If you are an American Jew who has unambiguously supported the nature and extent of Israel’s military response in Lebanon (it remains to be seen what those will be after today’s UN vote), who is proud to be a part of the “zero dissent” community, who is contributing to emergency funds of American Jewish organizations without a second thought about how or where your money will be spent, I have only one request. The next time you are flipping channels and come upon a Christian televangelist, especially one who is healing the faithful, then I ask you to just stop and watch for awhile. Try not to shake your head or mock, but rather pay close attention.
Because that is now who you are.
Several years ago, I went through an obsession with Christian evangelists and revivalists, both of modern times and of the early 20th century. Growing up as a middle class, educated American Jew in suburban Philadelphia, the obsession began in my early 20s from plain curiosity: I simply could not understand the kind of faith, the nature of theology that could lead people to follow these preachers, to believe so wholly and completely in their every word, in the brand of Jesus they taught. Watching the healings on television became a near ritual for me; I was captivated by the people dropping to the floor and writhing, muttering in tongues, claiming to see from eyes long blind, all from the mere touch of the hand of their preacher.
Shaking my head in disbelief, sometimes mocking as if this was the professional wrestling version of religion, I was always somewhat jealous. My Jewish (such as it was) and secular educational experiences had always taught me to question, to be skeptical of such beliefs, to reject “just swallow this” messages, to shun movements like these, which so clearly fly in the face of modern reality, of Jewish teaching. But, “wow,” I thought, how amazing it must be to really believe like this, to throw modernity away and dive in to a revival. To swallow it all and believe you really do feel better and are saved.
As I listened to the news of the Israeli cabinet’s decision to expand the ground war, for some reason, I thought back to those preachers. And then to the “Stand with Israel” rally I attended in DC a few weeks back and wrote about previously. To the “support Israel” emails I get non-stop, most of which also ask for my money. To the chorus of “don’t question their decisions” that continues a month in to the action that was first going to last 2 weeks, then 10-14 more days, and now, if the ground war expands, at least 30 more days.
The leadership of the American Jewish community — and, for the first time, with the help of those same evangelical Christians — are leading us in an old-fashioned, big tent revival combined with a modern, Oral Roberts-style tearful plea. And I think I am missing out on what may be my one Jewish chance to be healed and saved; that is, no matter which way I head these days in the pro-Israel world — Jewish or Christian right — it looks like I am going to Hell.
Think about it. Christian evangelists (or, frankly, evangelists of any religion, but Christians have been the most prevalent in America) are most successful when they preach three things: there is grave and imminent mortal danger; we have a choice in how to deal with the danger; there is salvation for those who choose the right (i.e., our) way, damnation for those who don’t. And imbuing all of it is a plea for money to support both the way and the message.
Let’s see, in painful (and lengthy) detail, how our American Jewish evangelists on Israel work within this paradigm.
First, the mortal danger. For an evangelist, the mortal danger is the soul, and Jesus’ sacrifice to save your soul from Satan. In the case of the Jewish community and Israel, the threat is Israel’s (and by extension the Jewish people’s) existence. Although fewer argue today explicitly that Hizballah, Hamas, Syria, or anyone else — perhaps save a nuclear Iran — can actually destroy Israel, this primal fear still underlies everything.
The corollary mortal danger to Israel’s existence is any questioning of Israel, any indication that the Israeli government and military may need to be reined in, prevented from doing whatever they deem necessary. The implication being that such prevention or reining in is ultimately motivated by a desire to see Israel destroyed. And, as an American Jew, Israel is supposed to be a big part of your soul.
But although the stated danger may have shifted from, or at least bleeds over from physical existence to external interference, the language presented to the audience is the same. The American Jewish Committee (150,000 members, annual budget over $40 million) presents one of the best examples. In a July 27 letter to Secretary of State Rice, AJC’s President and Executive Director praised “U.S. Support of Israel against Demonic Forces.” The letter thanks Secretary Rice for staving off the cease fire called for by many around the world because a cease fir would mean that Hizballah could pose “a permanent threat to Israel…[as] a terrorist organization committed to [Israel’s] destruction.” The AJC home page has a link to its TV ad, “Can we close our eyes?”, which concerns the mortal danger posed by Hizballah, represented in the ad by a sea of young men with yellow headbands, all with their right arms up in “Sieg Heil” fashion. Subtle. And very educational.
