TotallyJewish.com | News | Special Reports
- No longer is Diaspora support for Israel channeled exclusively through a single central United Jewish Appeal. Neither are the political lobbies, such as AIPAC in north America or BICOM in the UK allowed to spin their own single version of what is happening in Israel to groups of politicians and journalists � as though everything is really okay and the negative parts are just a media lie and part of a global conspiracy of anti-Semitism. And make no mistake about it, there is plenty of anti-Semitism out there disguised as anti-Israel critique.
But today there are alternative narratives out there in the high street of Jewish pluralistic debate � no less supportive of Israel and its vibrant democracy but more critical of many of the policies are undertaken by its government. And, as a result, the establishment feels threatened. It no longer has sole access to the ears of policy makers, or the cheque books of philanthropists and donors � which anyway has become increasingly difficult in a period of global economic recession.
Some of them have hit back in a very non-Jewish fashion, attempting to stifle debate and to delegitimise those who think otherwise by labelling them as anti-Israel, self-hating Jews, post-Zionists and the like � when they are in fact guilty of no more than a deep love for Israel and a growing concern over the way the state is moving.
Liberal, progressive and pro-peace supporters of Israel are not illegitimate haters of the state in disguise. The bully-boy tactics that have hit the headlines over the past year are doomed to fail. Support for Israel will remain strong among all parts of the Diaspora while, at the same time, searching and difficult questions will be asked by those who fear for the future of Israeli democracy, human rights and a just solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Nothing will come from an attempt to silence or delegitimise these growing voices, whose love for Israel and its people is rightly reflected in a growing concern for the nature of its diverse and pluralistic society.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
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