SPECIAL COMMENTARY

No Longer A Weakling

Philadelphia
By not reacting in a serious way to
srael has been taking it on the
these transgressions, the authorities in
chin from the Palestinians. It
Jerusalem implicitly condoned Palestin-
offers them an incredibly gener-
ian actions. Israel's having acquiesced
ous package at Camp David in
for seven long years to Palestinian
July; the Palestinians (and
malfeasance, winking at gun-
Israeli Arabs) reward it in
running and ignoring rabid
October with the worst-ever
anti-Zionism, at least partially
outbreak of violence.
explains the recent eruption
Likewise, the Israel
of violence — as several
Defense Forces fights in a
Israeli leaders (like Minister
careful manner intended to
of Diaspora Affairs Michael
return the Palestinians to the
Melchior) now admit.
negotiating table (as opposed
With a record like this,
to defeating them); in reply,
how can Israel now demand
Palestinians respond with
the Palestinians to fulfill
DANIEL PIPES their promises and expect
heightened violence (uni-
formed "policemen" are now
Special to
anything but derision? After
shooting at the IDF).
the Jewish News
letting its enemies get away
Nor are the Palestinians
with so much for so long,
the only ones to assault
its citizens now wonder if
Israel:
they have become the mat on which
• The United Nations Security
anyone can trample.
Council thanks Israel for its "policy of
Thus is Israeli weakness in some fash-
restraint" limiting Palestinian casual-
ion the cause of the predicament in
ties — even though this adds to the
which the Jewish state now finds itself
injuries and deaths of its own troops
Further, this weakness has to some
— with a resolution lambasting its
degree emboldened Islamists, thereby
"excessive use of force."
causing violence against Jews worldwide.
• The international media ignores
Accepting this analysis means that
Israel's absorbing a range of provoca-
tamping down Palestinian violence —
tions almost without retaliation (the
as well as the Arab and Muslim saber
abduction of soldiers to Lebanon, the
rattling, the international finger wag-
lynching of soldiers in Ramallah, the
ging, and global violence against Jews
desecration of the Tomb of Joseph)
— requires Israelis to shed its weak-
and instead vilifies it.
ling image.
• Governments around the world
Trouble is, the longer the Palestini-
respond to hundreds of incidents of
ans get away with their criminal mis-
violence against Jews and Jewish insti-
behavior, the more heavy-handed
tutions on six continents, almost
must Israel's response be.
entirely carried out by Muslims, with
In 1993, normal protection of
near-silence.
Israel's rights would have sufficed.
Why this barrage of aggression and
Today, a crackdown is needed. It
unfair treatment, far worse than Israel
might include several steps:
has experienced in decades?
• Assert political goals. These days,
Here's my answer: The world
Israeli policy aims only at a return to
despises a weakling and Israel is now
the bargaining table. It would do well
reaping the bounty of the soft foreign
to emulate the Palestinians, who have
policy in place since 1993.
a well-articulated set of goals (end
Israeli policy toward the Palestini-
Israeli occupation, establish a Palestin-
ans over the past seven years has been
ian state with Jerusalem as its capital).
to sign about one agreement a year
If it. did, Israeli equivalents would
and then hardly to insist on imple-
include a complete end to violence by
mentation. Of course, this laxness did
Israeli Arabs, Palestinians and the Arab
not go unnoticed by Palestinians, who
and Muslim states.
took advantage of it routinely to break
• Enforce agreements already
their promises.
signed. At present, the Israeli govern-
Their school textbooks promote
ment asks only for a "drastic" drop in
anti-Semitism, their maps imply the
violence before returning to the bar-
elimination of Israel, their courts cod-
gaining table. (And the Likud Party
dle anti-Israel terrorists and [Palestin-
wants hardly more, demanding merely
ian Authority Chairman] Yasser
a complete cessation of hostilities.)
Arafat's plane smuggles in weapons.
Better would be to demand complete
implementation of all agreements
Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle
East Forum.
WEAKLING on page 62

