Opinion

A MIX OF IDEAS

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Greenberg's View

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Editorial

Loyalty But An Oath?

I

srael's pending loyalty oath sounds
nice, but rings hollow. Requiring Jews
and non-Jews who want to become
citizens to pledge allegiance to a "Jewish
and democratic state" does little to assure
that Israel remains a Jewish state or even
democratic.
We don't see this so-called improvement
to Israel's citizenship law contributing
anything to national strength or security.
The way Israelis — Jewish, Arab, Druze
— act as citizens will determine the
nature of the state, not loyalty or this oath.
The citizenship law, adopted in 1952,
asks naturalized citizens who did not
immigrate to Israel under the Law of
Return to declare their loyalty as a
"national of the State of Israel." Anyone
who chooses to live in the ancestral
homeland of the Jewish people should
pledge allegiance to the State of Israel
(much like Americans pledge alle-
giance to the United States of America).
Ingrained in that pledge, of course, would
be allegiance to the Jewishness of the
nation even though it counts Christians,
Muslims, Beduoins and others among its
residents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
makes a strong case for the oath in argu-
ing that Israel is the only real democracy
in the Middle East and the only Jewish
state in the world. But he loses us in his
pronouncement that Zionism's future
somehow hinges on a simple, toothless
pledge that might serve only to stifle
robust national discourse of ideas based
on their merit. Tribal loyalty is not above
criticism.
We're most concerned about how the
vigor of Zionism itself, and the meaning
of citizenship, might be overshadowed by
a mandated loyalty oath.
By Netanyahu's own account, Zionism
has brought a democratic state that "bal-
ances between the national needs of our
people and the individual rights of every
citizen in the country?'
The loyalty oath isn't yet law. Israel's
Cabinet approval came in October. The
bill moves to the Knesset's legislative
committee before going before the full
Knesset. Opponents aren't just on the left
(like Ehud Barak's Labor party); they
span the political spectrum, including
elements of Netanyahu's own Likud party.

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Labor warns such a citizenship law could
be a step towards fascism; that seems far-
fetched, but it does jump-start a debate
over whether Israel is trying to legislate
loyalty.
The pledge has been a long time
coming for Yisrael Beitenu, Avidgor
Lieberman's party that joined Likud and
thus helped propel Netanyahu back to
Israel's top leadership position in 2009.
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon of
Yisrael Beitenu says Israel faces the great-
est delegitimization threat of any nation;
and he's right. Yes, Israel's national char-
acter is a main target; a campaign with

sophistication and bite is a better defense
than one fueled by an ideological pledge.
Is the loyalty oath a gateway to autoc-
racy or authoritarianism? Would public
criticism be considered disloyalty to the
state? Would the participatory democratic
values championed by Israel's Declaration
of Independence be at risk?
Assurance of these core values is inher-
ent in the fabric of the state and enforced
by the collective spirit of Israelis who, in
questioning the government, reinforce the
foundation of Israel's sturdy democracy.
Ultimately, adherence to Israeli law is
what matters, not swearing to an oath.

❑

Preach Tolerance Toward LGBT Community

T

he movie It's Kind of a Funny
Story deals with teenage depres-
sion and suicide in a very real
way, which is powerfully relevant today
with the recent wave of teen suicides in
the gay community.
Each of the four teen characters in the
movie suffers from depression in one
way or another. And while none of them
is homosexual, watching the movie I was
forced to consider the responsibility that I,
as a rabbi, have in preaching tolerance and
compassion toward the LGBT community
to eradicate this epidemic.
The high rate of suicide among gay and
lesbian teens has been brought to light in
the darkest way possible. Communities
have been devastated by the news of gay
teens being bullied to the point of taking
their own lives.
The reaction to these tragedies has
been mixed. I'm sure that Clint McCance,
an Arkansas school board leader, never
expected the reaction he received after
posting anti-gay rants on Facebook. That a
leader in a school system could make such
hurtful and shameful comments about his
fellow human beings is outrageous.
It is up to religious leaders to shift the
national conversation on LGBT issues to

one that prioritizes human
Cincinnati.
dignity and compassion.
Soon after they arrived, the
On Oct. 19, as Facebook
rabbi of a local Orthodox con-
users across the nation added
gregation called apologetically to
a purple tint to their profile
inform him that he and his part-
pictures to publicize the need
ner were not welcome to attend
for compassion toward the gay
the synagogue, based on a ruling
community and in memory
from another rabbi. Greenberg
of the gay teens that killed
contacted the rabbi who issued
themselves, another tragedy
the ruling and shared with him
Rabbi Jason
was taking place. At Oakland
that "people who are gay and
A. Miller
University in Rochester, yet
lesbian who want to remain true
Community
another gay teen ended his
to the Torah are in a great deal
View
life after being bullied relent-
of pain. Many have just left the
lessly since coming out a few
community. Some young gay
months ago. Less than a week earlier on
people become so desperate they attempt
Oakland's campus, a lunchtime program
suicide'
sponsored by the Gender and Sexuality
Greenberg was speechless when he
Center screened the film Bullied, a teach-
heard the rabbi reply, "Maybe it's a mitz-
ing tolerance documentary. The banner
vah for them to do so?' When he asked
advertising the event still hung in the hall- for clarification, he was told that what
way of the student union in the days fol-
he heard was precisely what the rabbi
lowing Corey Jackson's death, as if to say,
intended to say.
"Something more must be done!"
In other words, since homosexuals are
Rabbi Steven Greenberg, a gay Orthodox guilty of capital crimes according to the
rabbi, recently wrote a powerful opin-
Torah, perhaps it might be a good idea for
ion piece in the New York Jewish Week
them to do the job themselves.
titled "The Cost of Standing Idly By:'
Rather than let this uncompassionate
He relates what happened when he and
individual silence him or force him to find
his partner relocated from New York to
a more inclusive community, Greenberg

came up with a list of three steps his col-
leagues in the Orthodox rabbinate, and
leaders in Orthodox institutions, should
take:
• He encourages them to sign the
Statement of Principles, which says,
"Embarrassing, harassing or demeaning
someone with a homosexual orientation
or same-sex attraction is a violation of
Torah prohibitions that embody the deep-
est values of Judaism?'
• Second, he calls on Orthodox institu-
tions to sign a letter, initiated by the LGBT
advocacy group Keshet, condemning bul-
lying and homophobia in the Jewish com-
munity.
• Third, he states that Orthodox institu-
tions must immediately cut off any sup-
port or endorsement of so-called "repara-
tive therapy"
I would take Greenberg's call to action
a step further and call upon all religious
leaders, regardless of faith, to advocate
for tolerance and compassion toward the
LGBT community.
We all stand firm in trying to eradicate
the other stressors leading to teenage
depression and suicide. The bullying of gay
teens is no different. This epidemic is only
made worse by the inflammatory com-

Tolerance on page 38

November 11 • 2010

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