What does it mean to be pro-Israel? The vast and varied range of attitudes among Americans – Jewish and non-Jewish – about Israel will be explored by a noted and highly knowledgeable panel in what promises to be a lively, particularly relevant forum at Temple Israel of New Rochelle, Sunday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m. The program is free and the community is welcome.
Panelists include Ari Fleischer, former White House Press Secretary, Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Daniel Levy, a Middle East Expert. Gary Rosenblatt, Editor and Publisher of The Jewish Week will be moderator.
Commenting on the importance of this discussion, Senior Rabbi Scott Weiner noted that “Throughout much of the Jewish community, open and frank discussion about Israel, and what it means to be pro-Israel, is often shunned. This is really a sad state of affairs because the silence produces apathy about Israel when we should be fostering love for the country. As Jews, we have been making communal decisions about important issues in an open and symposium style since the time of the ancient rabbis. This panel hopes to discuss this issue in that spirit: real ideas from important people who have put much thought into this topic.”
Ari Fleischer’s recent best selling book, Taking Heat: The President, the Press, and My Years In The White House
Congresswoman Nita Lowey, who represents New York’s 18th Congressional district, is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, where she serves as the ranking Democrat of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs. She also served on the Intelligence Oversight Panel.
Daniel Levy is the Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director of The Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation, J Street Co-founder and co-editor of The Middle East Channel, an on-line initiative of Foreign Policy Magazine.
The event is sponsored by the Sidney and Ruth Lapidus Fund.
Temple Israel of New Rochelle is located at 1000 Pinebrook Blvd. For further
information, contact the Temple office, 914-235-1800.
What It Means to be Pro-Israel
I had not previously heard of tonight’s Temple Israel panel discussion on ‘What It Means to be Pro-Israel’, and I probably won’t attend.
But it seems, Talk of the Sound’ is as good a place as any to discuss ‘What It Means to be Pro-Israel’, so I am writing here.
My own opinion is that for many years, and particularly under Bibi Netanyahu and Ari Sharon, the government of Israel has not acted in the best interests of Israel, nor in the best interests of Jews throughout the world.
Ironically, under Bibi Netanyahu and Ari Sharon, the main interests that have benefitted from the Israel government’s policies are radical Islamists such as Hamas and Al Qaeda.
At this very moment, as democratic, non-Islamist revolution has been spreading throughout the Middle East, Israel is missing perhaps its only real opportunity to share in solidarity with decent Muslims who are seeking the overthrow of oppression by their overseers in countries such as Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.
Of course, under Israel’s present administration, it is difficult for Israel to advocate democracy in foreign nations, when it won’t allow democracy and self-determination for the many Palestinians living under Israeli control.
Ultimately, Israel has two choices, either to allow Palestine full sovereignty and independence; or alternately for Israel to fully incorporate Palestine into Israel, and at that time for all Palestinians to receive full civil rights as Israeli citizens. Anything else is an abomination.
So in answer to the question, ‘What It Means to be Pro-Israel’, is that one is most Pro-Israel, when one is willing to be critical of any Israeli policies that are self-destructive or destructive of others, or are in opposition of full democracy. ‘What It Means to be Pro-Israel’ is to complement anything Israel does that is good, and condemn anything Israel does that is bad. The same response is equally true regarding ‘What It Means to Be Pro-USA’.