I

12/1
2000

58

We Are All Mr. Lieberman

New York

W

Orthodox On Display

hether or not Sen.
By association, all American Ortho-
Joseph Lieberman
dox Jews, whether we wish it were so
emerges from the cur-
or not, are on display these days, more
rent electoral quandary
than ever before. Unfortunately, there
as the Democrats' vice presi-
are all too many, even
dent-elect or still Connecti-
among our fellow Jews, who
cut senator, he surely will
look at us not with admira-
remain a historic figure: the
tion or even curiosity but
first Jewish nominee for the
with something darker.
second-highest position of
Throughout Freedman's
the world's No. 1 superpow-
book, for instance, it
er.
becomes clear that observant
As a result, even Jews who
Jews — not exclusively but
supported the Bush-Cheney
especially haredim — are
Republican ticket have been
viewed by many Jews less
RABB I AVI
rooting, and continue to
familiar with Jewish obser-
SHAF RAN
root, for Lieberman — for
vance as spiteful, uncouth or
Spec ial to
his success, that is, as a
threatening.
prominent Jew proudly
the Jewi sh News
Needless to say, most
embracing Jewish obser-
such assumptions have their
vance. He sets a good exam-
source in vivid imaginations,
ple for the huge number of American
leavened with healthy doses of guilt
Jews with limited knowledge of their
and generously sprinkled with wishful
religious heritage.
thinking. Freedman himself, with
In that calculus, it is not Lieber-
whom my colleague David Zwiebel
man's political office that is of ulti-
and I recently spent some time, con-
mate importance but rather whether
firmed that fact. Among the observa-
he proves to be an instrument of kid-
tions that Freedman shared with us
dush Hashem, of "sanctifying the
was the way non-Orthodox Jews in
name of God."
certain communities resent seeing
In many ways he has indeed been
Orthodox Jewish women strolling
that. It became widely known — and
babies in carriages in the street on the
widely lauded — that Lieberman had
Jewish Sabbath.
made considerable sacrifices of both
While it should be obvious, Freed-
comfort and honor for the sake of
man noted, that few sidewalks are wide
things like the Jewish Sabbath or kashrut enough to accommodate two friends
laws. And his self-identification as, sim-
with their strollers, neighbors rushed to
ply, an observant Jew bespoke an
assume that the women walk in the
admirable reluctance to "define down"
street to prevent others from driving on
Jewish observance with artificial adjec-
the Sabbath, or to haughtily stake a
tives, as is casually and frequently done
claim to the neighborhood.
by so many American Jews.
The senator is far from the only
Inner Self
observant Jew in the public eye these
None of us, of course, can prevent fel-
days.
low Jews from making unreasonable
During the weeks following his nom-
assumptions. But, at the same time,
ination, a book about strained relations
might some changes in our own con-
among Jews garnered widespread atten-
duct more effectively counter them?
tion. Jew vs. Jew, by Samuel G. Freed-
Could we not help others see us
man, colorfully chronicles several Jewish
more accurately by paying closer atten-
communal "hot spots" that have erupt-
tion to the details of our behavior "on
ed into controversy in recent years.
the street," by engaging in more active
Observant Jews play rather prominent
outreach to other Jews, by taking care to
roles in each of the six stories the book
make sure we present what the Talmud
tells. There has been, as well, an abun-
calls a "smiling countenance" and to
dance of articles in a broad array of pub-
offer a "good morning" or "good Shab-
lications on varied aspects of Orthodox
bos" to those we meet who are not from
Jewish life.
within our community?
One character in Freedman's book
Rabbi Avi Shafran is director of public
describes his negative feelings about
affairs for Agudath Israel of America
Orthodox Jews as sourced in his sense
and American director of Am Echad.
of having been "judged, scorned,
The above article appears in longer
found deficient as a Jew." While there

form in the current issue of Coalition,
the Agudath Israel publication.

MR. LIEBERMAN on page 62