The Anti-Defamation League (annual budget of approx. $50 million) has also laid out the mortal danger in similar terms. Its “FAQ” begins with the question of whether Israel’s actions in Lebanon and Gaza are justified. Yes, of course, because “Hezbollah and Hamas are not just engaged in violence and terror. These organizations seek to severely weaken Israel and create a situation where Israel’s very existence is once again threatened.”
And, if that didn’t impart enough mortal danger, then how about this:
“Weapons technology advances mean that in the future, Israel will likely have to deal with the specter of missiles armed with chemical weapons. Israel understood that it must end the barrage now or else it will never end, and will jeopardize Israel’s fundamental security and existence as an independent state.”
Finally, the Reform Movement (largest Jewish denomination in the U.S. — approx. 1.5 million) takes an interesting and different approach to mortal danger: Hurricane Katrina. Although framed in terms of how the community is responding to the humanitarian needs, the implication is the same: people facing complete destruction.
My issue here is not with the fact that Hizballah and Hamas pose a threat to Israel. They do. But that is not the end of the story; it is hardly even the beginning of it. Like the evangelist describing the battle for your soul, though, the rest of the story must be stripped away and left aside. No complexity, no counterpoints, no gray areas, no discussion.
Mortal danger to Israel established, it’s time to turn to the believers’ choice of what to do about it. For the evangelist, the choice is accept Jesus (at least in the way that evangelist presents him) or deny him. For the American Jewish community, the choice is to support Israel or leave its fate to the rest of the anti-Semitic world.
Hillel, “the largest Jewish college organization in the world,” the group we rely on to maintain and develop our youth’s connection to Judaism while in college (with organizations of some kind on 513 campuses in the U.S. and Canada; operating budget of approx. $60 million) set up a page devoted to the crisis called “Hillel Responds to the Situation in Israel.” (As I wrote elsewhere, it has not been uncommon in the Jewish community to see reference only to there being a situation “in Israel”). The page has some interesting information about the impact of Hizballah rockets on students in Israel, some articles about American students’ views of the crisis, and then a question: “What can you do?”
The answer? “Make an emergency donation to your local Jewish Federation campaign.” Not to learn more about the situation, whether the history, the politics, the religions. Not to examine current policy options. Not to think for a moment about, perchance even talk with someone from, the other side. No, like an evangelist encouraging his flock of sinners to give until it hurts, we say just make a donation, young students, our leaders of tomorrow — just make a donation (psst, ask your parents, they’ll help).
In launching its campaign, Jewish Federation (”Federation” is more complicated than it sounds, but the United Jewish Communities serves over 550 local federations and Jewish communities, with a budget of approx. $330 million) began by invoking the mortal danger: ”
Just as we did in 1948, 1967 and 1973, the North American Jewish community will stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Israel,” said Robert Goldberg of Cleveland, chair of the UJC Board of Trustees.
Nevermind the profound differences between those wars and the current crises, this is, as it was before, mortal danger. Don’t bother reading up on the history, because the present is all that matters.
In fact, we would also prefer that our students, our people, not read. We prefer that you get the facts from us, rather than look to the outside. When you turn to the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which co-wrote, along with the United Jewish Communities, a helpful 1-pager called “Ten Things You Can Do to Help Israel.” (Which, remember, is in mortal danger). #1? What else? “Give.” But #2? “Educate.” (Even the Reform Movement’s #1 action to take to respond to the crisis is “give” — with “pray” coming in at #2).
For the JCPA, “educate” is an admirable response. So what are the ideas for sources to turn to so you can “learn the facts, and educate others”? Where should we look for ideas about how to approach such a complicated subject? Simply “visit the United Jewish Communities website at www.ujc.org or Jewish Council for Public Affairs website at http://www.jewishpublicaffairs.org.” Don’t worry, close your eyes, we have all the facts. There is, really, no choice.
Another example. When you click over from Hillel to Federation’s emergency campaign, you can get to the page of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington (serves a community of 268,000 with a budget of approx. $20 million). The front page of the site has a “Myth and Fact” link from the Jewish Virtual Library, with the myth being “The media is fairly and accurately covering the war in Lebanon.”
Not “some of the media” or “this specific outlet,” just “the media.” By the time you’re done with this page, you will indeed be all but convinced that the only safe place to get your information is from the organization whose page you are looking at. That way, your choice of what to do to respond to the danger will be clear.
So, mortal danger established, choice of how to respond outlined, we need only consider the salvation and damnation. But again a point. I do not bemoan the existence of any of these organizations; to the contrary, I am grateful for their existence and work and influence. They have made it possible for me to live the life I do in the U.S., and they have advocated for Israel so tirelessly, so strenuously, so well, that they actually succeeded. The bridge between America and Israel is built. Israel has prospered from it, so have American Jews and, to some extent, America itself.
