RON WEISER

I HAVE just returned from an amazing conference — the Israeli Presidential Conference titled Tomorrow.

If nothing else it underlined that this little country in the Middle East was deemed worthy of the attendance and participation of many Heads of State, world leaders in the financial field, world leaders in technology and innovation and some of the leading philosophers on continuity. Jewish and non-Jewish.

There was even a Chinese delegation of three who in some strange way also believe in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, but unlike their European counterparts do so not out of hate, but rather out of envy.

At the same time as we are bemoaning our efforts in continuity, the Chinese have decided that the Jewish world is not only successful in pursuits covering the general areas above, but also in maintaining our people through the millennia while at the same time modernising and participating and contributing and leading the world in many areas.

Indeed that we are one very successful people.

So successful in fact that they have embarked upon a major strategy to learn from the Jews, so that the Chinese may ensure its own vast Diaspora continues to be Chinese — that is, speak the language, continue the culture, eat the food and maintain the contacts with and interest in the motherland.

Ironies abound.

In contradistinction in most Diaspora communities, but particularly in the US, some young Jews ignoring the pull factors that the non-Jewish world sees in Israel’s phenomenal achievements and via a massive disconnect formed by lack of contact with Israel have been attracted to the recent fad of J-Street.

This largely comes out of an uncritical adoption of individual attachment to a superficial understanding of western “values”, the imposition of moral equivalence and the uncritical acceptance of a flawed western media against a background of ignorance.

Sadly, this seems to be increasingly promoted by some here as well.

J-Street in reality represents the failure of all of us.

The attraction to J-Street demonstrates that we have failed with that segment in bringing them to a positive view of Israel.

It has arisen due to young Jews on American campuses having no commonality with the vast majority of Israelis or their thoughts, but who because of their own personal misunderstandings do not feel comfortable with the Israel portrayed in the media.

Or by the Goldstones of this world who are trying to cleanse their own souls (in his case for being an active instrument of apartheid in South Africa over a 14-year period) on the name and reputation of Israel.

These Jews in the US, here and elsewhere are so disinterested or unmotivated, that instead of looking behind the myths, they simply find it easier to accept the media view presented and then call for Israel to change — rather than having to go to all that effort to correct the images presented. It’s no wonder that Israelis do not understand what it is they want.

J-Street represents that disconnect between the proud Jew who stands with Israel and for whose identity Israel is an integral part — and those who want to create a different image of Israel that makes them feel more comfortable amongst their peers and saves them the angst of correcting the false images that make them feel so doubtful of Jewish morality.

J-Street has every right to exist and to attempt to do its damage to Israel, Diaspora Jewry and Jewish continuity.

And we have every right and obligation to expose it for what it is. Or better still for what it is not.

Their slogan is “Pro Israel” and “Pro Peace”.

The mere fact is that by saying they are “Pro Peace”, they are attempting to imply that the general Jewish community is not. That is intentional on their part.

Interestingly, they themselves had a lot of trouble in the lead up to their recent convention in the US when many campus activists of J-Street sought and received permission from head office to drop the “Pro Israel” part of their slogan.

In truth we do not know anything that J-Street is for, other than a “Two-state solution”.

Well, boker tov, that is also the policy of all of Israel’s major political parties including the Likud.

But we do know what J-Street is against — and that is quite a long list and it is against all of the other policies of Likud, Labour and Kadima — on Gaza, on Iran, on settlements, etc. They stand opposed to the broad consensus in Israel.

J-Street delights in telling Israel what not to do, but does not have any policies on how to deal with the challenges she faces.

The only Jewish party in Israel whose policies J-Street supports is Meretz.

At the last election in February this year Meretz achieved 2.5 per cent of the vote.

That is what J-Street would have us connect to, 2.5 per cent of the Israeli electorate. That would be fine as well if they made that clear.

But they do not — they attempt to wrap themselves in a cloak of a general opposition to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu when in fact they are opposed to Barak, Livni and just about everyone else as well.

And that is only that part of J-Street which still wants to retain the “Pro Israel” part of their slogan at all.

J-Street is only for people who have no interest in getting behind the falsehoods peddled.

It is for those who are uncomfortable about Jewish self determination, about Jews getting out of the ghetto and standing up for all of us and it is for those who rather than debunking the myths of Israel and Israelis in the media, prefer a Jew who will not be the “cause” of anti-Semitism.

That is how this phenomena sees it — anti-Semitism is not caused because there are anti-Semites, but because we as Jews cause it ourselves. It is the classic blaming of the victim.

Even a cursory investigation will reveal the self-evident truth of Israel’s democracy and justice system.

Even a little desire to find out the truth could include a look at the testimony of Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan (and many other posts) before the United Nations Human Rights Council on October 16 this year where he twice stated: “During Operation Cast Lead the IDF did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare”. (Watch his testimony).

Criticising Israel is fine, but criticising the Israel that is, rather than the false image presented by anti-Semites or Goldstones, would be a good starting point.

Those who support J-Street type views have already given that up. They have already become pawns in the movement to damage Israel and the Jewish people.

Our challenge is to go to J-Street’s market and show them the Israel that attracted people from all over the world to President Peres’ Conference, rather than peddle the canard of Israel’s immorality that decades of deligitimisation, in many cases by Jews, has convinced them of.

Dr Ron Weiser is immediate past president of the Zionist Federation of Australia and a committee member of the board of governors of the Jewish Agency (Sochnut).

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