The author has done a couple of earlier posts. First here, then here.
With this post I include my name and not just my nom de blog, wondering jew.
Weeks ago when I informed a right wing Israeli friend of mine that I had visited a West Bank settlement for a Shabbat, he commented that unlike the theatrical artists who were at that time boycotting the theater in Ariel, I apparently disagreed. I demurred that my visit was exploratory rather than an advocacy of policy and offered that maybe the boycotters of Ariel were right. He then asked, “If Ariel asked you to recite your old poetry at their theater would you refuse?” To which I answered, “No, I would ask ‘What time is the next bus?'” I then added a reference to Amiri Baraka who when asked about sellling out had replied, “It remains to be seen how much they might offer.”
I was attracted to participating in this blog by the immediate unmoderated comments that allowed a free for all spontaneous discussion, but also the immediate gratification of the appearance of my nom de blog (first yonahred and then after the institution of some new mondoweiss policy- wondering jew) in the comments column. Since my participation was primarily as heckler or disloyal opposition, there seemed nothing wrong with it. But now that editors have seen fit to invite me to post I need to come to terms with my participation.
I favor a two state solution, but as is amply demonstrated by the weighted term “demographic problem” and by the recent rightward turn of the Netanyahu-Lieberman government, my advocacy of a 2ss is vulnerable both as , insufficient to solve certain basic elements of the conflict and also vulnerable to the reality of the unlikelihood of a Palestinian- Israeli agreement. The purpose of this blog is to advocate some solution to the conflict that redresses all the wrongs the Palestinians have suffered, which on its face seems reasonable, unless one considers Jewish statehood to be a value and that the dangers involved in attempting to redress all the wrongs may ultimately involve by design or accident the loss of not only Jewish statehood, but also the loss of Jewish lives and the “exile” of many of the Jews currently living in Israel.
There is another question involved with this blog’s attitudes: its general attitude towards Jewish continuity. Although I am wifeless and childless at this late stage of my life (I am 55) I am uncle to 23, (without an evil eye), nieces and nephews, 12 of whom were birthed by my three modern Orthodox Zionist sisters and 11 of whom were fathered by my ultra Orthodox nonZionist brother. Despite my lack of contribution to this plethora of “Be fruitful and multiply” my current residence in Israel and generally passive stance and attitude allows full participation in family celebrations and the general encouragement of continuity involved in those family celebrations.
This blog’s advocacy of assimilation is “reasonable”: I understand the reason behind the desire to become part of the large American collective that is offered through intermarriage. The idea of peace on earth established through the disappearance of nations, races and religions through intermarriage and assimilation is not foreign to me. It seems slightly perverse that Jews would wish to be at the forefront of this movement given the recent physical attempt to wipe us off of this planet and also given the fact that most of the planet’s humans are not interested in the disappearance of their collective groups, Its advocacy seems freighted with possibilities of self hate. To combine antiZionism with anti continuity and to advocate the blog as a new basis for Jewish identity seems strange, to say the least.
So then why blog for the enemy?
1. Communication with Palestinians is valuable. As a Jewish Zionist, they may be our enemies, but they are also our neighbors. Communication is essential if a positive outcome is to be reached (and useful no matter what outcome is reached.) Thus this blog is a venue for me to communicate with Palestinians.
2. I like to argue.
3. I like to see my name spelled right.
