Today’s On the Media, a Sunday show on National Public Radio, featured a dialogue between Steve Rosen, formerly of AIPAC, and Peter Beinart, writer of the bombshell essay criticizing the American Jewish leadership for its blind support of Israel. The host of the show, Brooke Gladstone, introduced it by saying in so many words, If you’re not Jewish, you may not understand why this is important– i.e., this is not a general-interest piece about the actual impact of the lobby on policy, no, it’s about a defection from the lobby. Then Rosen and Beinart clashed about Israel, with Rosen taking the totalitarian-lobby position that Jews can’t criticize Israel in the U.S. because the U.S. is the one supporter Israel has. (Just what I’ve been saying for years.) Rosen’s position is so anti-democratic that as he even conceded, NPR listeners would disagree with him. Beinart’s position was reasonable–but also driven by love of Israel, as he declared. And remember, he comes out of an Orthodox religious background.
Later in the show, Michael Shapiro, who teaches at Columbia Journalism School, was on the show to talk about D-Day journalism. There was a mention of his book on baseball. I’m guessing from his comments that Shapiro is a secular liberal. And this is really the problem: Most American Jews are like Shapiro. They’re secular liberals. But they have actually deferred to the Rosens and Beinarts of the world, allowing them to run the lobby on behalf of a foreign country that is set up in the secular liberal Jews’ names. They haven’t taken an Out position on the most important issue involving Jewish life; and I think they’re silent out of communal ordination/fear. They haven’t stood up for their values. I was like that for years. It’s irresponsible. I am speaking generally, not just about Shapiro; but it is irresponsible.