But now the bridge is all they see, all they acknowledge. As if they’re reading the travel guide to the bridge that was in print on the day the bridge was finished and never got the new edition. The reality on the Israeli side of the bridge has changed from when they started. Israel is a real country with unbelievable issues and problems that needs reality to guide it. And the choice our organizations provide is simply not enough. It’s not enough to succeed, to win; once you win, you then have to deal with your newfound power.
Back to salvation. In Christian evangelism, salvation and damnation are as clear as Heaven and Hell. In the Jewish community, they are also relatively self-explanatory (and this post is already so long). The clear implication is that the salvation comes in Israel not being wiped off the map, in the Jewish people not being exterminated, in the fulfillment of God’s promise to the Jewish people. And you played a part in it.
But if you questioned, if you turned to temptation of outside sources, then you are not included. One article in the Forward said it all. Three quotes from three leaders draw the clear lines between the saved and the damned:
“The crisis in the Middle East today has brought us to one of those rare moments that transcend party and ideological lines. There is no daylight at all between the government of Israel, the Bush administration, Congress and the American Jewish community,” said William Daroff, director of the Washington office of United Jewish Communities…
“There is unanimity of conviction and concern” in the Jewish community regarding Israel’s actions in Lebanon, said Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice president of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
Hadar Susskind, who directs the Washington office of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said that there is “zero dissent” within the Jewish community. “As opposed to everything else we do, on this we have absolute unanimity,” he said.
Not much else to say. If I agree, if I believe, if I respond, I am saved. And so are Israel and the Jewish people.
If I see some daylight, if I do dissent, then what does that say about me? It says I am not a part of the community. It says I am not welcome. I am damned. But is Israel also?
None of the three men above may really mean what they said above, at least exclusively (although Hoenlein might). But what they might mean does not matter to those like me who dissent. But I am not the real problem. I am invested, I am staying, I am writing, for whatever reason (certainly not logic), whether they like it or not. Bruce Bawer (may I someday be so courageous and as good a writer) to the Jewish community’s Pat Robertson.
The real problem is the unaffiliated Jews, uncomfortable in an organized Jewish setting. The Yom Kippur/Rosh Hashanah Jews, unwilling to be more committed because they don’t “know enough” about Judaism, or Israel. Those with Christmas trees and Menorahs, unsure of where they fit. Just carefully read through the Jewish Agency for Israel’s latest survey of American Jews of the American Jewish Committee’s 2005 Survey of American Jewish Opinion. Barely over 50% consider being Jewish an important part of their life, an ever-decreasing number who feel close to Israel.
They see Hizballah as the enemy, too, but they also may want to question Israel’s actions taken under the guise of its “right to respond.” But when they read the words of Daroff, Hoenlein, and Susskind, how can they question? What else can they think? But if they can’t think anything else, then why do they need the community at all? Or Israel? They don’t, as they see it, and so they leave. And when they do, when the Jewish community pushes its own away, then, yes, Israel too is damned.
So, there it is: danger, action, salvation (or damnation).
Sing it with me! Israel! Israel! Praise the Lord!
Here is the bottom line, the one I have been trying to put forward since this war began, since the second Intifada began: there are no clear answers to this crisis, to any of the crises in Israel. There are no pills you can swallow, no messages you can memorize, no orthodoxy you can adhere to that can make it so.
We are a people, a community, a religion that claims to pride itself on questions, on analysis, on looking for new interpretations. Yet here we respond in the most reactionary, most un-Jewish of ways: Please, o leaders, tell us what to think and we will obey; Here, o community, is what to think and what to do. That is simply ludicrous, and it is precisely that reactionary-ness that I respond to, that the Jewish left responds to, that so much of the non-Jewish world responds to.
Are we still concerned about “airing dirty laundry?” Is that an explanation? Israel has been occupying the Palestinian Territories for nearly 40 years. Thousands have been killed on both sides of the Green Line, tens of thousands more lives destroyed. Billions of dollars spent on occupation. Now millions of Lebanese and Israelis displaced, hundreds of innocent civilians killed, Lebanon’s infrastructure destroyed.
I think that’s plenty of open dirty laundry without having to worry too much about the “threat” posed by some public, internal questioning of why it’s happening and whether this is the right path.
