McCarthyism in Israel is Misread in America

I read my local Jewish newspaper to get a sense of the community in which I will be reentering next year in Philadelphia. I plan to be very engaged in our new local J Street chapter in addition to whatever else I find to be an important step in getting American Jews to become better informed about what happens in Israel.


But this is what they see.

I see that I have a big challenge ahead of me. In this particular article, Leslie Susser--whom I look forward to meeting one day, should I get the opportunity to discuss this article with her--creates a parallel between the New Israel Fund and Im Tirtzu. Excuse me?!

Without too much negative ranting about the latter organization, which Gideon Levy so adequately criticizes in his own op-ed, it's easy to see what kind of group this is from their own description. A "centrist group" that argues that "the Oslo Accords led to the shattering of the dream of the Greater Land of Israel." Is a prolonged occupation of millions of disenfranchised Palestinians one of the examples of the "justice" that they seek to return to Israeli national identity?

And calling out the NIF, specifically their president Naomi Chazan, is outrageous. The NIF provides funding to grass-roots organizations for humanitarian purposes, and they actually don't discriminate! This is rare in Israel, that an organization will support groups that look to better the standards of living for a certain group, even if that group is not satisfied with the ruling regime. Hell, some of these groups are flat out against the State of Israel--as many of them have not had the best time under the rule of the Knesset for the past 60-some years. But the NIF supports groups with values of democracy, including freedom of speech.

Now, that photograph above shows Im Tirtzu protesters "dressed as Arabs"--who obviously all dress like that "terrorist" in the foreground--and displaying horned caricatures of Naomi Chazan, one of the most noble of Jewish footsoldiers for peace. And Leslie Susser has the nerve to ask in the headline if the NIF is "destroying democracy."

If I had clicked on that link, seen the headline, and saw the picture, without having much knowledge about the NIF, I would probably make the following conclusion: the NIF is an Israeli group that supports terror organizations and organizations that wish to subvert the state. The problem is that mainstream American Jews read these articles without a backstory, and it is very difficult to become truly educated about who the involved parties are when Leslie Susser gives an even hand to hawkish McCarthyists and non-profit heroes.

jewish terrorist

For 12 years he's been acting, and alone, and nobody stopped him until now. He even confessed to killing two men and was dismissed because of lack of evidence. It seems that every headline in Ha'aretz. I think that the only "positive" things I can get from this are that in both English and Hebrew they are calling him a terrorist, yes, a terrorist and not just a serial killer or a hate criminal, even though he's Jewish... oh, and that even the spokespeople for the settlement movement condemn his activities:

Acts of the kind allegedly committed by Yaakov Teitel are grave, prohibited and unacceptable. The security forces should be congratulated for discovering him.

So said Danny Dayan, chairman of the Yesha Council. But discovered now? After 12 years? Perhaps these so-called security forces should be investigated for bias. I highlighted some other words in that quote that really tell it all. Allegedly, because his proud confessions and the 12-year-long file of his crimes are still not enough evidence to really say...

This situation is just one of the many disgusting stories that we hear from Tales of the Occupation. I hope my next post can be a little more uplifting. After all, there is one less terrorist standing in the way of peace now that this guy's all found out.

washington, jon stewart hold peace conferences

The same test being applied to Obama is now being applied to the American Jewish community. This past weekend, I was fortunate to be able to attend the first national J Street Conference in Washington, DC. There, I saw an amplification of the activists that I got to meet in Nazareth at the New Israel Fund board meeting back in June. Many of the same people were there, but they brought all of their friends and colleagues with them this time. In addition, there were hundreds of students who feel similarly about the conflict and a need to end it, as it's time. This event marked a turning point in the American Jewish rhetoric, with the masses to back it despite others' fears and criticisms leading up to the event. They should be afraid; no longer can the American Jewish community sit around and watch a minority feed its agenda to Washington, perpetuating the situation in the Middle East. Peace is security; force, occupation, and military might are not.

