The powerful film “The Darkest Hour” has a clear parallel for today’s Jewish world. Churchill took the British from a Neville Chamberlain-led defeatist pursuit of a false peace to a proud people rallying together and ultimately overcoming the Nazis. American Jewry desperately needs to move from today’s defeatist pressuring of Israel into a false peace to real peace which will only come after exposing, confronting and overcoming the epidemic of the delegitimization of Israel.
We all know, deep down, that the two-state solution is currently a messianic ideal while Abbas, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran openly delegitimize Israel and actively pursue her destruction. But we nonetheless subtly blame Israel for not giving in to “peace at any price” so we can get on with our lives.
The Jewish Week has given us excellent guidance in recent articles by Gil Troy and Rafi Medoff. The essence of Troy’s message is that our Jewish organizations can — must — take strong stands against Jews, in our own community, who undermine Israel. Medoff told us, in effect, to listen to the at-risk Israelis — even as we criticize — and to give them the support they need and deserve.
Churchill’s truth was that the peace we all want does not come on the cheap but by spurning the fantasies, confronting the realities and pulling together to fight the war necessary to bring real peace. Today, American Jews must fight and win the war against BDS and the delegitimization of Israel, both here and abroad, while the Israelis fight on the front lines. In that way, the Jewish state, with all her faults, will not only survive but be appreciated and applauded for the miracle that she is.
Manhattan
