Phyllis Chesler is a terrified Jewish writer; she believes that anti-Semitism is an enduring force in Jewish life in the west, and there’s an “impending Holocaust” in Israel. The Jewish Press has posted her review of The Gatekeepers that begins with a caricature of New York liberal Jews as anti-Zionist. I hope Chesler is right, that these attitudes are now widespread. Her nutty tone here is revealing of the panic inside the rightwing Zionist community (the piece calls settlements “settlements”) over changing attitudes among liberal Americans.
The crowd at the Lincoln Plaza Cinema on the upper west side is mainly Jewish and liberal—ultra-liberal. They behave as if they are superior to all “oustjuden,” the illiterate, superstitious, unwashed Eastern European Jews–and therefore, in their sleek leather boots and fashionable coats they are, surely, finally, safe. At least, safer. After millennia of persecution, here are Jews who are not self-hating, not even opportunist, just Jews who feel secure as long as they feel superior to other Jews. The “outsjuden today are the Zionists, the “settlers,” the “right wing.”
Psychologically, this means that they deserve to survive. They are the “good” Jews. Assimilated, exquisitely moral, the first to find imperfections in their co-religionists…
“I am surprised those Zionists are not outside protesting,” says one woman.
“They’ll be here for the later showing, believe me” says another.
A man chimes in: “You have no idea how fanatic they can be. I know.”
His listeners nod approvingly.
And still, these safe-and-liberal Jews push and shove and behave like Jews do on a line, at the Jewish Film Festival or at the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv. This I find funny and slightly endearing.
The film, “The Gatekeepers” directed by Dror Moreh, will cause Israel great harm, great damage.
Thanks to Annie Robbins.
How apologists for Israeli occupation manufacture doubt within their own minds to assuage their conflicted consciences:
“The Jewish Press has posted her review of The Gatekeepers that begins with a caricature of New York liberal Jews as anti-Zionist.”
One can dream…
“The film, ‘The Gatekeepers’ directed by Dror Moreh, will cause Israel great harm, great damage.”
One can dream…
Thanks, as always, for providing us with another revealing glimpse at the deranged mindset of the rightwing Zionists. The last line of her piece says it all, not just about her attitude, but about Zionism in general. “The film, “The Gatekeepers” directed by Dror Moreh, will cause Israel great harm, great damage.” In other words, Zionism is incompatible with the truth and cannot tolerate its light. The two concepts are mutually exclusive.
No the film will not cause any damage, however Israel’s actions, its morality and its atrocious attitude towards human rights will cause the damage.
If Chesler wishes to limit her claims to the United States, then her argument might have a molecule of validity. In other words, I don’t agree with her hysterics.
But if she is referring to information available in the mainstream press coming from Israel, then her claim is ludicrous precisely for the reason that the press in Israel has been exposing Israelis — those who cared to pay attention anyway — to the kind of information and arguments seen in the movie The Gatekeepers. Any Israeli older than 30 should be quite familiar with the information presented in The Gatekeepers. The problem with Israelis is that they do not care. They know, but they do not care.
So if one were to take the Gatekeepers as an indication of rising anti-Zionism, it would be a good indicator of how unfamiliar and how detached Zionist American Jews are from Israel and from what goes on within that state.
Here’s a news and politics talk show that used to air in the 1990s on the Israeli Channel One. This episode aired on May 4, 1994, the day Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed the Cairo Agreement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWCuPoNUUBI
At the start of the show, the late professor Yeshayahu Leibowitz — a moral giant — educates the woman seen to his right about the self-congratulatory pro-Zionist myths she was espousing.
At 09:30, the host introduces Mustaffa Barghouthi.
The point is that the information contained in this show alone — nevermind the rest of the Israeli press and media — disproves Phyllis Chesler’s claims.
P.S. – Phil, let me know if you would like me to translate the exchange in that video. It’s quite instructive for several reasons and would be a great addition to Mondoweiss’ repertoire. It is also quite revealing as it shows how Israeli media was far more balanced in the 1990s (Relatively speaking) than it is today.