The atmosphere in the conference was slightly euphoric, optimistic, and--yes, even--realistic. It went like this: these are the facts, this is the situation, this is the way out, take it or leave it. I attended presentations about the settlements and their being an obstacle to the peace process, Palestinian economic empowerment, civil society in Israel and Palestine and how they use social change to bring communities closer to peace and stability, and other panels dealing with relevant activities and issues. There were great speakers, among them being Daniel Sokatch, the new CEO of the New Israel Fund. I had the pleasure of meeting him, and in our short conversation I told him what an incredible position he had and how important his job was, wishing him the best of luck. His reply? "It will be your job in 10 years or so!" Insha'allah. Overall, I felt very positive about the message and the goals of the conference, and one of the most interesting aspects was that while the vast majority of the participants were American Jews, there were quite a few Christians and Muslims from all over the world, including Arab states. It's great to see that these efforts at changing the attitude of Jews in the US and policies in Washington are appreciated by members of the Palestinian community.

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In addition to this, I read an article on a blog that I frequent and I invite you all to read, The Black Iris of Jordan, containing video of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in which he holds his own peace conference with an American Jewish woman, Anna Baltzer, and a Palestinian, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti--both non-violent peace and human rights activists. I encourage you to watch the videos posted in the link, obviously. The only thing that made me a bit uncomfortable was Baltzer's praise of the boycott initiative as a non-violent struggle for Palestine. I feel that a boycott of Israel is a serious threat to Palestine, seeing as how over a million Palestinians are Israeli citizens and many products in the West Bank (not sure about Gaza, but I would imagine the same is true) come from Israel. A boycott of Israel would make the already difficult lives of Palestinians even more difficult. I had a discussion about this exact sentiment with Palestinians and Americans at the J Street Conference the other day, as a matter of fact.

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Yes, the general trend in America these days is to oppose shying away from our discomfort with political decisions that perpetuate instability and injustice in the world. We, as a community and hopefully as a government, are confronting our evil policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. And we are confronting our unfair and blind support for Israel and its cruelties towards Palestine and the Palestinian people. While there are many people working towards such positive progress in Israeli society, I wish I could see a corresponding trend that would bring that society toward a unanimous and genuine peace process. Still, unfortunately, I do not see that kind of thing sweeping Israeli society anytime soon.

Peace שלום سلام,

Abraham

jim jones

I'd like to direct your attention to this speech at the J Street Conference by Jim Jones, unfortunately with a name too similar to this Jim Jones, but more importantly to the comments below it. It's incredible that there are very limited angry comments or sweeping blows at J Street as an organization. Maybe I'm reading the comments too early though because the count is only at 16 so far. Either way, it's good to see some positive responses to the J Street success in Washington this week. Upwards of 1,500 participants to their first national conference, myself being just one of them. Much more to come, photos and stories, once I get a free moment. Until then, enjoy the article.

the doctor but not the king

Recently, Brandeis had the opportunity to host Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish (which I would rather spell as izz ad-din abu el 3ish, but this is how he spells it in English). You may have heard about him, especially about the tragic story of how he lost his three daughters during the war in Gaza earlier this year. His message remains hopeful, which is highly respect-worthy in light of his tragic losses and the difficulties he must have faced in living through that war and being affected by it so personally, as many people in Gaza have.

He spoke of his "roadmap to humanity." He made it very clear that this "map is not territory" and even stuck his neck out to say that he did not see Palestinian statehood as the priority. In crediting the King, he declared, "I have a dream that my four children will live securely and peacefully." Unfortunately, not all of his children lived to see his dream come to fruition, and I felt very strongly for him.

Dr. Abuelaish also presented some very biting criticism of the PA, as I think it deserves, indicating that the Palestinian people are a victim of their government and that he hopes "a time will come that we admit that we are responsible," when referring to Palestinians taking their fate into their own hands and not leave it in the hands of those who have managed to gain power from the current situation and its vulnerabilities.

