Israel Right or Righter?

In the past few months, especially in the wake of the Mavi Marmara attack, the American public (especially Jews and others interested in Middle East policy) has been engaging in a debate over the relationship between America and Israel. In the Jewish community, which I grew up as an active member of, there are countless institutional outlets that are solely or partially dedicated to continuing strong American support for Israel (both by the government and diaspora-dwellers). Some leading organizations, such as AIPAC, have developed an "Israel right-or-wrong" attitude towards the discussion of policy. During a youth group event I attended in high school, we listened to a speaker who talked about Israel and the media. I specifically remember a section on how to "frame your arguments" and override opposing points using misleading rhetoric when debating with anyone taking an anti-Israel stand. I felt pretty uncomfortable, and I along with a few of my other friends left the speech, which was kinda boring anyways. Jews consistently top the list of most liberal or Democrat-leaning social/ethnic groups (approximately 78% voted for Obama), and yet seem to reflexively support Israel is moments of decidedly illiberal behavior such as the Mavi Marmara, the Gaza war and blockade, and the program of settlements in the West Bank.

The historical trauma of the Holocaust is extremely potent in the communal consciousness of international Judaism, and to some extent I can understand how this affects understanding of politics. Anti-Semitism is strong in parts of Europe and certainly there are governments in the Middle East whose express desire is to wipe Israel off the map. I don't deny the need for a safe homeland for Jews (although perhaps it shouldn't be where it is), but Israelis and Jews around the world shouldn't be overly surprised at the reception they've been given by their neighbors. As Andrew Sullivan puts it:

"When the lives and homes of hundreds of thousands are permanently and suddenly altered without their permission and against their religious beliefs, they will react. When families are still turfed out of their homes to make way for strangers of a different religious background, rage is a perfectly defensible, and rational, response"

Tribalist, "us against the world" mentalities might feel good in the short term, but in essence they create a culture of hate that will replicate on both sides. The tactic of the Gaza blockade may slightly decrease the importation of explosive materials, but denying Gazans the access to a huge number of non-threatening items such as children's toys is a transparent attempt to decrease the quality of life for Palestinians and cause dissent against Hamas. This is a serious ethical issue that the biggest supporters of Israel (Americans and Jews) need to consider.

Another fact that might shock the vast majority of Jews who voted for our first African-American president: 41% of Israeli Jews support the segregation of Jews and Arabs in public recreation areas, and that same study shows 68% would refuse to live in the same apartment buildings as an Arab. Yeah. We're talking about Arab Israeli citizens here, who can vote and be members of the Knesset. This statistic should be extremely disconcerting to liberal American Jews who assume Israel's moral high ground while simultaneously turning a (rightly) critical eye at the actions of our own government and people. The vision that many Baby Boomers have of a largely secular, kibbutznik culture is no longer the case. The ultra-Orthodox, due to many aspects of Israeli society as well as its parliamentary system, hold a disproportionate amount of power in determining the actions of the Israeli government. These theocrats have been a driving force, although by no means the only one, behind the encroachment of Israeli settlers into Palestinian East Jerusalem. This is a policy that has been widely criticized, even among a relatively pro-Israel American public. Besides being bad politics and being potentially harmful the security of Israel and her citizens, it is immoral and should be recognized as such, especially by those American Jews who have care about the country's future and value ethical government. Defending an administration who submits ethnically segregated populations to a collective punishment over the results of a democratic election does nothing but strengthen claims of Israel's illegitimacy across the already hostile international community. I hear many people claim that Israel is judged on a different moral playing field than other countries, and while this may be true in some cases it is important to remember that Israel was carved out of a piece of land surrounded by and on top of a religiously hostile majority. The field is different. And how about this for a present-day counterfactual: Say that Turkey, or Iraq, or a Balkan nation segregated a large portion of a religious or ethnic group, refused to acknowledge the result (however unpleasant) of a democratic election, and then waged economic warfare on that population. Being critical of societies and institutions are a means to try to improve them.