Such a BIG TOPIC that pro-Israel is.Moment Magazine published a fascinating series of interviews in its January/February issue — so BIG no one issue could contain it! — asking prominent Jews to define “pro-Israel.”
Some people had nothing to say, but they said it anyway. Some people had a lot to say and you may wish they hadn’t.
Some even cast votes for who and what doesn’t belong on the pro-Israel island. Caroline Glick, deputy managing editor of the Jerusalem Post, and fan of pro- and anti-Israel absolutes and using lots of “neo-s,” is my choice.
Glick would consider herself to be quintessentially pro-Israel,because she recognizes severe internal and external threats that other, far less visionary people, choose to either ignore or tolerate.In just one recent article, her identified threats to Israel ranged from Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, to theBrookings Institute and non-governmental organizations like B’Tselem and Peace Now, to “fanatical misogynists” — the Taliban not the ultra-Orthodox — to “Israel’s radical left,”to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Leon Panetta and U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman, and even to a White House and its officials who Glick says “exhibit classical anti-Semitic behavior.”
On Glick Island, the calendar is permanently stuck on 1967. Well over half of the Jewish Diaspora and most Israeli politicians outside of the current coalition, would have a hard time passing her pro-Israel citizenship test. Yet Glick does have a base and as you read the interviews in Moment you’ll recognize some Glick Island citizens.
Rather than summarize all of the varying views — Glick’s are, thankfully, not representative of the more thoughtful responses — it’s best you read them yourselves, including Kadima party leader Tzipi Livni’s refreshing comments in a much longer interview inThe Atlantic.
We’re still on the appetizer portion of the pro-Israel series, so go whet your appetites and return soon for the salad portion…..
Note: I welcome your thoughts. If you email your views on what it means to be pro-Israel, I will include them in upcoming articles (and keep them anonymous if you prefer). The first part of this series can be accessed by clicking here.
I thank God for the Tikkun. It and Al Jazeera are two of the pitifully few news sources
where truth comes before political correctness.
So you seem to like to read fiction
The United States cannot continue to support Israel in it’s government’s actions against human rights in its treatment of Palestinians. We are out of integrity when we continue to allow Israel to demolish more home and make more settlements. We cannot support Israel with weapons, money, and our approval.
Clearly, we must insist on Justice and Equity for a peaceful settlement We cannot allow Obama and Clinton to conciliate Israel by going to war with Iran!
Peace and Blessings, Agnes Maier