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NELSON LEGACY
PRESENTS
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COHN HADDOW CENTER FOR JUDAIC STUDIES
Dr. Rachel
Havrelock
SCHOLAR, AUTHOR, AND TEACHER
With an uncanny understanding of complex problems
10
KEYNOTE PROGRAM
LUNCH AND LEARN
Wednesday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Congregation Beth Shalom - Oak Park
Thursday, June 8, 12:30 p.m.
Congregation Beth Shalom - Oak Park
Mixing Oil and Water in the Middle East
Program and Dessert Reception:
$15 in advance, $20 at door
From Moses to Modern Israel 2017
Bloom's Kosher Catering. $22 for Lunch and
Program. Reservation Required by June 1.
May 18 • 2017
jn
dat Shalom
community gave in to the heck-
Synagogue’s decision
ler’s veto, Ameinu, both in Detroit
to cancel the May 18
and around the country, believes
concert by Israeli singer Noa
the effort to marginalize activists
(Achinoam Nini) (“Safety
for peace, democracy and recon-
Squeeze,” May 11, page 10)
ciliation, like Noa, is a symptom
does a grave disservice to
of a dangerous narrowing of
the Detroit Jewish com-
“acceptable” viewpoints within
munity by allowing fear of
the Jewish community.
Mark Phillips
violence and disruption to
Noa, like so many of us here in
ban a world-renowned artist
the United States and in Israel, is
while misrepresenting main-
committed to a two-state solu-
stream Israeli and American
tion where an independent and
Jewish views on the Israeli-
viable Palestinian state is created
Palestinian conflict.
next to Israel. She is alarmed at
As progressive Zionists
anti-democratic trends in Israeli
active here in Detroit and
society and in recent legislation,
around the country, we of
and the corrosive effect of 50
Ameinu (“Our People”),
years of unjust occupation of the
have noted with distress
Palestinians. She also is a fierce
Gideon Aronoff
the troubling trend to limit
opponent of the BDS movement,
freedom of speech due to
reiterated most recently in her
actual or perceived threats of
blog post responding to the can-
disruption — the “heckler’s
celation in Detroit, and efforts to
veto.” Canceling Noa at Adat Shalom in
delegitimize Israel — her homeland and
Farmington Hills is just the latest case
the nation that she loves.
— one that has occurred in other North
Zionists and activists for Israel are
American cities as well.
diverse, and many will disagree with the
We are ashamed that our Jewish
values and ideas of Zionists like Noa
community has endorsed a tactic so
and Ameinu. That is to be expected
often used by the Boycott, Divestment
from a pluralistic community. But to
and Sanctions (BDS) movement to
shun views from liberals and progres-
silence Israeli speakers. At the national
sives, to struggle to bar them from com-
level, protestors shouted down
munal tables and to demonize them as
Professor Moshe Halbertal of New York
anti-Israel and anti-Semitic is tragically
University and Hebrew University at
counterproductive.
a lecture in 2015 at the University of
This effort to enforce a rigid “pro-
Minnesota. They accused him of being
Israel” orthodoxy stymies debate and
a “war crimes apologist” for writing the
discussion on existential security and
Israeli army’s code of ethics. In 2016,
identity issues facing Israel as a Jewish
LGBT activists disrupted and forced
and democratic state. With so much
cancelation of a reception with the
at stake, Israel needs as large a pool of
Jerusalem Open House for Pride and
thoughtful and engaged advocates as
Tolerance by claiming the Israeli speak- possible, not an ever-diminishing num-
ers were “pink-washing” the persecu-
ber of rubber-stamps for the current
tion of Palestinians in a presentation on right-wing Israeli government.
LGBT issues in Israel.
Ultimately, the decision to bar Noa
Noa herself has been the victim of
from Detroit sends a message to pro-
BDS campaigns to boycott her perfor-
gressive Jews throughout our com-
mances simply because she is a Zionist
munity — including large majorities
and an Israeli. For example, in 2013,
of younger Jews who are committed
Spanish BDS activists protested a con-
to social justice and human rights at
cert by Noa arguing that her “sympa-
home and abroad — that they, too, are
thies to military Zionism are notorious.” not welcome. For Zionists of all ideo-
Whether Noa’s critics gave Adat
logical stripes, this limitation on debate
Shalom legitimate reason to expect
about Israel should be seen as a threat
violence or the synagogue overreacted
to the Jewish state and a stance that
to online and in-person criticism, nei-
cannot continue if Israel is to thrive
ther justifies canceling the concert. Noa in today’s challenging environment.
has performed for audiences around
Ensuring that Noa can bring not only
the world, including for three popes,
her art, but her ideas, no matter how
but has been banned now from Metro
proactive or controversial they are to
Detroit because of fear. While it is
some, is a crucial step toward building
too late to reinstate this concert, Noa
a truly strong Zionist movement. We
should be welcomed back to Detroit at
challenge the Jewish community to join
the earliest opportunity to demonstrate us in this struggle. •
our community’s commitment to free-
Mark Phillips of Oak Park is treasurer of Ameinu
dom of speech and to celebrating the
Detroit, and Gideon Aronoff of New York City is the
highest forms of Israeli artistic expres-
CEO of Ameinu National.
sion.
Beyond the disturbing reality that our