Why am I bringing this up, is it just to tell you that I saw him? No. It's because something did not sit right with me about the presentation. This man is going on a tour with Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, a progressive Jewish-American organization, visiting dozens of synagogues across the states and I believe Canada (and Brandeis). What concerns me most is that his message is exactly what undecided and mainstream Jews want to hear:

I am from Gaza, and I am a real person to whom you can relate. I am educated, and I am a leader in my community. I believe in peace, but the Palestinian people are not ready for a state.

What is wrong with this statement? Well, I have news for you, but the two-state solution is the easiest way to end the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip at this point, and it may be the only option for Israel if it wishes to survive in its current form. The logistics of it are complex, of course, but if American Jews, prominent in their communities, hear from an educated Palestinian from Gaza whom they assume to be a leader of his community that the state is unimportant, they can cause much harm.

I understand that to most Palestinians their instincts tell them to protect their children, wish for a safe environment in which their children can thrive and have opportunities like children in all free peoples of the world. But they cannot right now, and the occupation is a large contributor to that harsh reality. The two-state solution is the most widely accepted platform to which Americans can subscribe that will end this occupation.

I understand that it is not the ultimate goal of many Palestinians in addition to others who advocate for a one-state solution in which all of the people in Israel and Palestine can participate in a national government that encompasses everyone's historical and cultural connection as a solution to the neverending story of the conflict. However, never before have these two nations been more separated in every realm of life. Children don't know each other but "know" all about each other. Young adults, Jewish and Arab, have recently experienced two wars that pitted Jews and Arabs against each other once again.

Look, the one-state solution is a beautiful thing in a world that does not exist. These people don't know each other and are not about to have a meet-and-greet at the first assembly of the Isratinian Congress. On a microscale, these things happen. On a national scale, no. Israel needs to make peace with any Palestine and remove all of the sources of hatred from Occupied Palestinian daily life.

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Meanwhile, here I am at the J Street Conference. I have met Jews, Christians, and Muslims all dedicated to understanding and engaging this issue in an honest and open way. Much more to come after the conference. Stay tuned, and do me a favor, send this blog to 3 or 4 friends you think may be interested in what I'm writing here. While I cannot thank my followers enough for being so faithful and dedicated to reading these posts, I feel that I can reach more people and open up broader dialog. All feedback is always welcome!

beer fest

A friend of mine sent me this video, which I am overjoyed to watch. I had heard that Taybeh was having an Oktoberfest, but the extent of participation and the success is a beautiful thing to watch.



On my birthday, my friend Morgan and I went to Ramallah to check it out, see how the most vibrant city in Palestine rolls. We got bouzeh from Rukab's, delicious. We saw Arafat's tomb.

From Take a stroll around the region..

And we tasted Taybeh.

Now I'm not sure how many of my readers are familiar with beers from the Middle East, but while living in Israel I frequently encountered two labels: Goldstar and Maccabi. Don't drink the Maccabi. Goldstar is tolerable, best bet for your buck. But after I had tried Taybeh and its golden goodness, I could not bring myself to drink Goldstar again.

If you have not figured it out by now, I am not big on promoting conflict. In fact, I'm opposed to bringing the conflict into other competitions, as it spreads the conflict into realms of life that should remain unaffected, thus giving people a chance to maintain some sort of ability to understand one another in these other realms. If Montague and Capulet had football teams, for example...

What I'm getting at is, however, that Palestine won. Their beer is way better. And Israel should learn from this. A majority Muslim country makes better beer than a majority Jewish country. True, Taybeh is made in a Christian village, but I can assure you that many of the company's clients are Muslims, if not a vast majority of them. In Israel, there are many stereotypes of what a Palestinian State would be, and one of the most powerful beer exporters of the region is certainly not a part of that stereotype. Insha'allah this will become a reality, along with night club exchanges between Israel and Lebanon. Insha'allah.

obama momentum

As I eat my delicious albeit slightly inaccurate attempt at mansaf, I am wondering how to react to the news of the latest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, President Barack Hussein Obama. My first reaction created the following scenario in my mind.

