Enamored of the dangers faced by Israelis, some American Jews are unwilling to envision the possibility of Middle East peace, according to Israeli Cabinet member Shulamit Aloni.
“You (American Jews) are in love with the danger we live in,” the outspoken Aloni said in an interview Thursday during a 10-day visit to the United States.
“Some American Jews are in love with the excitement of danger and war,” she said. “They admired our generals and colonels. I love them too, but would rather they be in parades than at war.”
The controversial Aloni heads the left-of-center Meretz bloc, an important junior coalition partner of the Rabin government.
She serves as minister of communications, arts, science and technology in the Rabin government.
Originally, she was Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s education minister. Aloni was removed after her frequent outbursts upset the Orthodox community, especially the Shas party, also a member of Rabin’s coalition.
Aloni advocated negotiating with the Palestine Liberation Organization long before the Israeli government ever contemplated such a step.
In an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Aloni repeatedly stressed that American Jews should seek Jewish continuity through culture.
“Common efforts of developing modern Jewish thinking, writing and creativity is a new way, and an important one, for Jewish continuity, more than another war,” she said.
She urged American Jews to channel their energies into developing Israeli cultural centers and Hebrew studies programs here, and into translating the works of modern Israeli writers.
“Unfortunately, too many American Jews are ready to risk another war,” she said. “They are not prepared to gear their minds toward peace.
“Maybe they are in love with our heroes,” she continued. “I would advise them to look for other heroes,” such as Israeli writers and artists.
“Jews in this country are preaching Jewish values, which are easier to develop during peace, not by occupying other people,” she commented.
Aloni said she believes there will be a Palestinian state, in some sort of federation of confederation with Jordan.
“But the question is not if it will be a separate state,” she added. “The question is will (the Palestinians) gain sovereignty as human beings.”
The most important element of last September’s Israeli-PLO signing ceremony was “mutual recognition,” she said.
Once both sides recognize each other, she said, one side “cannot continue to ignore the rights of the other people for sovereignty.”
Aloni spoke positively of President Clinton’s approach to the Middle East peace process.
“He is not interfering, he is not pressing, but he gives the best help a friendly president can give,” she said of Clinton.
She also commented that Clinton’s meeting last weekend with Syrian President Hafez Assad provided a “very important opening” in the peace process.
Here in Washington, she visited the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Wednesday, but her plans to meet with U.S. officials Thursday were cut short by the shutdown of the federal government due to inclement weather and a power shortage.
She was planning to meet with officials of Americans for Peace Now and other American Jewish leaders during her visit to United States.
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