Responding to Beinart II http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/responding-to-beinart-ii/ The Forward’s Jane Eisner, The New York Jewish Week, the Orthodox Union and James Kirchik weigh in on Peter Beinart’s essay on Israel, Jewish groups and American Jewish attitudes toward Israel. en-us aeden@jta.org Copyright 2010 2010-05-25T;18:44:01-05:00 Comment by Jerome Whitson drrmmann@yahoo.com I agree with Alan.  I fail to see how Beinart and his ilk are doing anything productive.  So much of American Jewish Liberalism is focused on non-Jewish issues.  And I’m a liberal and tend to agree with them, except that to say the “right” thing to do is the “Jewish” thing to do is meaningless and totally subjective.  More importantly, it leads to judging Israel for reasons not core to the reason for its existence, and its role in the Jewish community.  It also allows if not encourages arrogance, such as calling supporters of Israel the ‘Israel can do no wrong” faction. I’m not surprised that younger Jews dont feel close to Israel, considering 20 years of demonisation, belittlement and double standard criticism from Beinart and co. I agree with Alan.  I fail to see how Beinart and his ilk are doing anything productive.  So much of American Jewish Liberalism is focused on non-Jewish issues.  And I’m a liberal and tend to agree with them, except that to say the “right” thing to do is the “Jewish” thing to do is meaningless and totally subjective.  More importantly, it leads to judging Israel for reasons not core to the reason for its existence, and its role in the Jewish community.  It also allows if not encourages arrogance, such as calling supporters of Israel the ‘Israel can do no wrong” faction.

I’m not surprised that younger Jews dont feel close to Israel, considering 20 years of demonisation, belittlement and double standard criticism from Beinart and co.

]]> 2012-05-23T;03:01:00-05:00 Comment by Alan avrumeleh@aol.com I expect more at this particular moment, than focusing on Israel’s and the “ American Jewish Establishment’s” failures and shortcomings.  They’ve made mistakes? Who hasn’t.  Is any country and its “diaspora” community perfect? Are Israel and the American Jews so imperfect that at this particular moment we must wring all our hands instead of rolling up our sleeves and doing the best we can to support the single Jewish State and refuge for any and all Jews?  We seem to be so removed from the reality of profound...even existential… threats toward Israel and, to be sure, Jews elsewhere, that it seems that some have nothing intellectually better to do than to pose, potentially important, but not-critical-at-the-moment issues that serve only to take attention away from the ponderous problems that face Israel at this very moment in time. These problems can’t wait.  We have to remember that there has been a relentles, unrestrained effort to destroy Israel since the day she was born and it hasn’t ended. It only intensifies.  Just last week Mahmoud Abbas’s organization called for Israeli Jews to return to their homeland...Europe. This isn’t Hamas, this is the one that Mr. Obama sees so much hope in and Israel is supposed to be making concessions to as greater and greater pressures are put on her by America, Western Europe and others.  Ladies and Gentlemen...get real. If Israel and the American Jewish Establishment made mistakes, there’ll be time to focus on that. But now? I expect more at this particular moment, than focusing on Israel’s and the “ American Jewish Establishment’s” failures and shortcomings.  They’ve made mistakes? Who hasn’t.  Is any country and its “diaspora” community perfect? Are Israel and the American Jews so imperfect that at this particular moment we must wring all our hands instead of rolling up our sleeves and doing the best we can to support the single Jewish State and refuge for any and all Jews?  We seem to be so removed from the reality of profound...even existential… threats toward Israel and, to be sure, Jews elsewhere, that it seems that some have nothing intellectually better to do than to pose, potentially important, but not-critical-at-the-moment issues that serve only to take attention away from the ponderous problems that face Israel at this very moment in time. These problems can’t wait.  We have to remember that there has been a relentles, unrestrained effort to destroy Israel since the day she was born and it hasn’t ended. It only intensifies.  Just last week Mahmoud Abbas’s organization called for Israeli Jews to return to their homeland...Europe. This isn’t Hamas, this is the one that Mr. Obama sees so much hope in and Israel is supposed to be making concessions to as greater and greater pressures are put on her by America, Western Europe and others.  Ladies and Gentlemen...get real. If Israel and the American Jewish Establishment made mistakes, there’ll be time to focus on that. But now?

]]> 2012-05-23T;03:01:00-05:00 Comment by Vlad Observer yancher@sbcglobal.net There is serious opposition to US support of Israel and regrettably among some Jewish intellectuals. I believe that Jews debasing Israel (don’t confuse it with legitimate criticism) sometimes more dangerous than open adversaries. There are reasons, ideological and psychological, behind their anti-Israel position. The psychological factor of subliminal self-righteousnesses in defending “oppressed” plays also very important role. There is serious opposition to US support of Israel and regrettably among some Jewish intellectuals. I believe that Jews debasing Israel (don’t confuse it with legitimate criticism) sometimes more dangerous than open adversaries. There are reasons, ideological and psychological, behind their anti-Israel position. The psychological factor of subliminal self-righteousnesses in defending “oppressed” plays also very important role.

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