Tuesday, April 15, 2008
A New Kid on the Block
J-Street's really hit the ground running, that's for sure ... especially in the publicity department. And isn't this what an advocacy/lobbying organization at some level needs most?
Maybe they'll finally be some reasoned pro-Israeli voices in our discourse? To hear the so-called pro-Israeli voices talk (same thing with the so-called pro-American voices), any criticism of Israel means you hate Israel and the Jews. Sorry to go ad hominem but I'd hate to see how people who think this way raise their kids: "I love my kids, so I'll never offer them even constructive criticism"? Or how they treat their friends "I can't tell my friend he's going to do something stupid -- after all, I'm his friend, I have to encourage him to do whatever he does".
I'd hardly call the sort of person who would rake a Navi over the coals for being a "self-hating Jew" for his criticism pro-Israeli in any meaningful way. Let's hope this J-Street thing works out and changes the tone of discourse. Heck, let's hope it does succeed in pushing the peace process necessary for Israel's long term, healthy survival.
'Cause ya know -- if we Jews are living always under siege in Israel, what was Zionism then? How has it made the situation of our people "normalized"? So long as Israel and its "supporters" maintain a siege mentality vis-a-vis Israel's enemies (whether that mentality is a reasonable or even the only response to the very real security challenges faced by Israel), the Zionist dream has not been realized.
Maybe the mere attitude of J-Street represents an actual "victory" of Zionism?
Maybe they'll finally be some reasoned pro-Israeli voices in our discourse? To hear the so-called pro-Israeli voices talk (same thing with the so-called pro-American voices), any criticism of Israel means you hate Israel and the Jews. Sorry to go ad hominem but I'd hate to see how people who think this way raise their kids: "I love my kids, so I'll never offer them even constructive criticism"? Or how they treat their friends "I can't tell my friend he's going to do something stupid -- after all, I'm his friend, I have to encourage him to do whatever he does".
I'd hardly call the sort of person who would rake a Navi over the coals for being a "self-hating Jew" for his criticism pro-Israeli in any meaningful way. Let's hope this J-Street thing works out and changes the tone of discourse. Heck, let's hope it does succeed in pushing the peace process necessary for Israel's long term, healthy survival.
'Cause ya know -- if we Jews are living always under siege in Israel, what was Zionism then? How has it made the situation of our people "normalized"? So long as Israel and its "supporters" maintain a siege mentality vis-a-vis Israel's enemies (whether that mentality is a reasonable or even the only response to the very real security challenges faced by Israel), the Zionist dream has not been realized.
Maybe the mere attitude of J-Street represents an actual "victory" of Zionism?
# posted by alberich @ 1:04 PM 