Of course not all of us believe this evangelism is the way, but for the most part, we let those who do get away with it (note that I did not once cite to AIPAC, the most powerful of them all, or the Israel Project, perhaps the most explicit of the pro-Israel propaganda machines that I wrote about previously; this is the rest of the community talking). Like in many other areas of life, we allow those who scream the loudest, who seem the most strident, to be considered the “orthodox,” the experts, the ones with truth. A few try to speak out and reclaim sanity and reality, but most just walk away. Consider evangelism. Many Christians in the U.S. are not evangelical at all, do not follow Dr. James Dobson or Pat Robertson, yet it is evangelical politics and theology that we call “Christian.”
When I tell people who know only my political beliefs that I try to observe the laws of kashrut (I do eat out in non-kosher restaurants), I go to synagogue, I fast on Tisha B’Av, they usually do not believe it. Accepting a religious life in the American Jewish community is now supposed to come with a political ideology. Just look at what all of the Jewish organizations preach, after all.
So to the rest of the world, to Congress, to Malcolm Hoenlein, I might as well not be Jewish at all. I am damned.
The two — Judaism and Zionism/Israel –are viewed as conjoined twins, separate beings in theory, but dependent on each other for their very existence. And not feeding one in just the right way will theoretically kill them both.
It is time we operate, that we perform the extraordinarily difficult surgery and enable our community, empower it, educate it, motivate it to approach these issues independently. For if we do not, more and more people will walk away — and, ultimately, will damn Israel.
So, if you are in the mainstream supporting the Lebanon War, supporting Gaza, supporting the occupation, without question, if you are leading a mainstream organization or one of its chapters, recognize your part in the Jewish transformation to modern evangelism, to the old revivalism. And enjoy the company of the Christian evangelists you have sidled up to. Marvel at all you believe to be healing when you write your checks, when you send your letters to the editor and Congress saying “no cease fire; let Israel finish the job.” When you defend bloodshed and use it to define your morality.
But please know that the chorus of people responding with “Praise the Lord!” will grow ever smaller. You may not see it; after all, the lights are bright on the gilded stage, on the other side of the cameras, on the receiving end of the donations. But unless you see the need to change, recognize the fundamental flaw in this approach, then the final stage of the Diaspora’s disengagement (and I use that term purposely) from Israel will be accelerated. And you will have only yourselves to blame.
Israel! Israel! Praise the Lord!
brad brooks-rubin
Brad: First, I am so glad you are blogging again. It’s great to hear from you, specifically, because you always have thoughtful and thought-provoking things to say, and given that Andrew, as you probably know, is extremely busy getting his new practice started, it’s wonderful that you are able to contribute at this crucial time.
Second: Regarding the “zero dissent” notion, I was very interested to learn in an article in Haaretz yesterday that Tzipi Livni, Israel’s foreign minister, has apparently disagreed with the government’s policies and actions regarding Lebanon from the start. She favored a limited and contained military response to Hizbollah’s capture of the soldiers, followed by political and diplomatic initiatives. She was, of course, outvoted, and since then has remained silent, refusing to engage in all of the media appearances promoting and justifying the war that the other cabinet ministers have been doing. Now, Olmert at the last minute forced her to cancel her scheduled trip to the UN, saying that she had not gotten permission from him in time, and furthermore has removed her from his inner circle. So even Olmert wants to be sure that there is “zero dissent” — at least no dissent that will be heard or given any consideration. I find this depressing and distressing.
I don’t know what you are experiencing in DC, but around here, there are a surprising number of people who are coming out of the woodwork, stimulated by just how outraged they are. At a local Brit Tzedek open meeting, about 30 people showed up who had either long ago given up activism, or had never been involved in it, to say that now, they felt they needed to speak up and to be counted as Jews who dissented from the “party line.” So, keep up the good work: people who are angry need to to know that they are not alone.
Thank you for a cogent commentary on the similarities between the Fundamentalist Christian and the Fundamentalist Jewish ways of thinking. I agree that they are eerily similar and probably not all that different from how Fundamentalist Moslems see the world. Those of us who try to understand and act on shades of grey are marginalized. Consequently, we have to struggle not to give in to depression and feelings of helplessness/hopelessness.
