by Jesse Bacon
Young, Jewish, and Proud, the group responsible for the protests disrupting the speech of Benjamin Netanyahu in New Orleans almost a year ago, launched a new video for the Jewish High Holidays as the issue of Palestinian statehood roiled the United Nations. The video was created by nearly 40 young Jews between the ages of 18 and 36 and features their manifesto about the need for the Jewish community to recognize the voice of youth on its most intractable issue: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Jesse Bacon, video participant:
We delivered the manifesto in person to Netanyahu through our protest, and now we are speaking directly to the camera, but the message is the same. Listen to the voice of young Jews arguing for a more open, diverse, and critical community or see your fears of losing the youth come true.
This came across more like a declaration of war than a presentation for peace. Their mantra, “We are young Jews, and we decide what that means,” seemed more about them than reaching out to persuade others. It left me, a veteran peace activist, feeling queasy.
Ralph, I see what you mean. But this video struck me as powerful precisely because it takes a defiant tone towards its audience, which I presume is the mainstream Jewish community. It’s saying “we’re here, we’re part of the young generation of Jews, and we hold strong values — X, Y, Z.” I know many of the individuals in this video, and they are committed to the practices of their activist forbearers, including dialogue, reaching out to others, persuasion, fellowship. But there are times when a strong existential statement is needed — especially in the midst of political crisis in which Jews are portrayed as holding (or assumed to hold) a common, conservative viewpoint on Israel/Palestine. The voice of this video is bold, unflinching, and unlike anything I’ve heard in the public sphere before. I was heartened to watch it.
Netanyahu is a combat veteran who lost his brother at Entebbe. It has to be irritating for him to take shit from a bunch of piss ant college students who never had a tough day in their lives.
And I’d bet that every last one of them was raised in affluent suburbs, no worries. What do they have to do with 18 year old Jewish kids who give up years of their lives in the IDF. Or passover sedars in Netanya that get wiped out by suicide bombers. Not their problem.
I too was heartened by this. I am proud of these kids for standing up. Netanyahu being a combat veteran is exactly why he is wrong for the job; he probably believes in war. And so what if these kids are from affluent suburbs? Even better for them to stand up. Don’t discount their vision and courage just because of a belief you have, Bill. Perhaps if their vision were followed rather than the status quo, the suicide bombers would stop. After all, the current policy has surely not stopped them. I am neither Jewish, nor Israeli, nor Palestinian, so I am an onlooker, but I am a United States citizen, and I have witnessed war after war of occupation and aggression. With only one exception, as far as I understand (WW II), wars have accomplished nothing for the people, only for corporations. WW II did both. Yes, the Nazi regime was stopped, but the corporations, even US and European ones, supplied both sides in the war, as in almost all wars. And countries all around stood back and watched for years while the atrocities were going on, only getting involved when the UK and France got attacked, basically. Wars are to enrich the corporations at the expense of people and the earth everywhere. I agree with these young people that it is time to say NO to the war machine as a tool for anything.
Don, they are a bunch of spoiled children who have never had a tough day in their lives.
One thing I do know is not one of these piss ants give a shit about Judaism, Israel, or the Jewish people. They just want to look good on campus
Yes. You not only get to decide what that means, you speak your truth and honor your ancestors as we honor you\ by listening and paying attention and considering how we can support you in creating a world that works for All.
So Netanyahu was a combat veteran? Big deal! So was Adolf Hitler!
In fact, Hitler was a DECORATED veteran of World War I : “Hitler was twice decorated for bravery, receiving the Iron Cross, Second Class, in 1914 and Iron Cross, First Class on 4 August 1918. He also received the Wound Badge.” (Wikipedia)
And of course, just like Netanyahu, he posed as THE ultimate patriot.
Jawohl, mein Herr! When a country is run by combat vets and kooky patriots of that ilk, it doesn’t even NEED enemies. It eventually self-destructs on its own.
More and more people on the right – not just Robert Gates, but Meir Dagan, “one of the most rightwing militant people ever born here” – have declared Benyamin Netanyahu “DANGEROUS TO ISRAEL”. And “12 of the 18 living ex-chiefs of Israel’s two security agencies (Mossad and Shin Bet), are “either actively opposing Netanyahu’s stances or have spoken out against them”. “Meir Dagan describes the current Israeli government as “dangerous and irresponsible” (Ben Caspit in the Israeli dailyMaariv)