As a Jewish Israeli-American, I may have a different approach from the endless scribbling by numerous rabbis in The Jewish Week.
On the Israeli side, the majority of Jews may be defined as secular, but still observe Yom Kippur and the [Passover] seder in the traditional manner. Whatever observance they maintain, it is the old traditions that they are accustomed to. Reform Judaism sounds alien to them. They don’t visit the Western Wall and couldn’t care less what happens there.
Many Israelis feel betrayed by American Jews’ espousal of the Iran pact. Israelis are deeply worried about the Iranian threat. In general, they are upset by liberal American Jews’ demand of unrealistic, “prophetic” behavior with Palestinians while trying to survive in a difficult economy and a century-old existential threat. They view American Jews as smug, rich, safe and self-righteous.
Moreover, Israelis observe the rapid extinction of American Jewry (except the Orthodox) due to intermarriage and assimilation and alienation of the younger generation. (This confirms Zionist theory.) And finally, Israel is their country and they have to suffer the consequences — not the American Jews, safe, thousands of miles away, who can always say, “Whoops, maybe we were wrong.”
Savannah, Ga.
