umbrella organizations as the only legitimate political voice of Continental Jewry. If successful, like its American counterpart, which has attracted about 150,000 members in its first two years, it might allow for more than one voice to represent European Jewry, and thus threaten their hegemony.
What the angry and entrenched leaders refuse to recognize is that the battle has already been lost. The fact is, most European Jews do not identify with the current Jewish institutions and are uneasy with their subservient, automatic support of Israeli policies. The fact is, they truly believe that being supporters of Israel, its right to existence and the legitimacy of its founding ideology, does not necessarily mean endorsing all the decisions of its government. And the fact is, however conscious these supporters may be that ultimately only the sovereign people of Israel have the right to make the fateful decisions concerning their country's own future, they do not see why they should be denied the democratic right to express their views on those same issues - if only because those decisions might have a tremendous impact on their own lives.
Instead of crying foul, Jewish leaders and institutions would do better to welcome the open debate and accept intellectual and political dissidence.
JCall is not the enemy. It is a legitimate voice making itself heard out of genuine concern for the fate of Israel, and aspiring to a trustful relationship between the Jewish state and the Diaspora.
JCall now has a great challenge ahead: It must reach out to the broader Jewish base, those who identify with the message expressed in its letter, but are still looking to see how serious the organization is before coming out in full support.
Although I am a signatory of the JCall letter, I am not writing in the organization's name. Rather, I am expressing my deepest hope that JCall will seize the moment and also address the concerns of European Jews that go beyond the issues of settlement and occupation. It will be interesting to see if JCall manages to evolves as a vector of change not only on the Israeli-Diaspora front but on European Jewish identity as a whole.
Whatever the outcome, a real earthquake has taken place in the European Jewish arena. A new voice has been born, and this can only be good for us.
Claude Kandiyoti is the publisher of the Belgian Jewish monthly Contact J, and a signatory of the JCall letter.
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Anti-Zionist Jewish "intellectuals" have been around for a long time. And they have always claimed to have our best interests at heart. From Pharoh to Hitler they have been wrong every time. Anyone who promotes expelling Jews from their homes, especially in Jerusalem, are collaborating with the enemies of Israel.
WHAT A WEAK PIECE OF LOGIC. ISRAEL NEEDS TO BE STRONGER THAN EVER! NOT WEAKER
How jewish are you to know what/who is good for jews?
Let's see if JCall can avoid the nasty anti-Israel propaganda J Street has adopted. What will JCall's policy be on settlements? J Street says settlements have "drained" Israel's economy. The OECD doesn't think so, neither do the financial stats that show Israel being an economic powerhouse. Will JCall go the same way and parrot J Street's propaganda?
J Street and J Call are sane and moral voices supporting the continuing existence of Israel in the face of the self-destructive actions and rhetoric of the Israeli government and its mindless supporters. Hopefully the movements will be able to help save Israel from itself. Israel's self-destruction would be a tragedy.
The US Dept spokesperson Mr. Philip J. Crowley pointed out that though Israel has a right to defend itself, military action would not solve the Middle East conflict, therefore Israel and the Palestinians Authority need to engage in direct negotiations. Mr. Crowley is absolutely right, consequently I respectfully suggest, a Complete withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq because Military action would not solve the Middle East conflict therefore Obama needs to engage in direct negotiations with Bin Ladin.
something else. having failed to address the ongoing onslaught on Jews, Israel and Jewish property, having failed to deal with alarming assimilation and community decline, but having succeeded in having photo ops with European leaders at Never Again! ceremonies, European Jews who have no answers to real issues, find a new way to be arm chair Zionists from the false comfort of their homes. Focussing on Israel critique does not blow away the serious issues of Euro Jewry, ignoring Euro funding of anti Israel NGO's and the like.
that they are jeopardazing the only refuge that will be willing to accept them when another wave of antisemitism will sweep across of the Europe and carry them to the resurrected Konzlageren. When this happens, they will not be sorted to JCall Jews and plain Jews. So it not enough to be an intellectual, one also should have some brains and to think with them...
