Unapologetic Zionism; Thursday night, April 19 speaker and member meeting

reprinted from the New Mexico Jewish Link, Fall, 2017

“Unapologetic Zionism”

Halley S. Faust

Several years ago I had coffee with one of the most virulent anti-Zionist Jews in Santa Fe. He had been to my house for shabbat dinner once or twice, and wanted “to have a conversation.”

At coffee he posed “questions” that proved his underlying misunderstanding of Israel’s history, government, politics, and peace pursuits. His questions also demonstrated typical American chauvinism about how a country should run and what makes it secure: “Why isn’t Israel a real democracy like the US with geographic representation?” “Why is Israel so worried about land for security – they have more arms than their antagonists – territory isn’t needed for peace?”

When it came down to it, his real assertion was, in essence, that Jews are safe in the US and Europe, and even in Arab countries before Israel, so why do we need Israel at all?

Recent events prove the need. Jews continue to be vilified all over the world, even in Europe and the US:

• Barcelona’s chief rabbi just urged Jews to move to Israel because “Europe is lost” to right wing politicians and radical Islamists.
• The Charlottesville marchers were obsessed with Jews, chanting “Jews will not replace us” and threatening synagogue Congregation Beth Israel.
• The radical left in the US equates Judaism broadly with Israel, and Israel with oppression, thus banning Jewish symbols (even if non-Israeli) at their rallies and marches. Ironically they embrace Linda Sarsour, who spouts hate about Jews and Israel, embraces a convicted terrorist murderer, defames women who don’t share her views, and upholds Saudi Arabia as a bastion of women’s lib.

We have a few people in Santa Fe and at UNM who share these anti-Semitic views couched in anti-Zionism. They tend to be loud, adamant, and misleading in their objections to Zionism. They spout Palestinian propaganda of false facts and narrative. They start the history of the Arab conflict with Israel in 1967, ignoring what went before. They conveniently leave out facts about steps Israel has taken for peace. They belittle Israel’s need for secure and safe boundaries, bemoan the security barrier and the handful of inconvenienced Palestinian farmers, while ignoring, dismissing, or justifying the thousands of Jewish and Arab Israelis whose lives have been lost or disrupted because of the waves of terrorist bombings, stabbings, shootings, and car rammings. They hypocritically demand an impossible moral standard of Israel while ignoring worse activities of Israel’s neighbors.

What surprises me is that many self-proclaimed pro-Israel Jews actually hold some similar views and are “contingent” or “apologetic” Zionists. They don’t use the term “Zionist” for fear they’ll lose their progressive self-identity. They believe Israel should exist, but “I can’t support Israel (right now) because…”

• I don’t like Netanyahu (or the current government).
• I don’t believe in theocracies. Or, the Orthodox run the country.
• I don’t believe in a Jewish Israel, it should be non-religious.
• They don’t treat Israeli Arabs equally.
• They opposed the Iran Deal.
• Other…(specify).

There are reasonable, factual rejoinders to each of these (and other) objections. One example: Israel is not a theocracy (Iran is, for example). The Orthodox don’t run the country, but they are almost 50% of the Israeli population and a part of the democratically-elected ruling coalition, and therefore do have a larger say than non-Orthodox Jewish institutions. 40% of Israel is secular, and only 5% are Reform or Conservative – Jewish movements with little political clout.

No matter your contingent objections, if you believe that Jews have a right to a secure and safe self-governing democratic homeland then you are a Zionist. Do we avoid the label because the radical right and left and the UN have made the term sound derogatory? Because we are uncomfortable with controversy? Perhaps. Yet the more we use “Zionist” in a positive and enthusiastic way the more we will dispel that notion.

The US is not perfect, and neither is Israel, but I am not a contingent or apologetic American or New Mexican, and I’m not a contingent or apologetic Zionist.

I’ll work for a strong Israel and US-Israel relationship because it fits with American and my personal values, and I know that, as a Jew, I have a safety net. I’ll continue to proudly declare “I am a Zionist.”

And I’ll be thankful that Israel is there if I need her.

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Halley S. Faust is chairman of Santa Fe Middle East Watch and political chair of New Mexico’s AIPAC chapter. Find factual resources about Israel and the Arab-Israel conflict, as well as information on how to be media and political pro-Israel advocates, on the SFMEW website at www.sfmew.org, where you can also sign up for periodic information and action notifications.

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Sources:

“Following attack, Barcelona’s chief rabbi says his community is doomed.” http://www.timesofisrael.com/following-attack-barcelonas-chief-rabbi-says-his-community-is-doomed/

“Why the Charlottesville Marchers were Obsessed with Jews.” https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/nazis-racism-charlottesville/536928/

“Chicago SlutWalk Bans ‘Zionist Symbols’ – Just Like Dyke March.” http://forward.com/fast-forward/377519/chicago-slutwalk-bans-zionist-symbols-just-like-dyke-march/

“On Linda Sarsour’s Politics of Hate and the Pathos of Her Jewish Enablers.” http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/237149/linda-sarsour-jewish-enablers

“Israel’s Religiously Divided Society.” Pew Research Center March 8, 2016. http://www.pewforum.org/2016/03/08/israels-religiously-divided-society/

“Unlike U.S., few Jews in Israel identify as Reform or Conservative.” Pew Research Center March 15, 2016. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/03/15/unlike-u-s-few-jews-in-israel-identify-as-reform-or-conservative/