I am the American son of a Danish Resistance member who helped get Danish Jews safely to Sweden in 1943. My Danish great-uncle helped with the White Ambulance Brigade in spring 1945, which rescued hundreds of Scandinavian Jews from Thereisenstadt. I have visited Auschwitz. As a lifelong supporter of Israel (we were both born in 1948), I was horrified by the barbaric Hamas attack of October 7. As a student of history, I also know that from 1947-1967, the West Bank was universally considered Palestinian land — not only according to the 1947 UN partition plan, but also in 1948 by none other than David Ben-Gurion himself, who refused to occupy it during the 1948 war. So, all that said, what gives modern-day Israel the moral authority to build Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and subjugate the indigenous Palestinians there, which it has been doing for decades?
Interesting assessment - if only the intended audience was day school graduates. The film is being shown on college campuses around the country, open to those with no background on Israel. It will create (or reinforce) the same problem the film maker complains of - a one sided view of Israel.
American Jews aren't unique in their dislike of Netanyahu. A recent poll in Israel finds that almost 3/4 of the country want someone else as Prime Minister.
Good and important article. I write as a former journalist now chairing a Jewish high school Jewish History Department that teaches a lot about Israel. The truth is that while we're definitely better than we were a decade ago, our schools generally clamp down on what they perceive to be non "rah-rah" Israel support. For example, J Street is definitely not permitted to even show up. In my book, whether I agree or disagree is not the issue (and I disagree with some of what they say and do and agree with other actions -- just like I feel about AIPAC). The point is that as long as someone doesn't believe in the end of the State of Israel as a Jewish state -- whose definition is purposely amorphous -- we should be able to hear their voices. It's not just about teaching the Palestinian perspective (also diverse), but teaching diverse Jewish perspectives.
But, of course, first we'd have to teach a course on how to disagree with integrity when it comes to others' views. We need a lot of work in that area as well.
Great column. I admire how you engage their point of view rather than dismiss it. (I am also impressed with how you honored the filmmakers request for being a they.) Finally, you demonstrate here that you are not only a good pundit, but a good reporter. You keep talking to people on all sides!
You describe Zimmerman's background this way: "The central figure is Simone Zimmerman, 32, who happily attended Jewish day school in Los Angeles through high school, Jewish youth groups, summer camps, Israel summer programs, and Hillel on campus when she was a student at the University of California, Berkeley (Class of 2013)."
Times of Israel describes it this way: "Zimmerman co-founded IfNotNow, a “movement of young American Jews working to end the American Jewish community’s support for the occupation.” She lived in Israel between 2016 and 2018 and has a degree in Middle Eastern Studies from UC Berkeley."
They also included that she worked for B'tselem during that time and then late as the Director of B’tselem in America.
And that while she was there workign for B’Tselem, in March 2017, they filmed IDF soldier Sgt. Elor Azaria shooting a disarmed, injured Palestinian in the head and it sparked a nationwide debate over excessive force and IDF values and Azaria ended up jailed by a military court over it.
And that she was detained and questioned about her political beliefs by when crossing into Israel from Egypt, and questioned by Population and Immigration Authority and the Shin Bet confirmed they gave instructions to question her.
So she's not nearly as naive, unqualified or inexperienced in the real world as you frame.
I haven't seen Israelism and I don't know if I will. I just heard about her today. You were the first article I ever read about her, it was the first time I've ever heard about you as well. I thought it was a good article providing a more balanced viewpoint, and it interested me enough to read a second and the third, both on the Times of Israel.
I've come away knowing that you intentionally cherry picked and omitted vital facts required to give a critique of this nature and described her background and qualifications in an incomplete manner meant to diminish her credibility on a subject.
And that is so far past hasbara that unless you are specifically working for a party agenda you wouldn't ask hypocritical questions that ironically make the author look worse than their fictitious villain they're writing about. Like this.
"Are we prepared to respond effectively to “Israelism,” which is guilty of offering the same kind of narrow, one-sided approach it accuses pro-Israel activists of putting forward?"
While recommendations regarding further and balanced education in Jewish and Zionistic history is well taken, it may be worth investigating psychologic factors of these people with strong Jewish backgrounds who have found more meaning in supporting Palestinian causes at the expense of the Zionistic ones. A deeper dive into this may merit a more insightful movie.
