The most savage passage of Huckleberry Finn is when Huck is about to turn in the runaway slave Jim and he writes a letter to Miss Watson to tell her where Jim is so as to cleanse his soul of the sin of having gone off with him. Mark Twain was looking back on Missouri slavery days from the safety of the 1880s. The passage isn't about Jim, it's about Huck, it's about a white person's enslavement to savage human norms; the ways that society ennobles wrongdoing. But of course after Huck writes out the letter, his human feeling for the slave rises up against those cruel and racist norms:
But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind. I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, 'stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping; and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog; and when I come to him again in the swamp, up there where the feud was; and suchlike times; and would always call me honey, and pet me, and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had smallpox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he's got now; and then I happened to look around and see that paper.
It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself:
"All right, then, I'll go to hell" - and tore it up.
Young Jews are on the river right now. We have the same choice. The Israel lobby is telling us to stick with Israel through thick and thin, and the Israel lobby is really actually the American establishment, Jew and non-Jew. On television, commentators from Chris Matthews to Jamie Rubin are worrying about the possible negative fallout of the end of Egyptian tyranny for Israel. Yes and what is that Egyptian order that they are trying to preserve for its people, and what is that Israeli order that they are trying to preserve? But tyranny, tyranny for Arabs and tyranny for the Palestinians. Noam Sheizaf and Henry Siegman both say that 5 million Palestinians have no rights in Palestine. Is it easier to hear it from another Jew? That's what they say.
We have the freedom to look at this story a different way from the Establishment TV commentators, we can look at the other person on the raft, breaking out. It's Wael Ghonim the young internet leader, it's the freedom-loving young people on the streets of Cairo whom we have given strength. It's Mona Eltahawy being listened to by Brian Lehrer, the public radio host who has had the moral decency to understand that Egypt is a new chapter in the story of human freedom. And of course that story is in Palestine. It's Abdallah Abu Rahmah in the Israeli prison for being completely nonviolent in opposing occupation, it's Adeeb Abu Rahmah breaking down as he appeals to the phalanx of occupying soldiers to have a heart. It's the five young Jews who listened to those Palestinians and heckled Netanyahu in New Orleans, Rae Abileah, Matthew Taylor, Emily Ratner, Matan Cohen, Eitan Isaacson. We're all on the raft. It's terrifying to break the old norms, but we can only do it together.
Phil — on any day, Israel’s crimes (apart from its mere existence — the crimes of 1948) are paramount for me, and I do not have Huck’s problem. Your essay is for Jews (and others) who still harbor fond feelings for Israel, and it’s a good analogy. I hope that many who love Israel but hate its current crimes are moved by it.
I suspect that the idea that Israel’s very existence is a crime, although held by many people, is held with most extreme tenacity and fierceness by many Israelis, and especially by its leaders, so that they make no distinction whatever between their existence and their current crimes. Having “gotten away” with the former, they see no reason to back off the latter. As career criminals they have no sense of “enough” and that is why there is no preparation for a “just and lasting peace” but only for continuing slavery, persecution, expulsion, etc. The minds of Israeli citizens are not prepared for peace. The minds of American and other non-Israeli Jews are not prepared. It’s pure crime all the way, a highway with no exits. In a way, the worst crime is the demand of loyalty and genuflection from the world’s Jews.
After all, the Palestinians do not threaten Israel in any way except by standing rather prominently as its victims. With peace, there would be no more victimizing/victimhood and no more threat to Israel from this direction. And much of the Arab-street hatred of Israel would evaporate if there were a decent peace.
Your analysis of the crime of 1948 is quite true, but we really have no choice but to accept that much, let them abide by Res. 242 that is. It’s the end of an era. The age of conquest it might be called. And you’re right that for Israelis it’s just that they haven’t finished the job of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. Until they do or until they are stopped, that era of conquest is still not over. And this is the precisely the point of Philip’s essay, for everyone near and far, and maybe diaspora Jews and certainly Israeli’s, to get past the “savage human norms” with which they have been indoctrinated.
I thought about posting this without the slant of it’s being addressed to you, but the tumult seems to be about something else entirely. As I said I’m impressed that you could sum the situation in so few words. I am replying to you because your remark that you don’t have Huck’s problem seemed to denigrate Philip’s essay. It is hard to imagine how to change the ingrown mindset of Israeli’s and their rabid supporters, but it is exactly what has to happen. Just like with Mubarak et al, we have to withdraw their funding.
“Young Jews are on the river right now. We have the same choice.”
No disrespect intended, Phil, but do you consider yourself “young”? I’m 27, and it seems that most of the “oy vey Israel is so bad!” crowd are middle aged liberals. Have you read “The Finkler Question”?
It’s true there are many young people alienated from Judaism and Israel, but most “young” Jews I know are significantly more religious than their parents.
i saw it at my sister’s house, that book. looks really really stupid in a smart way. typical of this generation of highbrow empowered jewish pro-israel intellectuals, they have been instrumentalized by a messianic militant cult.
no im not young, just in heart.
I haven’t read “The Finkler Question”, but I’ve read reviews and it sounds like the author has found a sleazy way to criticize anti-Zionist Jews by writing a novel partly about the subject, so rather than deal with real people making real arguments he can caricature imaginary people. It’s gotten good reviews in the US, from what I’ve seen, and I suspect I know why.
It’s why in general I’m not crazy about movies and novels with an explicit contemporary political theme, whether I agree with the author’s message or not. It’s too cheap. Anyone can “win” an argument by inventing fictional opponents and making them look stupid.
But maybe you should read the book, Phil, and write a review here. Or have someone else do it.
i shd read the book. you’re right. i just read the back cover and regitered the fact that it was at my sister’s house. why?
