ognizing and appreciating those with the
moral courage to speak out on behalf of
a beleaguered Israel, and caring less
about their views on less-pressing issues.
According to several experts I spoke
with, I'm not alone.
Abraham Foxman, national director
of the Anti-Defamation League, said
he recently spotted Christian conser-
vative Gary Bauer in Washington and
went over to thank him for his sup-
port for Israel.
"I told him we will continue to dis-
agree on other issues, but I appreciate
his voice on Israel," Foxman related,
adding that " We [Jews] are not giving
up our values on issues like social jus-
tice, but we need to adjust to reality."
Foxman said, "First, we. adjusted to
the need for larger U.S. military budg-
ets, recognizing that if America isn't
strong, it can't support and defend
Israel. Now, we realize we need all the
friends we can get," including those in
the Christian right community.
The ADL's reprinting in large news-
paper ads of an opinion column by
Ralph Reed, former executive director
of the Christian Coalition, on "why
people of faith support Israel," raised
plenty of eyebrows in the Jewish com-
munity. But Foxman said it's impor-
tant to get the message out and show
appreciation for those who take a
stand for the Jewish state.
Martin Raffel of the Jewish Council
for Public Affairs noted that "there is
always tension for American Jews" in
assessing their relationship with
Evangelical Christians. "Our community
is still queasy" about the vision of
America as a Christian country, Raffel
said. "But this crisis has pulled down
some of the walls that existed between
us, and many welcome [conservative
Christians'] support for Israel, while
insisting there is no quid pro quo for us."

Israel First

Steven Bayme of the American Jewish
Committee said Jews are putting their
own self-interests first now, and that's
fine. Perhaps that will translate into
our being less predictably liberal in the
voting booth in future elections, but
that will depend on whether Israel —
our priority issue — is in crisis. Bayme
sees "a sober realism setting in" among
American Jews that will not go away
anytime soon.
For me, that realism is tinged with
plenty of irony as I try to focus on feel-
ings of sincere gratitude for the Mideast
views of my newly discovered allies on
the political and Christian right (not
that they haven't been supportive all

along) while trying not to think about
where they stand on a range of domestic
issues. I guess that makes me either a
skittish friend or a political pragmatist.
Either way, I'm learning to seek out,
appreciate and support Israel's friends,
near and far — sometimes very far.
.
Just recently, while speaking at a
Hadassah conference, I was asked by a
woman where she and her husband
should go on vacation. It was more a
query about politics than travel,
though, because she said that while
she wanted to go to Israel, her hus-
band vvas fearful. He had bought them
tickets to Paris — but she refuses to
support the French economy. So
where should they go, she asked.
"Micronesia," I suggested, mostly in
jest, since even those of us who appre-
ciate the tiny country's support for
Israel in the United Nations don't
quite know where it is. (Just the other
day, in another shameful U.N. vote,
Israel was condemned for its April
incursion into the West Bank — with
no mention made of the Palestinian
terrorism that precipitated the military
move. The vote was 74-4, with 54
abstentions, and the only countries
voting "no" were the U.S., Israel, the
Marshall Islands and its speck of a
Pacific neighbor, Micronesia.)
All of which reminds us to show
hakarat ha toy, gratitude and honor, to
those few friends — all too few —
who are willing to step up for Israel in
its time of need. ❑

-

DARVICK from page 27

and Samaria (the "West Bank" and
east Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip as
a result of military conflict with sur-
roundinc, Arab nations. Continued
use of the term "Occupied
Territories" perpetuates the fallacy of
Israel as military aggressor.
"Occupied Territories" masks the
truth — that Israel, act-
ing in self-defense, van-
quished those virulently
opposed to the Jewish
nation's legitimacy.
Refugee is yet anoth-
er term whose use
merits reconsideration.
It evokes sympathy
while obfuscating the
reality of political his-
tory. Might I suggest
the term `refusee"? For
generations, people
valued by Arab nations
only insofar as their use as political
pawns, have been refused sanctuary
by their own. Time and again, they
have refused to grasp the olive
branch offered by Israel. For over 30
years, they have refused to choose a
leader capable of bringing them into
the world stage as a competent and
functioning democratic nation. They
refuse to stop teaching their children
hate and lawlessness.
They refuse, day after day, year
after year, decade after decade, to

recognize Israel's right to exist. They
are not refugees; they are refusees.
The news media tell us that they
live in "refugee camps." I would ask
those of you who speak out and
write letters to consider referring to
these areas of squalor by the more
complete and truthful name —
"U.N.-administered refugee (or

Occupied Territories masks
that Israel,
the truth
acting in self-defense,
vanquished those virulently
opposed to the Jewish
nation's legitmacy.

refusee) camps." They are supported
by U.N. funds (and thus, your tax
dollars). How refreshing it would be
to tie responsibility for the plight of
the refusees to their true instrument
of oppression — the United
Nations, which has done nothing to
resettle them in Arab countries.
We need words that reflect Jewish
reality, words that give us hope, and
ultimately, we need words that sig-
nal to the world our right to live in
peace and unafraid. ❑

Perspectives on Israel: a continuing series

NEGOTIATE WITH WHOM??

shame
on youi, fool me twice,
Fool
shame on me, " th e saying goes.
me
once
Not to be fooled is the challenge that Israel faces when serious

Take Action:

Israel cannot reasonably be expected to agree to the same offer with
the same Palestinian leadership which rejected its proposed far-
reaching concessions in July of 2000.

Palestinian Authority until they cease violence and terror.

negotiations begin anew with the Palestinians.

Arafat has discredited himself across the Israeli political spectrum,
with the United States, much of Europe, and most Arab nations hav-
ing little use for him, except as a symbol.

Political and economic reform of the Palestinian Authority is some-
thing even Arafat has had to pay lip service to. But last week's tepid
response of Palestinian legislators to his remarks speaks volumes
about their attitudes toward Arafat's promises. They've also been
fooled before.

Negotiations and agreements are the only way to a secure peace.
American support and Arab leadership will be necessary. But nego-
tiations without a trustworthy peace partner will go nowhere.

For more information about this topic visit, www.israel.org

Ask Congress to hold Yassir Arafat accountable! Write to your
member of Congress, requesting he/she support the
McConnell/Feinstein bill (in the Senate) or the Ackerman/Gilman
bill (in the House) which would impose sanctions on the

Senator Carl Levin

senator@levin.senate.gov

Senator Debbie Stabenow

senator@stabenow.senate.gov
United States Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3121

Congressman Joe Knollenberg

rep.knollenberg@mail.house.gov

Congressman Sander Levin

slevin@mail.house.gov
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515
(202)224-3121

Jewish
Community
Councilat.Poz=dift

To learn more about how you can become an effective Israel advocate, visit vvww.jewishcommunitycouncil.orq

5/24
2002

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