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We Have a Problem — Israel
A
at all, more often than not, we taught
s exquisitely expressed in the
Torah, Israel has inextricably been them the “fairy tale version.” This has
resulted in a rift between Israel and a
integral to who we are and why
growing number of Jews living outside
we exist. There is a direct and clear con-
of Israel — and this is a threat to our
nection between the land, God and how
people, Jewish unity and the
we should act. This can be found
future of Israel itself. We must
in texts from the Book of Genesis
recapture the pioneering spirit
to the writings of Roman Empire
of Zionism, its importance and
historian Josephus to poets and
its relevance to us, in an honest
rabbis throughout the ages.
and sophisticated way.
During 2,000 years of exile, the
College campuses are rife
Jews prayed toward Jerusalem,
with student organizations
and we yearned for our return to
voting to support the Boycott,
the land. We never gave up hope
Steve Freedman
Divestment, Sanctions (BDS)
that one day the Jewish people
movement against Israel. They
would return to Israel. That
include University of Michigan,
hope kept us together, no matter
Brandeis, Barnard, George
where we lived in the world. It
Washington University and the
was that unabated yearning and
University of Minnesota. Two weeks
love for Israel that allowed Jews to never
ago, at Barnard, Jewish students cast 33
forget the singular importance of the
percent of the vote to divest the school’s
land to our people.
endowment from eight Israeli compa-
When Israel was reborn as a modern
nies. Many other campuses put forth
state in 1948, it was akin to a modern-
votes, but for now, they were defeated.
day miracle. It is where Judaism can be
Simply put, this is misguided.
practiced and expressed freely, and the
Closer to home, on Israel
Jewish people represent the majority
Independence Day, an organization
culture. Israel is where the Jewish people
called IfNotNow protested briefly at our
are safe and protected by a Jewish army.
school before being removed by police
It is the home of our language, our cul-
from our private property. The organiza-
ture, our history and our memories. It is
tion comprises Jews who somehow felt it
a sacred place, and always in our hearts,
was unseemly to celebrate a democratic,
whether we live there or not.
free Jewish State.
So what’s the problem with Israel
I imagine all these same people should
today? How it is looked upon in the dias-
boycott July Fourth celebrations, too,
pora. There is an expectation that Israel
and instead protest on that day and
should be something other than a nor-
divest from any company that does busi-
mal state. Other countries and people of
ness with the United States. After all,
the world seem to hold Israel to a higher
America has several stains on its record
and separate standard. In America, we
associated with brutality, discrimina-
have done a generation of Jews a dis-
service by both not teaching about Israel tion and killings. Clearly, this would be
absurd! Protesters have a right to express
and its importance to the Jewish people,
concerns about injustices, but I am
or if we taught our students about Israel
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deeply concerned by the failure of Jewish
schools, organizations and leaders to
provide our youth with the knowledge
and tools to engage with Israel and to
represent Israel in a way that is support-
ive — and realistic. It is also the respon-
sibility of parents to talk to their children
about Israel as well. Children need to
hear that their parents value, care and
support Israel, even when they have con-
cerns about some of Israel’s policies.
Too many young Jews have no con-
nection or understanding of Israel at
all. They go to college with little or no
Israel education, and they either abstain
from any discussions, or after hearing
the Palestinian narrative against the
idealized version of Israel that they may
have heard about growing up, many end
up sympathizing with the Palestinians
and rejecting, or at least excluding, any
claims that Israel has a right to exist or
live within secure, peaceful borders.
Those supporting BDS and those who
participate in movements like IfNotNow,
rarely, if ever speak of Israel’s right to
exist and defend itself. They rarely, if ever,
acknowledge its history and the many
attempts Israel has made to make peace
with its neighbors, conceding much of
the land in peace agreements. Detractors
rarely, if ever, acknowledge all of Israel’s
achievements and contributions to the
global community, let alone its amazing
economic growth against all odds. Anti-
Israel sentiment never acknowledges
that Israel’s enemies are as committed as
ever to its destruction. Iran will not rest
until Israel is destroyed, and Abbas’ anti-
Semitic rants reveal a leader uninterested
in peace or co-existing with a Jewish State.
Israel, while imperfect, is the only beacon
of democracy in the entire region.
Can Jews be critical and concerned
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about choices Israel has made? Of course!
But Israel has enough enemies. I would
like to suggest that it is imperative for
Jews to become (re)acquainted with Israel
and to strive to develop the unique, stead-
fast and emotional ties to Israel that have
been central to our people, by learning
and understanding that Israel is a primary
source of our stories, values and culture.
Israel is essential to our identity and sur-
vival as a people. History has proven this
time and again.
Once we can agree that the existence,
security and freedom of Israel are para-
mount, and we have made that explicitly
clear to ourselves and to our children,
then we can open our hearts and minds to
the plight of the Palestinians and work to
alleviate their suffering and injustices that
are a result of an intractable conflict —
perhaps future generations will find a way.
It is vital that Jewish schools, other
organizations and the home do a better
job teaching about Israel in a nuanced,
authentic and honest way. I implore
all Jews to celebrate Israel. To those
who would advocate for BDS and other
punitive actions against Israel, please
acknowledge Israel’s legitimacy. Then
maybe all Jews can come together to
advocate for the modern State of Israel,
in all its complexity, while holding Israel
— and the Palestinians — accountable to
treating each other fairly. •
Steve Freedman is head of Hillel Day School in
Farmington Hills.
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May 24 • 2018
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