A New Approach To Countering Disturbing Trends
Leading Jewish think-tank charts a more active role to span deepening divides.
Israel’s image has been damaged of late in mainstream media, among a vocal group of progressive Democrats and, most troubling, among a growing number of young, non-Orthodox American Jews.
Ambassador Dennis Ross, the veteran U.S diplomat on Mideast affairs, was interviewed 70 times on television and radio during the recent ten-day conflict between Hamas and Israel.
In every single interview, he noted later, he felt that if he hadn’t raised the issue of Hamas as the aggressor -- as a terror organization that seized Gaza and has doubled its arsenal since the 50-day war with Israel in 2014 -- those issues would not have been mentioned.
Ross is not alone among diplomats, sociologists and Jewish leaders in expressing deep concerns about Israel’s image today, not only in mainstream media but among an energetic and bold segment of the Democratic party, and -- perhaps most disturbing -- among a significant and increasing percentage of young, non-Orthodox American Jews.
The simultaneous timing two months ago of the Hamas-Israel conflict and the release of the latest Pew Center Report on American Jews has caused a whiplash of worry for many of us. It underscored fault lines within Congress and within our own community when it comes to once-solid support for Israel.
What’s more, the distancing from traditional support for Israel overlaps with an increasing remove from religious affiliation among younger American Jews, as detailed in the Pew study.
According to the latest report, more than 20 percent of U.S. Jews under 30 who are not Orthodox are described as “nones,” having no affiliation with Jewish institutional life. In addition, they have less attachment to Israel, lower approval of Israel’s leadership, are less opposed to BDS sanctions and more inclined to see Israel as a burden.
In effect, the younger the Jew, the less identified with anything Jewish.
These findings are neither new nor surprising to those who have followed the trend lines for a number of years. What, if anything, can be done about these troubling signs beyond hand-wringing or laying blame on our synagogues, educators, organizations and/or the young people themselves?
That question came up repeatedly during a recent, four-hour online meeting of the executive and international board of governors of the Jerusalem-based Jewish People Policy Institute. (I am one of its 38 members, mostly a mix of American and Israeli professional and lay leaders and academics.) Ambassadors Ross and Stuart Eizenstat are co-chairs of JPPI, viewed as the leading independent think-tank dedicated to the global Jewish future.
At the meeting (whose ground rules disallowed quoting people by name so as to foster open discussion), there was a palpable sense of urgency over three growing divides: within Israeli society, within American Jewry, and between Israel and diaspora Jews.
In Israel this year, the split between charedim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) and the rest of Israelis widened and grew more bitter, chiefly due to the charedi community’s resistance to maintaining Covid protocol. Many Israelis felt the result was an increased health threat to the whole country.
In the U.S., the differing political viewpoints of the Orthodox community and the balance of American Jewry centered on President Trump, praised in one camp as a champion of Israel and condemned by the other as a threat to democracy.
The Israel-diaspora divide appeared to grow in relation to the clash between American Jewry’s liberal political attitudes, especially regarding its discomfort with Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians, and an Israeli society that has moved increasingly rightward in recent years.
To address these and other pressing concerns, JPPI plans to step up its visibility and influence with Israeli policy makers. Under its new president, Yedidya Stern, a well-respected law professor and former head of the Israel Democracy Institute, JPPI is seeking to pivot from strictly a research body to taking on an added role of advocacy on key policy issues.
Part of the motivation behind the proposed shift is a recognition that the two largest Jewish communities in the world, in Israel and America, are in – or approaching – crisis mode. Fears were expressed at the meeting that if present trends continue over several decades, American Jewry will be greatly diminished in numbers, strength and political clout, which in turn negatively impacts Israel and the Jewish world. And it was acknowledged that during the Trump-Netanyahu years there was an erosion of the bipartisan support in Washington that Israel enjoyed for decades. A major re-set is vital.
There are hopeful signs, though, that the fragile new Israeli government, under Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, recognizes the need to actively improve its relations with The White House, Congress and American Jewry and has pledged to do so. The new coalition is seeking underscore its commitment to diversity by publicizing its inclusion of a gay minister, two others with disabilities and the first Arab to have a leadership role in government.
In addition, JPPI is likely to encourage the government to make its case to skeptical progressives by highlighting Israel’s commitment to -- and leadership in --environmental issues like climate change, water innovations, drought resistance and food security; racial equality (by appointing Ethiopian Israeli diplomats to high profile positions); and LGBTQ rights (with the Jewish state a beacon of pride among Mideast nations that ban homosexuality).
Despite the serious challenges facing those who seek to strengthen Jewish life and deepen ties to Israel, there are positive signs as well. More than 90 percent of American Jews proclaim pride in their identity, the Orthodox Jewish community is growing, and there is a significant, creative movement among young people who are more likely to express their Jewish identity through social action and universal forms of “tikkun olam,” repairing the world, rather than joining traditional synagogues and organizations.
Some say the disturbing increase in anti-Semitism in America will help unify the community in countering the age-old bias.
Several participants at the JPPI meeting emphasized the importance of better understanding what motivates young people and to try to meet their needs. The goal is to build bridges that span major differences by fostering debate and dialogue “l’shem shamayim,” for the sake of Heaven, not to marginalize or demonize those who disagree.
“We must look at Israel as a people, and not just a country” was a statement that resonated with me, suggesting the value in applying a fresh lens to old problems.
JPPI appears committed to changing the paradigm, moving the needle. Time will tell if its intended mix of data research and political activism can reverse the trends that threaten the Jewish future.