“i just read the back cover and regitered the fact that it was at my sister’s house. why?”
Huh, yeah, that’s interesting. It’s probably natural, if someone read a book review and you were part of the family, to see what others are writing about people like you.
Here’s Jerry Haber’s review of The Finkler Question: link to jeremiahhaber.com
Our very own Phil features prominently in the comment section. Maybe Phil’s sister reads The Magnes Zionist and wanted to know more about this Finkler character her brother is supposed to resemble:-p
It’s too cheap. Anyone can “win” an argument by inventing fictional opponents and making them look stupid.
howard jacobsen is just another stooge creating a new character for the same old familiar bashing extremist zionistist are known for. any author attempting to create a cowardly self serving hypocritical arrogant archetypical jew gets lambasted for antisemitism, yet he does it and gets awards, all because his character is an anti zionist?
phff. jacobsen is a coward! too cowardly to face the injustice and look at zionism head on, so he writes an ad hominem novel. same old same ol, no new tricks.
Seems to have struck a nerve, in any event. I thought the book was overrated in general, but a lot of its parody of “asajews” (that is, people who proclaim “as a Jew I am outraged”) was knowing and clever. The humor, on the other hand, was mostly trite and occasionally awful.
And it’s not made up characters, anyone familiar with British intellectual life will be able to see it as a roman a clef. Everyone from Jacqueline Rose to Stephen Fry is there. Not, sadly, our own Phil, however.
Not, sadly, our own Phil, however.
what are you saying jose?
I’m 27, and it seems that most of the “oy vey Israel is so bad!” crowd are middle aged liberals
!!! where do you live? because it’s not like that in the bay area.
I live in Buenos Aires, which is, admittedly, not on the cutting edge of anything.
iow jose the “oy vey Israel is so bad!” crowd are middle aged liberals in buenos aires, according to you.
Seems to have struck a nerve, in any event.
the book? not my nerve. like a said, same ol same ol. here’s an example of stricking a nerve, and it’s original! what jacobsen’s doing jews have been doing since the beginning of time, eating their own who step out of line. no illumination as far as i can tell.
It’s true there are many young people alienated from Judaism and Israel, but most “young” Jews I know are significantly more religious than their parents.
” Judaism and Israel” do not go hand and hand. last spring my good friend rae (phil mentioned her in the post) and about 30 of her friends organized a 3 or 4 day retreat on mt tamalpais. it was some holiday or something you may be familiar with tho i had never heard of it (i’m not jewish). it was to read and study and talk about judaism and the torah. it’s a yearly event of study. her banner for netanyahu when she interrupted his speech was ‘the settlements betray jewish values‘.
i don’t know who you think you are speaking for the religiosity of politically conscious jews. these jews were raised by jewish parents as well as other jews. they love their jewish values and i don’t see them giving them up when they criticize israel’s war crimes any more than goldstone left his at the door when he wrote his report.
if you are under some illusion attachment to judaism equals attachment to israel you are sorely mistaken. judaism has been around for centuries. the little criminal state of israel isn’t even a hundred years old. it’s a reflection of zionism, not judaism.
I didn’t suggest in any way that I’m speaking for anyone other than myself and my own experiences( I am Jewish, and Argentinian, my fathers family came from Algeria). And I admitted that we porteños are not as plugged in as you yanquis!
It’s not like that anywhere else either. Why does the 27-year-old think AIPAC is focussing its pro-Israel campaign on universities all over North America? Does anyone think European PR firms are full of geezers? Lieberman can’t pay Norwegian firms enough to come up with a new, hip image of Israel.
link to alethonews.wordpress.com
“but most “young” Jews I know are significantly more religious than their parents.”
Yes, and so many Christian kids are getting the “born-again” craze, too! It’s a regular religious revival!
Cause if there’s one thing which can be definitively and accurately measured, apart from any cultural influences or passing fads, it’s religiosity.
“It’s true there are many young people alienated from Judaism and Israel”
But not you, Jose! Can you see what naches that gives me!
(You knew I would get that in there) C’mon baby, I’ll race you to unction junction!
There is something funny here, but the humor isn’t making it into my not perfect English, I think. I had to look up the word naches–very good word, yet still to close to nachos.
It won the Man Booker Prize, so not just positive reviews in the states.
no surprise there, zionists will swarm to this like flies on shit.
I haven’t read it (as mentioned above), but have no reason to doubt it is well-written. It might deserve a prize and still be praised to a large extent by some people because of the vicious caricature of anti-Zionist Jews. Here’s the sort of reviews I’ve seen, where that caricature obviously plays a role and goes unchallenged–
Janet Maslin in the NYT
another NYT story
This is a piece from the Maslin review, which contains a snippet from the book–
“The Finkler Question” is all about anxiety. In a larger sense it focuses on (and satirizes) the kinds of Jews who can be “seen chanting ‘We are all Hezbollah’ outside the Israeli Embassy” on a Saturday. And Mr. Jacobson does a painful, bravura job of presenting a full spectrum of Jewish attitudes about the Middle East. “Gaza didn’t do it for him,” he says about the eagerly trendy Finkler, who wants to find a tenable and noisy way to talk about Israeli actions there even though he’d prefer not to talk about Israel at all.
Mr. Jacobson writes: “The philosopher in him recoiled from all the talk of massacre and slaughter on the streets. You keep the big unequivocal words for the big unequivocal occasions, Finkler thought. And there was an illogicality in charging the country he didn’t choose to name with wanton and unprovoked violence while at the same time complaining its bombardment of Gaza had been disproportionate. Disproportionate to what? Disproportionate to the provocation. In which case the operation had not been unprovoked.”
Of course, I do have to beg the question of why Jacobson had to invent anti-Zionist caricatures when he could have simply interviewed me.