What’s a Diaspora Jew to do about Israel?
Mick Davis, the chairman of Britain's largest Israel-oriented Jewish charity, the UJIA, has an Op-Ed in the London Jewish Chronicle argues that Diaspora Jews have a right to try to influence Israeli policy, since they suffer some of the consequences of them. He writes:
Just as Israel feels besieged, so does every Jew in the diaspora. But whereas an Israeli can at least influence events through the ballot box, we are a simple recipient of their impact...
Jews in the diaspora must recognise that we have a legitimate role as a partner with Israel in developing that strategic design. I do not accept the notion that today's diaspora, buffeted by the same winds which assail Israel, should not participate.Israel came about because of a collaboration between Jews in the diaspora and Jews in the Yishuv, who jointly saw the modern state as a just and worthy project of all of the Jewish people. That project is not yet complete and will not be until we have peace.
Until then, our role in defending Israel in our home countries assumes a greater significance. We must not shirk from that responsibility.
If we are to build resilience amongst our young people and a sense of pride in their relationship with Israel, then we must equip them to deal with the complexities and challenges which they perceive in an honest and open way.
That means acknowledging and confronting the schisms which exist in Israeli society (as in all societies); accepting that there is a range of views on Israel's foreign policy and stimulating rather than stifling debate; allowing for dilemma alongside certainty; and telling our own story as we learn to hear the stories of others.
Full column here.
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Mick Davis, you sure have khutzpah, if you still know what that means. You want to stay in Britain, a notoriously unfriendly place for Jews, and you want Israel to do what it can to make your life comfortable among the native anti-Semites and the arrivals , Jew-haters. As it is, life for Jews in the Diasporah has been made much more pleasant since the re-birth of Israel; however, the Bris decided it was too good for the Jews, and they opened their doors to Jew-hating reinforcements.
Israel has to secure its own, and you may join them and have an opportunity to affect policies and decisions.
Until then, shame on you.
I live in the Diaspora, mainly by choice, although I would not rule out making aliyah someday.
I would like to register a more civil comment with respect to Mr. Davis’ article. I also disagree with Mr. Davis, as, although we in the Diaspora have an interest in what goes on in Israel, we do not have to live with the consequences of the implementation of policies that may not be in Israel’s best interest.
We all want peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but under the current Palestinian regime that is not likely for awhile. Therefore, Prime Minister Netanyahu is right to hang tough against the rest of the world (sadly, including the United States). I hope he continues to hang tough, and if necessary, take the heat for refusing to make concessions that have not worked up to now but could endanger Israeli security. Instead of joining the condemnation chorus and deliberately or inadvertently giving aid and comfort to anti-Semites, we should reserve the right to express our opinion regarding Israeli government policy but not to the extent that such opinions will be used against Israel and Jews everywhere.
I think some of the rhetoric with the commenters should also be cooled down. Israeli Jews and Diaspora Jews need each other, and whether or not it is “comfortable” in the Diaspora, we should respect our current positions regarding residence and present a united front to the world.
I tend to agree with Mr Davis. Actually, I would go further and say that given the disastrous nature of Israel domestic and foreign policy over the last 40-odd years, perhaps it’s time for the Diaspora to start weighing in on Israeli affairs to a much greater degree, instead of politely stepping back in favour of the Israeli voter. Right now, Israel is making a mess of the Jewish State, so perhaps a little objective advice from a credible source wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen.
This was, after all, supposed to be the state of all the Jews, a collaborative effort between Israel and the Diaspora.
As for Israel having made Jewish life in the Diaspora “more pleasant”, that is a fiction. In places like SA, relations between Jew and Muslim have been irretrievably soured by the conflict. Israeli hard and soft power may have made our lives safer from the threat of genocide, but “pleasant” doesn’t come into it.
Ignore shushan,
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Brian Epps
06/21/10 04:05 PM
Mr Davis, nobody is sending rockets at random into the UK. If you want a say in Israeli policy, get thy flatulent fanny to Israel and live under the threat for a while.