American Jewish support for Israel seems to be dropping if you look at numbers attending the Israel Day Parade in New York:
2012 — 35,000 marchers — predominately Orthodox Jews. Haaretz:
In 2002, an estimated 750,000 spectators came to watch 100,000 marchers.
These days the parade, which last year changed its name to the Celebrate Israel Parade from the Salute to Israel Parade, draws much smaller numbers. It also has grown increasingly Orthodox over the years; most of the marchers are children from area day schools.
1977: 75,000 marchers — cross-sectional parade. (New York Times)
Unfortunately, it looks like Americans for Peace Now are not in the exit line: http://peacenow.org/pages/events.html
I am a little confused by the Orthodox turnout. I take it some Orthodox support Zionist Israel and others consider it blasphemy?
Anyone notice the ironic theme of this year’s parade? “Israel branches out”. No kidding! From the flier soliciting groups to participate:
“We invite you to join us in learning about Israel as it relates to: flowers, blossoming, being fruitful, growing, going out on a limb, branching out into (hi‐tech), stem‐ming the tide of …., trees, plants, agricultural models, finding our roots, seeds etc. Put on your thinking caps and use your fertile imaginations to create a Garden of Delight on 5th Avenue!”
Think maybe the “branching out” into more and more Palestinian land has anything to do with the dwindling numbers?
This is an old story. Generally, when there is a lot of rain in the forecast, like there was yesterday, you get fewer spectators and fewer marchers. Last year, the weather was nicer, and more people showed up. It’s the same with protestors. I didn’t march this year until around 2:30, when some of the rain came, and I didn’t see anyone in the protestors pen outside of the Neturei Karta people. I’m guessing more the four protestors showed up.
The fact that the marchers have grown increasingly orthodox in recent years is a function of the predominance of orthodox organizations in American Jewish organization life. To march, you have to be affiliated with a synagogue or some communal Jewish organization; most marchers are synagogue-based or day school-based. Twenty or thirty years ago, non-denominational communal organizations and conservative and reform synagogues were much stronger than they are today, so there were more marchers. Today, non-orthodox Jews are less likely to be institutionally affiliated.
The parade is still a big deal. Synagogues and schools from all over the country take part, and when the weather is nice, lots of people line the streets to watch. Every major Jewish communal organization from left to right on the political spectrum still takes part and the atmosphere is always very festive. And the intramural politics are set aside for a day.
This is another one of those things where I would advise you all to copy rather than criticize. Why not organize a march for a Palestinian state in the city? Invite the kids from Muslim schools to march and make floats and art projects celebrating positive things about Palestinian and Islamic culture. You’d gain a lot of support if you did.
Today on “Democracy Now!”:
Norman Finkelstein on the Role of BDS & Why Obama Doesn’t Believe His Own Words on Israel-Palestine
Norman Finkelstein, author of the new book, “Knowing Too much: Why the American Jewish Romance with Israel Is Coming to an End,” argues that President Obama’s hawkish support for Israel is belied by his liberal background as a law professor and community organizer. Responding to Obama’s speech this year before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Finkelstein says, “President Obama clearly doesn’t believe a word he’s saying [on Israel-Palestine]. And that’s probably the most troubling or the most disconcerting thing about listening to him. … He says we have Israel’s back. Well, what he actually means is, rich American Jews have me, meaning Obama, in their pocket, and I have my hands in their pocket.” Known as one of Israel’s most prominent critics, Finkelstein says the goal of the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions campaign and the broader movement for Middle East peace should be to mobilize public opinion on what most already support: a two-state solution rooted in international law. “Politics is not about personal opinions,” Finkelsten says. “It’s about trying to reach a public and getting them to act on their own sense of right and wrong.”
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/6/4/norman_finkelstein_on_the_role_of