The Arabs speak in one voice. This debate feeds into the Arab narrative, that Jews are a foreign and illegal element and must be removed. May I remind the distinguished intellectuals that Jews have had a continuous presence in Palestine for 3000 years, that 2 million Arabs live in Israel, that 83% of historic Palestine was deed to Jordan and excluded Jews, but somehow you find it offensive that Jews may want to live in the 17% not given to Jordan. May I remind you that Jews were expelled from East Jerusalem, Hebron and the entire West Bank in 1948. But most importantly, may I remind you that most Israeli's accept a 2 state solution but most Palestinians do not--including the so-called moderate Abbas and that is the real problem. You should focus your energy on getting the Arabs to accept Israel as a state of the Jews and then, and only then, do the actual borders matter. Until then, each side is free to strengthen their position.
Opinionionated, self-righteous ex-lefties living high-standard, high-quality lives, unmolested by Iran, Hamas, Hezballah, Syria... watch BBC and read the anti-Semitic crap sewed day after day... The are convinced that it is ONLY Israel's occupation and settlement policy what is wrong. They pay lip service to impartiality by saying they are still Jews, Zionists, peaceniks, whatever. They see something rotten in Israel but don't see the whole dark era that is Islamic fundamentalism and chronical Arab political backwardness, terrorism, and Iranian hegemony. So they open their big, fat, comfortable mouths and sign an idiotic piece of paper that says nothing new. That's what ellicits rage in what is called the Jewish "establishment" or "mainstream", which is nothing else than European Jews, whatever their stream or religious lifestyle.
the author thinks that most of european jews are with the so called J call in my opinion and my experience it is not the reality we know that free speech is important but inside when jews give voice to antiIsraeli mob in the public area it cannot be benefit for jews and as we know that this partial opinion cannot emerge from the arab side it biased and counterproductive proud french zionist
Our right-wing government is trying to manipulate Jewish organizations abroad to close ranks and toe the official line. If they don't do that they become "self-haters" or even "traitors". Gewalt! But let us recall some relevant past event. In 1995, the Rabin government was negotiating peace with the PLO. The right-wing feared this might come to fruition, so they acted: AIPAC pressured the US Congress to pass the Jerusalem Embassy Act, mandating moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, a city whose fate was to be determined by negotiations with the Palestinians. A nice ploy, opposed by the Israeli government as well as President Clinton. But they were powerless; the Senate passed the law by huge margins sufficient to over-ride a Presidential veto. Rather than embarrass himself, Clinton simply did not sign the law, but since then every US president had to sign a waiver every 6 months declaring that the move has to be delayed for national security reasons. Clinton, Bush, and Obama all signed numerous times. They need it like a pain in the neck, but it is a constant reminder that the Jews abroad do not need to follow every policy of the Israeli government.
This internal disease the Jewish people are plagued with only helps the enemies of Israel and brings more war. These so called enlightened Jews never learn that being the gentile's lap dog does not pay off in the end.
It was high time for European Jewry to have their own independent voice. My best wishes for JCall.
who are too blinded by their left-wing ideologies to understand how cynically they are being used.
when will we ever learn that all we have in this world is our own??? J Street,Peace Now and now JCall!!! Get real folks...
Time for the slumbering silent majority to finally wake up and making itself heard. Diaspora Jewry is affected by everything that Israeli governments do - and currently very negatively by the rightwingers policies. It has every right to speak up !
Jewish people who are or support JCall or J Street are Kappos and no amount of articles will convince people otherwise. The Hard Left is and bad as the hard Right, both bring fascism.