I am the American son of a Danish Resistance member who helped get Danish Jews safely to Sweden in 1943. My Danish great-uncle helped with the White Ambulance Brigade in spring 1945, which rescued hundreds of Scandinavian Jews from Thereisenstadt. I have visited Auschwitz. As a lifelong supporter of Israel (we were both born in 1948), I was horrified by the barbaric Hamas attack of October 7. As a student of history, I also know that from 1947-1967, the West Bank was universally considered Palestinian land — not only according to the 1947 UN partition plan, but also in 1948 by none other than David Ben-Gurion himself, who refused to occupy it during the 1948 war. So, all that said, what gives modern-day Israel the moral authority to build Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and subjugate the indigenous Palestinians there, which it has been doing for decades?
Interesting assessment - if only the intended audience was day school graduates. The film is being shown on college campuses around the country, open to those with no background on Israel. It will create (or reinforce) the same problem the film maker complains of - a one sided view of Israel.
American Jews aren't unique in their dislike of Netanyahu. A recent poll in Israel finds that almost 3/4 of the country want someone else as Prime Minister.
Good and important article. I write as a former journalist now chairing a Jewish high school Jewish History Department that teaches a lot about Israel. The truth is that while we're definitely better than we were a decade ago, our schools generally clamp down on what they perceive to be non "rah-rah" Israel support. For example, J Street is definitely not permitted to even show up. In my book, whether I agree or disagree is not the issue (and I disagree with some of what they say and do and agree with other actions -- just like I feel about AIPAC). The point is that as long as someone doesn't believe in the end of the State of Israel as a Jewish state -- whose definition is purposely amorphous -- we should be able to hear their voices. It's not just about teaching the Palestinian perspective (also diverse), but teaching diverse Jewish perspectives.
But, of course, first we'd have to teach a course on how to disagree with integrity when it comes to others' views. We need a lot of work in that area as well.
Well said, Gary.
Great column. I admire how you engage their point of view rather than dismiss it. (I am also impressed with how you honored the filmmakers request for being a they.) Finally, you demonstrate here that you are not only a good pundit, but a good reporter. You keep talking to people on all sides!
any link to the film??
You describe Zimmerman's background this way: "The central figure is Simone Zimmerman, 32, who happily attended Jewish day school in Los Angeles through high school, Jewish youth groups, summer camps, Israel summer programs, and Hillel on campus when she was a student at the University of California, Berkeley (Class of 2013)."
Which led me to believe that she wasn't as familiar with the realities on the ground of living in Israel. So I looked up her getting fired to see what she said about Netanyahu. https://www.timesofisrael.com/bernie-sanders-staffer-fired-for-anti-netanyahu-rant-hired-to-run-btselem-usa/
Times of Israel describes it this way: "Zimmerman co-founded IfNotNow, a “movement of young American Jews working to end the American Jewish community’s support for the occupation.” She lived in Israel between 2016 and 2018 and has a degree in Middle Eastern Studies from UC Berkeley."
They also included that she worked for B'tselem during that time and then late as the Director of B’tselem in America.
And that while she was there workign for B’Tselem, in March 2017, they filmed IDF soldier Sgt. Elor Azaria shooting a disarmed, injured Palestinian in the head and it sparked a nationwide debate over excessive force and IDF values and Azaria ended up jailed by a military court over it.
And that she was detained and questioned about her political beliefs by when crossing into Israel from Egypt, and questioned by Population and Immigration Authority and the Shin Bet confirmed they gave instructions to question her.
So she's not nearly as naive, unqualified or inexperienced in the real world as you frame.
I haven't seen Israelism and I don't know if I will. I just heard about her today. You were the first article I ever read about her, it was the first time I've ever heard about you as well. I thought it was a good article providing a more balanced viewpoint, and it interested me enough to read a second and the third, both on the Times of Israel.
I've come away knowing that you intentionally cherry picked and omitted vital facts required to give a critique of this nature and described her background and qualifications in an incomplete manner meant to diminish her credibility on a subject.
And that is so far past hasbara that unless you are specifically working for a party agenda you wouldn't ask hypocritical questions that ironically make the author look worse than their fictitious villain they're writing about. Like this.
"Are we prepared to respond effectively to “Israelism,” which is guilty of offering the same kind of narrow, one-sided approach it accuses pro-Israel activists of putting forward?"
While recommendations regarding further and balanced education in Jewish and Zionistic history is well taken, it may be worth investigating psychologic factors of these people with strong Jewish backgrounds who have found more meaning in supporting Palestinian causes at the expense of the Zionistic ones. A deeper dive into this may merit a more insightful movie.
Israel is not safe for Jews. Please come back to the USA and western countries where it is safe. And stay here.
Really, really excellent analysis of the issue. I signed a protest letter weeks ago, but I think your response, Gary, makes much more sense.