I gather that the most truly Fundamentalist Christians see the Arab-Jewish conflict and probably America’s “war on terrorism” as well, as the beginning of what they call “the Rapture.” As I (imperfectly) understand it, the “Rapture” tells the story of the end of the world, as initiated by Christ’s “second coming.” At the beginning of the Rapture, devout Christians and Jews who convert to Christianity, are transported instantly to heaven… and are never heard from again. That clears the decks for an Apocalyptic struggle in which the forces of good (Christ) and evil (Satan) collide in mortal conflict. Satan is eventually defeated, but the earth is totally destroyed: a truly uplifting outcome for those of us who have different viewpoints and/or whowould like to survive as non-combatants. The Rapture gives Jews a choice between converting and dying a horrible death.
With Fundamentalist friends like that, Israel hardly needs any Moslem enemies. From my current perspective, the diaspora seems more and more like the better refuge for Jewish beliefs.
Gerry Schamess
Sorry to leave a comment to my own post, but wanted to let interested readers know that mention was made of this post in Ha’aretz last week — but only in the Hebrew edition. If you are interested, you can find it here
I was very troubled by this, Brad. Your assumption that most American Jews, or Jews in general, are sheep, not daring to dissent, is belied by your own work and by the firings and introspection in Israel both during and after this latest tragic war in Lebanon.
There is a great deal of internal dissent. That is different from PUBLIC dissent, and as Israel is relentlessly attacked by many powerful voices, many Jews, including me, don’t feel the need to add another critique. To take one example: the new “and improved” Human Rights Council at the UN has devoted 100 percent of its activity and resolutions to Israel. Yes, the previous Human Rights Committee devoted only about 80 percent to Israel–this group is 100 percent. But you feel more attacks in the US are needed?
Secondly, I find your portrayal of Christian evangelicals to be insulting. I think the preachers and the theology are difficult for me to understand, but I don’t go around ridiculing them. So you’ve offended many Jews and millions of evangelical Christians. But hey, if it means you get mentioned in Ha’aretz, it’s all worth it. And of course I learned of this blog from a friend who circulates any viciously anti-Israel thing he can get ahold of. (There’s no shortage).
In disappointment at this insulting and false post, and hoping to see better, I’ll wish you a Happy New Year. –Wendy in Washington
PS Do you judge all organizations and ethnic groups by their fund-raising letters? Fund-raising is a science that uses a lot of fear and ahate-mongering. The Jewish community, alas, is not immune. But as the saying goes, even paranoid people have real enemies.
Wendy, you raise several important issues. Allow me to respond, even if somewhat hastily before the holiday. I look forward to a longer discussion on these issues.
First, I’m somewhat surprised to hear your statement that more “attacks” on Israel are not needed because of what Israel faces from the UN and elsewhere. If anything, the Jewish community has the ultimate responsibility to speak out about what Israel does, because of our historical connection to Israel, Israel’s reliance on us, our organizations’ insistence that we continue to be connected, that our kids be connected, etc. So, if that’s what we need to be, why should we not speak up? There is signifcant internal debate within the Bush Admin. about how to handle Iraq. Should we the American people not criticize the Admin. then because there is internal debate and they get criticized enough already?
On that point — second, and more importantly, you are right that there is private, internal debate in the mainstream community. I have taken refusers myself to meet with leaders of AIPAC, WINEP, JCPA, Hillel, the RAC, etc. But those are closed-door discussions, off-limits to the public, even the Jewish public. As I demonstrated in this post and others, throughout Lebanon and continuing conflict in Palestine, the mainstream organizations’ interest is not in presenting even a nuanced, pro-Israeli policy argument. Their interest seems to be in blanket support. Hoenlein himself said there was “zero dissent” in the community about Lebanon, and not one of the mainstream groups put out information that took even a slightly critical look at what was happening.
But they shouldn’t, it sounds like you are saying, because Israel was at war, and their job is to support. But then you go on to talk about the post-war hand-wringing and examination in Israel. Many of those issues were evident during the war, but why did no one speak up? And even now, are we hearing anything in the mainstream community about the debate inside Israel? Do you think the mainstream groups will have talking points and FAQs ready when the commission’s report is done? Will they even mention it?
The main point, though, is who is part of this internal debate you describe. Sure, there are close-to-the-mainstream peace groups like Brit Tzedek and AFPN, but what percentage of the community do they represent in public perception? Polls may show many American Jews identify with their positions and approaches, but that is not what is reflected to the rest of the community, to the disengaged Jews, to the American public, to the Arab world, etc. Even to Israel itself. And if it’s not in the public, then it may as well not exist so far as impact and influence are concerned. When we are viewed as a community that is “Israel, right or wrong,” and particularly when we act like one, then we deserve to see that in black and white and think about what that really means, what we are really standing for.