A group of very pale men with bright blue eyes and bright white hair sit 6 feet tall in an old room in a castle, two of them pacing back and forth on the side.

"You mean nobody here has thought of anybody to pick for the Peace Prize this year?" one blurts out in perfect yet frustrated English.

"Nei..." the rest mumble, embarrassed.

"Sorry..." starts one man, obviously apologizing before he speaks, "but we could always pick Obama... I mean... at least everybody knows him."

The least obvious choice for the award, yet arguably the most inspiring dancer being in the world. Winning the Nobel Peace Prize is certainly I could foresee for Obama--in perhaps 10 years if all goes to plan. Nine months into his presidency, I have seen him make many bold declarations: rid the planet of nuclear weapons, engage in diplomacy with those coldest to the West, solve regional conflicts that have been uncracked codes since the First World War when this age of nationhood swept the planet, and the list goes on. And what have we now? Well, not much has changed since our former Accident left office. The US and Russia can still blow the world up 93,274 times over each, Iran and North Korea seem to be following their plans to be independent of foreign influence in making all kinds of decisions related to nuclear programs and not, and Israeli and Palestinian leaderships are nowhere near close to being ripe for making final status agreements--one doesn't believe in the steps he has to take and the other has remained in office past his term's expiration despite the fact that he has done almost nothing for his people but continue to help divide them.

Obama, I respect you, I feel that you have some major work ahead of you, and I feel that your rhetoric reflects true passion and sincerity towards fixing this broken world. People everywhere look up to you; you inspire billions of the world's inhabitants. But the world is no more peaceful than it was before you came into office, nor has your policy had time to settle in long enough for us to even know whether it will help or harm.

Some argue that you should take advantage of this opportunity, that it will "strengthen [your] capability to contribute to regional peace in the Middle East," as Minister of Defense Ehud Barak of Israel commented. How, Ehud? How does this award strengthen him in any other way? Was his authority as President of the United States of America, the largest and most powerful superpower in the world, not enough? Does it somehow give him the ability to restore unity among the Palestinians, securing the trust of their own people in their leadership? Does it magically deradicalize the religious and ultranationalists in Israel, convincing them that the Settlement Enterprise is immoral, illegal, and harmful to real people that identify as Palestinian? Does it in any way remove nuclear weapons from the Middle East or the world at large just by rewarding him for saying that such a utopia should exist one day? If only it were that easy.

Then there's this weird conspiracy theory that is floating around in my head. Maybe, just maybe, all the world is in on it. What if secretly somewhere anyone with faith in humanity all got this great idea that if a young, inspiring leader comes along with all of the right qualities that allow him or her to touch the heart of people regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, sex, religion, shoe size... you get it, what if he or she came along and we all gave him all the praise and support that we could possibly muster up. Day after day, we told him [because it is a him in this case] that he was saying the right things, doing the right things, deciding in the best way for humanity, and so on. We gave him every award, every chance to speak, and all spoke so highly about him where it mattered most. We give him and the world this false sense of hope that all of the right things are happening until...

Voila.

All of the things that we used to believe are no longer relevant, now that we've all convinced ourselves that Barak Obama has already done everything in his capacity to help us all cooperate and cohabit this beautiful earth. Wars between nations will be a thing of the past, we are now fighting global warming, and together! Every one of us 7 billion dancer beings are committed to living energy-efficient lives, live and let live, man. Abusers of power see the great success of Obama's honesty and determination and vow to dedicate all of their efforts for improving the lives and freedom of all of the citizens of their nations. It ends with representatives from every nation sitting in a circle at the UN in Geneva singing Kumbaya in each person's respective language in the most beautiful harmony ever witnessed on the planet.

If these constant encouragements, such as Nobel Peace Prize, are intended to replace insecurities with a false sense of security that becomes actual in the way that I have described above, then I welcome it. If such a massive conspiracy is not in the works, my skepticism and anxiety for heightened expectations remain.