OTHER VIEWS
Israel's Coming Civil War
Tel Aviv
srael today consists of two coun-
tries. One resides within the pre-
1967 boundaries, while the other
lives in the occupied territories.
At first glance, it would seem that the
two have much in common and should
be united. Both populations share a
common history, language and religion,
and both see themselves as part of the
Jewish people. But this is where the sim-
ilarities end.
The majority of Jews living in pre-
1967 Israel support territorial compro-
mise, the dismantling of settlements and
the creation of a Palestinian state. A
fanatic, hardcore group of settlers living
in the West Bank and Gaza oppose any
territorial compromise, the dismantling
Robert Rockaway is an associate
professor in the Department ofJewish
History at Tel Aviv University. He can
be e-mailed at
rockawayrobert@hotmail.com
I
of settlements and the establish-
ferent civilizations. Americans
ment of a Palestinian state.
in the North lived in an indus-
These differences have
trial society based on free labor.
become so polarizing and irrec-
Americans in the South lived in
oncilable that they are pushing
an agricultural economy based
the nation to the brink of civil
on slavery.
war. The situation in which
White southerners wanted
Israel finds itself offers some
their "peculiar institution" to
ROBERT
striking parallels with the situa-
continue indefinitely and
RO
CKAWAY desired to expand it to the west-
tion that existed in the United
Special
States before its Civil War.
ern sections of the country.
Commentary
America of the 1850s consist-
They saw every northern activi-
ed of two different societies,
ty to ameliorate the system as
those Americans who lived north of the
posing a danger to their way of life. And
Mason-Dixon line and those who lived
they constantly threatened to withdraw
south of it. Here, too, it appeared that
from the union if the northerners per-
much united both sections. Both popu-
sisted in their efforts to alter the status
lations spoke English, practiced some
quo. For their part, northerners opposed
form of Protestant Christianity, had
the south's desire to perpetuate and
identical legal and legislative systems,
extend slavery, seeing it as a menace to
and many families had relatives living in
their freedom and way of life.
each section.
The country had been founded on a
Despite the similarities, the difference
broad general consensus. While political
that divided them had created two dif-
partisanship and debate may have been
Confronting The Presbyterian Votes
A
s anti-Semitism surges among
European cognoscenti, as
Islamic governments and mul-
lahs weave conspiracy theories depict-
ing Israel and Jews as the roots of all
evil, we have taken comfort in our
belief that here, in America, there is
mutual respect and a commonality of
interests shared by Jews and other
mainstream political, ethnic and reli-
gious groups.
But recent events suggest that we
may have a false sense of security, and
that we must vigilantly ensure that
even communities with which we
have forged friendly alliances and dia-
logues do not betray our faith in
them.
I am referring, specifically, to deeply
disturbing actions recently taken by
the Presbyterian Church, actions that
have sparked a crisis in our relation-
ship with this important denomina-
tion and include votes by majorities of
its General Assembly to: (1) "selective-
ly divest" its financial holdings from
Israel; and (2) continue funding a
"messianic congregation" in
Philadelphia whose mission, fairly
interpreted, is to bamboozle Jews into
abandoning their faith.
In response, we must galvanize,
Andrew Doctoroff is president of the
Bloomfield Township-based
Metropolitan Detroit Chapter of the
American Jewish Committee.
10/15
2004
56
sparking awareness among
Presbyterians and other groups that
these decisions, not only rend the fab-
ric of tolerance and amity that now
bond Christian and Jew, but are
based, at best, on false and naive
assumptions and, at worst, on a cal-
lous and dangerous disregard for
Jewish sensibilities and the safety of
the Israeli citizenry.
Strong words? Perhaps. But war-
ranted. In calling for divestment of
church funds from companies doing
business in Israel, Presbyterians threat-
en Israel's security by weakening
Israel's economy and, in turn, its abili-
ty to defend against terror. They dam-
age the prospects for peace by culti-
vating a feeling of alienation that
-
could result in a decision by Israel to
shun an international effort to help
resolve the Palestinian conflict.
Bad Comparison
Practicalities aside, the divestment
vote is noxious because it implicitly
places Israel on the same low moral
plane as South Africa, when that
country's wicked system of apartheid
properly subjected it to divestment.
How is doing so anything other than
perverse? How dare the Presbyterian
Church suggest that Israel, a vibrant
democracy that affords a panoply of
civil rights to its Arab citizens, and
South African apartheid are somehow
heated and fierce, this consensus had
kept the nation from fragmenting. The
slavery issue caused the national consen-
sus to break down. By the 1850s,
extremism replaced reason, and the fear,
mistrust and animosity that each side
felt for the other led to a breakdown in
communication that escalated into vio-
lence. The two sides eventually reached
the point where talk proved futile and
war was seen as the only way to solve the
problem, once and for all.
Throughout the period, the country
was led by a blundering generation of
inept politicians who were unable to
solve the slavery problem peaceably. The
failure of leadership resulted in a bloody
four-year Civil War.
Time Is Ripe for Civil War
Israel, too, was founded upon a broad
general consensus amongst its people.
Political debate may have been vicious
equivalents?
Palestinian leader Yasser
The church's Web site
Arafat isolated on account of
makes clear that its divest-
ongoing promotion of terror-
ment decision was borne out
ism, there is no viable govern-
of an objection to the separa-
mental entity with which
tion barrier that Israel is
Israel could make peace, even
erecting in or near the West
if the Palestinian "street" were
Bank. Specifically, the
to want peace.
Presbytery would deny Israel
AN DREW S.
We must convey to the
the right to erect any barrier,
DO CTOROFF church that these evident
irrespective of its location, on
truths, which are not subject
Co mmuni ty
the ground that it interferes
to dispute, legitimately con-
Per spective
with "good neighborly rela-
jure the ghosts of anti-
tions," adversely impacts "the
Semitism. Because we won-
structure on the economic, social and
der: How can people without animus
religious life of Palestinians" and ham-
so condemn the Jewish state when
pers efforts to find "ways to build
fundamental security concerns man-
bridges of peace."
date the existence of a barrier? Yes,
Lost among these pieties, of course,
there is room for legitimate debate as
is the fact that the barrier is designed
to the location of the barrier, but any
to prevent, and successfully prevents,
concerns on this front are mitigated
Palestinians from killing large num-
by the recent decision of Israel's
bers of Jews. Certainly, the
Supreme Court granting individual
Presbyterian Church, populated with
Palestinians standing to challenge the
people of good will, does not truly
placement of the barrier in specific
believe that the imperative of saving
locations, as well as Israel's demon-
Israeli lives may be trumped by con-
strated willingness to move the barrier
cerns, however legitimate, that the
when appropriate.
barrier makes daily life for some
Palestinians inconvenient.
More Outrage
And, in condemning Israel for
erecting the barrier rather than mak-
Concerns about anti-Semitism are also
ing peace with the Palestinians, the
fueled by the reality that the church's
church also indulges in a fantasy
call for divestment singles out Israel
unanchored to political reality. The
and sets a jaw-dropping double stan-
reality is that, in 2000 at Camp David
dard. It targets for economic and
and in 2001 at Taba, Israel labored
political sanctions only Israel, and not
mightily to make peace, but its efforts
the Palestinians who glorify the sui-
were rewarded with the second
cide bomber while spurning peace and
Palestinian intifada. And now, with
not Iran, North Korea, China or