Yesterday I received a fundraising letter from the head of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) saying that the sound of the ram’s horn in synagogue tonight, marking the new year, is a “wake-up call” for Jews to support Israel and fight BDS, the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign.
The letter completely conflates Judaism and Zionism, religion and state:
This New Year, let the shofar’s sound serve as a wake-up call—a reminder of our responsibility as Jews and a chance to reaffirm our commitment to the Jewish homeland.
Today, nearly 70 years after Israel declared independence, her right to exist still comes under assault. But every day, AJC is countering the campaign to delegitimize Israel.
You can read David Harris’s letter in full below. But it is evidence of the complete capture of the Jewish establishment by Zionism, and the ways in which leading organizations have turned the Jewish religion into Zionism– and made the conflict in Israel and Palestine a religious conflict. When anyone starts complaining about Muslim imams preaching jihad or Christian evangelicals shutting down abortion clinics, this is the Jewish version of religious interference in public life.
The Jewish organizations completed this conversion 30 and 40 years ago. They had the assistance of scholars like the political philosopher Michael Walzer, who traces Zionism to the bible itself. And maybe these people are right about religion. Religion is a human endeavor, and like so many other such endeavors has an ethnic component; it can be used to justify a people’s claim to self-determination. Many religious figures sanctify political violence (just look at the role of preachers in the American revolution).
But what the AJC is saying is very dangerous. The American Jewish Committee is saying that the Jewish religion commands Jews to support the occupation of Palestinian lands and persecution of Palestinians, and oppose equal rights for Palestinians (ideas embedded in BDS). These policies foster hatred of Jews; and the AJC fosters that process by saying these are Jewish commitments.
As I say here often, young Jews reject these ideas. Jewish Voice for Peace, IfNotNow — they define Jewishness in non-nationalist ways in the era of Trump. Look at this campaign from IfNotNow targeting Jewish leaders. “You Never Told Me” about the occupation in Jewish spaces. They’re angry about that.
Though the AJC isn’t interested in young Jews. It’s raising money, from older Zionist Jews. “No other country has experienced as much international demonization as Israel.” Really? What about North Korea, Syria and Iran?
Here’s the letter from David Harris.
This New Year, let the shofar’s sound serve as a wake-up call—a reminder of our responsibility as Jews and a chance to reaffirm our commitment to the Jewish homeland.
Today, nearly 70 years after Israel declared independence, her right to exist still comes under assault. But every day, AJC is countering the campaign to delegitimize Israel.
Here are just a few ways your support brings tangible results.
- At the United Nations, AJC Is Changing Opinions about IsraelTo help dismantle the UN’s systemic discrimination against Israel, our Project Interchange seminars bring UN and UNESCO ambassadors—along with other world leaders—to Israel to experience the reality first-hand.
We’ve affected UN voting patterns on several occasions. And AJC’s campaign to make Israel eligible to vie for a UN Security Council seat, after 50 years of ineligibility, succeeded: Israel is seeking a seat for the 2019-20 term.
- In Fighting BDS, AJC Is Helping Safeguard IsraelAJC has worked tirelessly to secure passage of anti-BDS legislation in many states. We continue to work for federal legislation. And in a huge blow to those calling for a boycott of Israel, AJC’s Governors United Against BDS campaign is now backed by all 50 U.S. governors.
- On College Campuses, AJC Is Standing Up for IsraelThe American campus is the latest arena for those looking to vilify Israel. To counter this, AJC launched Leaders for Tomorrow (LFT), an innovative, acclaimed program that prepares high school students to advocate for the Jewish people when they get to campus.
And most recently, we organized a statement signed by 100+ life science and healthcare academics in the Boston area slamming anti-Israel boycotts for their threat to “the free flow of ideas and information.”
- When Addressing the Diplomatic Community, AJC Is Advocating for IsraelOver the past year, AJC has held meetings with government officials of more than 100 of the 193 UN member states. We urge these leaders to forge stronger ties with Israel, reject unfair boycotts, and confront anti-Semitism masked as criticism of the Jewish state.
No other country has experienced as much international demonization as Israel. And no other organization is better positioned than AJC to combat it. With more than 60 offices and partner groups worldwide, and access to the decision-makers who matter, AJC is there.
But AJC can only be there if you are with us. Your support is what makes AJC’s advocacy possible.
Join us as we work to make this New Year a more peaceful and promising one for Israel, the Jewish people, and all humanity.
Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy 5778,
David Harris
Chief Executive Officer
Thanks to Annie Robbins and Scott Roth.
@Phil
Agree with your primary point that the American Jewish community has decided to make Zionism part of Judaism and Judaism part of Zionism. I would quibble a bit with this line though:
The American Jewish Committee is saying that the Jewish religion commands Jews to support the occupation of Palestinian lands and persecution of Palestinians, and oppose equal rights for Palestinians (ideas embedded in BDS). These policies foster hatred of Jews; and the AJC fosters that process by saying these are Jewish commitments.
The AJC isn’t saying that, you are saying that. The AJC is saying they oppose BDS. BDS is a confrontational leftist groups. There are all sorts of confrontational leftist groups people oppose even if they do support the underlying demands. I was opposed to the Iraqi occupation and oppossed to A.N.S.W.E.R. I agree with Black Lives Matter that independent DAs and not County DAs should be prosecuting police involved shootings, while still opposing the group. I agree with a lot of Al Qaeda’s critique about American policy. I think the Sunni Resistance and later ISIS have legitimate grievances.
Saying you oppose a group is not the same as saying you oppose the demands when phrased in the most inclusive way possible. All 3 of BDS’s demands in isolation are reasonable. There are broad coalitions including a majority of the AJC that would support weakened forms of any one of them.
1. What “responsibility” do Jews have “as Jews”?
2. Why does Mr. Harris hate Jews so much that he expects all Jews – even those who have not committed to it – to “reaffirm” their commitment to a colonialist, (war) criminal and religion-supremacist “Jewish State” construct that is unjust, immoral and hypocritical?
3. To what lengths does Mr. Harris expect Jews to go in order to “reaffirm” their commitment to a “Jewish State”? Is it enough for Jews to provide vocal support? Monetary support? Military support? Should Jews engage in blackmail, terrorism and/or murder in order to “reaffirm” their commitment to the “Jewish State”?
4. What does Mr. Harris think of Jews who choose not “reaffirm” their commitment to a “Jewish State” because it is an unjust, immoral and hypocritical construct?
Zionism is a secular movement and has nothing to do with Judaism.
Zionism is not based on religion, but on the historic fact that Jews, as a nation, are indigenous to the area of what is known today as Palestine, that they were forcefully expelled from it, suffered all kinds of persecution, and that it is in Jewish national interest to have a nation state in Jewish ancestral land.
Yes, there are Religious Zionists, who believe in “miracles”, Divine Providence, etc. Mainstream Zionism has nothing to do with it.
Mondoweiss screams that Jews “stole” land from Palestinians, and supporters of Israel, AJC included, feel that you can’t steal what is rightfully yours.
I think anybody who knows a bit of history would understand where the truth is.
This must be what they call a guilt trip. Make all Jews feel that to support BDS, and criticize the endless crimes by Israel, which goes against international laws, and considered human rights abuses, is to go against their religion, and is disloyal to good ole Israel. I hope there are rational thinking American Jews, who can see the difference.
nah, there are no palestinian land and “occupation” is a loaded word.