It is easy tro play the neo intellectual game at the expense of the Israeli jews. I will be nice to put pressure on the other side to recognize the exhistance of Israel and the Jews for that matter. But that never happened, even before the creation of Israel they hated the very exhistance of Jews in the territory. Who has to wake up, is not Israel, but the so called intellectual Jews that are going to be the very hand that will put an end to the state of Israel. And than what? But of course, they will blame Israel for it!!!
you want to solve the settlement issue? speak to the arabs. let them renounce violence, accept israel as a jewish state now and forever, tell them to relocate refugees into their own states or their future state, and to once and for all, reject rejectionsim of the state called israel. That would be a good start for you idiots. where were you when the rockets rained down on sderot for 8 yrs? where were you when suicide bombers ran amok until such time that a wall had to be built, which of course is NOW one of the central pillars of these left wing nuts and their divestment drives and howls of apartheid...this aint about this or that jewish foundations hegemony in europe or the US, it's about the members of these organizations trying to protect their own standing within the non chique jewish circles so that they are accepted by these anti semites("but some of my best friends are jews") precisely because they are uncle toms... I call on jcall and jstreet to have its members either move to sderot or kiryat shmona or shut the f_ up!
To criticize every move that the Israeli Security establishment takes has its limits especially when it comes from people who do not live here and who do not have to face the harsh realities on the ground every single day. I agree that it is ok to criticize though, but do it internally. What is the point of giving those who already blame Israel and the Jews for everything wrong in the world, with more ammunition that is supposedly validated by other Jews. In the most recent brush up with the US, it was agreed that the criticisms should have been made in private to each other and not in the public limelight. JStreet/JCall are defeatists, self-hating Jews of the highest order and a disgrace to Jews everywhere.
Our right-wing government is trying to manipulate Jewish organizations abroad to close ranks and toe the official line. If they don't do that they become "self-haters" or even "traitors". Gewalt! But let us recall some relevant past event. In 1995, the Rabin government was negotiating peace with the PLO. The right-wing feared this might come to fruition, so they acted prudently: AIPAC pressured the US Congress to pass the Jerusalem Embassy Act, mandating moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, a city whose fate was to be determined by negotiations with the Palestinians. A nice ploy, opposed by the Israeli government as well as President Clinton. But they were powerless; the Senate passed the law by 93-5 and the House by 374-37, huge margins sufficient to over-ride a Presidential veto. Rather than embarrass himself, Clinton simply did not sign the law, allowing it to become effective, but since then every US president had to sign a waiver every 6 months declaring that the move has to be delayed for national security reasons. Clinton, Bush, and Obama all signed numerous times. They need it like a pain in the neck, but it is a constant reminder that the Jews abroad do not need to follow every policy od the Israeli goverment (unless it is right-wing, of course).
To criticize every move that the Israeli Security establishment takes has its limits especially when it comes from people who do not live here and who do not have to face the harsh realities on the ground every single day. I agree that it is ok to criticize though, but do it internally. What is the point of giving those who already blame Israel and the Jews for everything wrong in the world, with more ammunition that is supposedly validated by other Jews. In the most recent brush up with the US, it was agreed that the criticisms should have been made in private to each other and not in the public limelight. JStreet/JCall are defeatists, self-hating Jews of the highest order and a disgrace to Jews everywhere.
Claude Kandiyoti is another powerful voice of reason.
Claude Kandiyoti is another powerful voice of reason.
To have our Jewish State and keep it strong is the main issue. Two thousand years without our Land has created so much misery for Jews. All people who feel themselves part or friend of Jewish people have the right of their opinion regarding Israel, its democracy, its future. But why not to talk about the issue of a few families controlling basic sectors of Israeli economy. Bank of Israel has started to address this issue. Because economical and financial issues, and both Jstreet , Jcall and "Raison Garder" friends, intellectuals or non-intellectuals, are connected to these reigning Israeli and Jewish families, it is time to open the eyes to all real private interests. This is the real political game...
Remember giving up the baby saved the baby's life but that wasn't the end of the story.
Reminds us of the importance of watching our backs. Reminds us that not every Jew believes that a Jew should help another Jew. Reminds us that enemies can masquerade as fellow Jews.
I am very sorry Claude I know you from when you where a teen ager JCALL is unfortunately against Israel at today situation, Antonio
of all places they chose the European Parliament, known for its pro-Palestinian policiy and Israel bashing, to launch their movement. The EP does not need any help of jews in its anti-Israeli propaganda.