Opinion: Dear Israel: I’m Stuck in the Middle With You
My parents taught me that the existence of Israel is essential. My children taught me that support for their violently racist policies is fascistic. There’s a middle position, even if it sometimes feels contradictory.
By Cathy K. Brown, Fri., Feb. 23, 2024
We call it tzedakah. In churches, it’s tithing, or passing the basket. In synagogue, the Hebrew word tzedakah means not charity, but justice. Sarah Hurwitz, former speechwriter for Barack and Michelle Obama, discussed this essential distinction. “Charity is given out of the kindness of our hearts. ... Tzedakah is considered mandatory under Jewish law.”
Foundational Jewish writings, including the Old Testament, emphasize Jews’ inescapable obligation to fight for the rights of every human being facing any form of discrimination or bias, including religion, race, gender, sexuality, ableism, socioeconomic status, and reproductive status. To Jews – to me – it is imperative to treat everyone with respect, kindness, and decency.
It’s in our religion.
It’s in our hearts.
It’s in our souls.
But, it is not in Israel.
Regardless of differing positions on Israel, not one of us can claim that Israel’s policies indicate a commitment to treating everyone with respect, kindness, and equity. Or, even a commitment to following current Israeli law, which requires the protection of the life, body, dignity, and property of all human beings.
Don’t misunderstand: To me, it is essential that Jews must have some place to go. The next time a country decides to massacre, deport, or forcibly convert us, it is an incontrovertible fact that we must have a destination that we can count on to take us in. And, for Jews, there is always a next time.
Pop quiz time: Imagine you were one of the 9,500,000 European Jews soon to be disenfranchised, impoverished, deported, starved, or killed by the Nazis. Now, list all of the countries in the world that offered safety and shelter, without restriction, to you and all other Jews fleeing the Nazi regime.
A hint: The U.S. isn’t on the list – we required a showing of government documents that no refugees could possibly have. A 1938 poll found that less than 5% of Americans thought we should increase the number of Jewish refugees allowed in the country.
Another hint: England isn’t on it either. Like the Netherlands, they accepted almost exclusively children. Palestine and South Africa made the list, until severely limiting the number of Jews allowed. Australia, considering Jews prone to criminality, developed their first limitations on refugees. Switzerland, the only supposedly “neutral” country that shares a border with Germany, turned away at least half of the Jews who made it to there.
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama? Not on the list; they refused to accept “traders or intellectuals” – otherwise known as Jews.
Canada? Accepted only a fraction of Jewish refugees. Their Prime Minister stressed fears of civil unrest and the dilution of bloodlines. When asked how many Jewish refugees Canada should accept, the Minister of Immigration responded “none is too many.”
And, the answer to our quiz question is:
That’s it. That’s the entire list.
That’s the list I take personally.
That’s the list explaining the imperative of having somewhere to go.
But, that is not equivalent to a free pass to commit human rights atrocities.
Every Sunday morning, my grandchildren, 6 and 9, go to Hebrew school where they have learned all of the most positive aspects of Israel. Because they don’t yet understand “taxes,” I imagine how I will explain to them that I don’t want to send “gifts” to a country that disregards our essential values. I’d say that neither naughty children nor racist states get “allowances.” I’d clarify that we would no more disinherit badly behaved children than we abandon Israel, but that we won’t reward despicable policies and behavior.
To do so is bad parenting, and poorly thought out international relations.
To do so is, or should be, unethical and abhorrent ...
... to American taxpayers,
... to parents,
... and, especially, to Jews.
Cathy K. Brown, of Austin, is a former attorney and professor who focused on the First Amendment rights of public school students. She was the first woman to get an M.S. in fire protection management. Currently, she devotes herself to being a sweet little Jewish grandmother.
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