False Dichotomies

I think it is clear to most people that the world is obsessive about Israel. This is due to many reasons of historical, cultural, and religious significance. Obsessions with Israel and Zionism rarely result in positive thinking. The proposed academic boycott of Israel stems for the notion that Israel/Palestine are central issues in world to the exclusion of all others. While British academics jostle over whether to boycott Israeli academics and institutions, academics in far worse regimes committing far worse human rights abuses go unscathed and ignored. Obsession with Israel and the Palestinians, and of course the broader Middle East namely Iran and Iraq, is one of the main reasons why the world could care less about the genocide in Darfur. The UN is able to mobilize a ground army to move into Southern Lebanon on quick notice but she is unable to mobilize man-power and capital to help those in Darfur or even put pressure on the government in Khartoum to put a stop to one of the worst crimes against humanity in the 21st century.
Within the British Jewish community, the current barrage of “Independent Voices” – who complain about being silenced as they publish continuously, as they have in the past, in the Guardian - have taken the obsession about Israel and Zionism to a new level. A major thrust in the argumentation of the IVJ is one that calls on Jewish culture and tradition to legitimize being critical of Israel. And that is all well and good. But this is not really about living up to the dictates of Jewish culture and tradition. Instead it is about replacing one’s Jewish identity with an identity wrapped around Zionism whether that identity is Zionist, anti-Zionist, or non-Zionist. Therefore it appears to be that the “Question of Zion” (not the book by the IJV signatory Jacqueline Rose) is now the crux of the matter for British Jews.
One’s take on Zionism is now the defining characteristic of one’s “Jewishness.” No longer is it measured by religiosity and observance, or adherence to the numerous cultural, secular values Judaism provides. Suddenly, it seems that if one is not critical enough (whatever that may mean) of Zionism and Israel than they are not living up to their commitment to the Talmudic tradition.
I refer to a recent Letter to the Editor by Richard Kuper, of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, who now wants the Board of Deputies to take it as their responsibility to educate about Israel. He writes: “They have a duty to those Jews in Britain who have close ties with Israel to keep them well-informed about the experiences of Israeli soldiers and human-rights activists and the criticisms they routinely make of Israeli government policy. The board fails in this duty.” This is nonsense and superfluous. The Board of Deputies should be doing other things. If Jews want information on Israel, there is a plethora of it splattered across the internet, or better yet, in bookstores everywhere. They don’t need to be fed information by the “Establishment”. Kuper seems to think that the Board has a duty to keep them informed – those who want to be informed will be informed, and those who don’t want to be informed wont be. It’s a personal choice. What Kuper wants is for the Board of Deputies to turn from a Jewish organization providing the religious and cultural needs of a Jewish community in Britain into an organization that focuses on Israel.
The more we obsess about Israel, and the more we obsess about how Zionism impacts our identities as Jews, the more we erode our Jewish identity. This is not to say that Zionism and Jewish identity are not compatible or complimentary. They are in my opinion. But what I am saying is that Zionism should not be the end all be all of one’s Jewish identity. The brilliance of Judaism relies on its ability to shelter numerous identities under a large umbrella. And by making the focus solely on Zionism and Israel we will forget and lose other important Jewish traditions.