American Jewish Silence Betrays Israel, Writes Tikkun Editor

Accusing American Jewish leaders of displaying “short-sightedness and cowardice in dealing with the current difficulties” in Israel, the editor of a liberal Jewish magazine writes that Americans must use “every possible means” to convey to Israelis that “Israel is in deep jeopardy, and the occupation must end.”

In a seven-page editorial to be published in the March issue of Tikkun, editor Michael Lerner says that the silence on the part of Jewish leaders in the United States has created “wonderful times” for anti-Semites and anti-Zionists.

“The only voices articulating clear moral criticism have been those of Israel’s enemies,” writes Lerner, an observant Jew and a self-de-scribed “strong Zionist.”

“The path of least resistance — privately criticizing Israel but publicly supporting it or remaining silent — is actually a dramatic betrayal of the interests of our people,” he says.

The Tikkun editorial, both by denying comparisons between Israel and South Africa and in acknowledging that “Palestinians bear part of the responsibility for the present crisis,” also seems to counter criticism of Israel heard from the political left.

In a telephone interview, Lerner said he plans to distribute 300,000 copies of the editorial, which includes the texts of two sample petitions and a special Passover prayer of “freedom for our brothers and sisters, the Palestinians.”

Tikkun claims combined subscription and newsstand sales of 40,000. The two-year-old bimonthly magazine, based in Oakland, Calif., also attracted news coverage in November, when it published an interview with the Rev. Jesse Jackson. His responses to questions about various Jewish concerns stirred new allegations that the Democratic presidential aspirant was insensitive to Jews.

According to Lerner, if the latest issue of the magazine, due on the newsstands in early March, generates a similar level of public debate, it will be because the editorial represents what he claims is the longest and most detailed criticism of Israel by an American Jewish publication or organization since the beginning of the unrest.

Earlier this month, 51 of the largest U.S. Jewish organizations signed a statement of “unity and identification” with Israel released by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

The conference statement included assurances that “we believe we speak for the over-whelming majority of Jews.” Among the signators were four organizations, the American Jewish Congress and three Reform Jewish groups, which had issued statements strongly critical of Israel’s “iron fist” policy in the territories.

DEMILITARIZED PALESTINIAN STATE

The Tikkun editorial calls on the Israeli government to end its administration of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and to offer Arabs living there a demilitarized Palestinian state.

It also proposes that Israel immediately hold a plebiscite to allow Palestinians to determine who would negotiate for them in establishing the state.

But in keeping with Tikkun’s stance as a journal founded to counter what Lerner calls “neo-cons, the ‘Israel is always right’ crowd, the people with moral blinders,” Lerner addresses his proposals to the American Jewish public.

“Many American Jews do not realize that they are in the Jewish majority when they express disapproval of Israel’s policies,” he writes.

The ordinary Israeli, meanwhile, “has no idea how deep American disaffection has become or how such disaffection may threaten Israel’s military security in the future.”

The Israel-South Africa comparison, writes Lerner, “distorts reality and allows right-wingers to focus on its flaws instead of dealing with the justified criticism of Israel.”

The situation in the territories, however, “resembles colonial oppression much more than racist apartheid,” writes Lerner.