Guilty as charged. Thank you for the mirror into our collective (and my personal) Achilles heel. I wonder if it’s because we (Diaspora Jews more than Israelis?) still haven’t shrugged off millennia of toxic shame, or because our tradition teaches us to consider both sides of an argument, as if to say, “while it’s true, on the one hand, that we’re imperfect, it’s also true that we prefer not to be massacred.” It’s ridiculous, regardless, and I will try my best not to do it anymore.
It's only Jews who feel the need to attack the very people they defend. I've never heard a Muslim or left-winger say, "I'm pro-Palestinian, but of course I reject Hamas' terrorism and violence against civilians."
Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we undermine our own arguments? Are Jews so filled with shame before non-Jews? Or can we not whole-heartedly love each other, to the extent we can't defend each other against outsiders without launching into a litany of criticism first?
This is very profound in a fun simple way. It is raising my awareness of how I approach. Defending Israel and her actions. As I write this, I’m also trying to assess why I’m using the word defend. A better word might be protect.
This is simply a far more subtle problem than most people want to admit.
When it comes to criticizing Israel with love, my attitude is: mend it, don't end it. (I mean the criticism, not Israel; that slogan probably is too simplistic for Israel. Don't end it = of course).
Come up with better arguments. One I like to have on hand is: Nobody ended Germany's self-determination after WWII. I may hate this current government, though I don't think it's Nazi or genocidal - but even if they were, I won't accept the double standards. Everyone, every people, every nation and nation-state deserves a fair trial in the court of public opinion, and Israel is in the most garrish kangaroo court ever. Doesn't mean I won't do my part to contribute to creating fairer court to the extent that I can.
This can't be an either / or thing. Yes, there's a bad old history rearing its ugly head again of Jews trying to assimilate their way out of standing up for themselves. And yes, most criticism of Israel from liberal Zionists, at least in the diaspora, read like washed out versions of the more post/anti-Zionist Jewish versions. That's a problem.
But not being able to criticize the very real outrages of this current government - to Israelis as much as anyone else - or question if this is the way to fight this war given all the complexities, or point to Israeli public opinion on these matters? No. That is not the way to be, even if the other side gets to play by these rules that should be unacceptable for them as well. You don't participate in trashing the commons of political honesty. Social criticism is not something we can jettison just because we live in a horrible hyper-tribal moment. Do not participate in this race to the bottom, because that's what it is.
Guilty as charged. Thank you for the mirror into our collective (and my personal) Achilles heel. I wonder if it’s because we (Diaspora Jews more than Israelis?) still haven’t shrugged off millennia of toxic shame, or because our tradition teaches us to consider both sides of an argument, as if to say, “while it’s true, on the one hand, that we’re imperfect, it’s also true that we prefer not to be massacred.” It’s ridiculous, regardless, and I will try my best not to do it anymore.
It's only Jews who feel the need to attack the very people they defend. I've never heard a Muslim or left-winger say, "I'm pro-Palestinian, but of course I reject Hamas' terrorism and violence against civilians."
Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we undermine our own arguments? Are Jews so filled with shame before non-Jews? Or can we not whole-heartedly love each other, to the extent we can't defend each other against outsiders without launching into a litany of criticism first?
Baffling really. I find myself doing it too.
This is very profound in a fun simple way. It is raising my awareness of how I approach. Defending Israel and her actions. As I write this, I’m also trying to assess why I’m using the word defend. A better word might be protect.
This is simply a far more subtle problem than most people want to admit.
When it comes to criticizing Israel with love, my attitude is: mend it, don't end it. (I mean the criticism, not Israel; that slogan probably is too simplistic for Israel. Don't end it = of course).
Come up with better arguments. One I like to have on hand is: Nobody ended Germany's self-determination after WWII. I may hate this current government, though I don't think it's Nazi or genocidal - but even if they were, I won't accept the double standards. Everyone, every people, every nation and nation-state deserves a fair trial in the court of public opinion, and Israel is in the most garrish kangaroo court ever. Doesn't mean I won't do my part to contribute to creating fairer court to the extent that I can.
This can't be an either / or thing. Yes, there's a bad old history rearing its ugly head again of Jews trying to assimilate their way out of standing up for themselves. And yes, most criticism of Israel from liberal Zionists, at least in the diaspora, read like washed out versions of the more post/anti-Zionist Jewish versions. That's a problem.
But not being able to criticize the very real outrages of this current government - to Israelis as much as anyone else - or question if this is the way to fight this war given all the complexities, or point to Israeli public opinion on these matters? No. That is not the way to be, even if the other side gets to play by these rules that should be unacceptable for them as well. You don't participate in trashing the commons of political honesty. Social criticism is not something we can jettison just because we live in a horrible hyper-tribal moment. Do not participate in this race to the bottom, because that's what it is.