This Tuesday, the Seattle Times began running a series of articles covering the response to The Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign’s plan to place an ad criticizing US investment in “Israeli War Crimes” on Seattle Metro busses. Various groups from the Jewish community vehemently objected to the ad, including Richard Fruchter, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle who stated that he believes the ad is “designed to insult Israelis and the 50,000 members of the Jewish community, many of whom support Israel.” In response to the reaction against the ad, by Thursday, Metro announced that it would not be run, leading to a missed opportunity for dialogue and contributing to further isolation and separation within the Seattle community.
As a young American-Israeli Jew, I want to say that I don’t feel insulted, nor do I think the ad poses any sor. I understand that the ad criticizes Israel, and, because Israel and Jews in general are often incorrectly seen as one and the same, could provide fodder for anti-Semitism against the Jewish community in Seattle. I recognize that the conflict has caused unspeakable pain for all those involved. Nevertheless, Israel’s current administration supports actions that threaten values of democracy that I, and supporters of Israel, view as crucial elements of the state’s character. It is because of my personal connection to Israel that I strongly believe that the American Jewish community should encourage criticism on Israel’s policies that do not uphold the standards of human rights and democracy that we defend in our own country and abroad.
Rather than reacting with a concerted effort to silence the Mideast Awareness Campaign, the Jewish Federation and other organizations should view the campaign as a catalyst for open dialogue within the Jewish community, the expat Israeli and Palestinian community and others who feel strongly about US involvement within the region. I believe a well-organized panel where diverse community leaders share their opinions and provide information on the conflict, could provide the information not offered by the ad, and decrease the defensiveness engendered by it. As a result, groups such as the Mideast Awareness Campaign will also have the arena to offer their information and perspective, and not rely only on eye-catching bus ads – ones that may risk being inflammatory rather than educational. We fear racism and anti-Semitism, however discouraging dialogue only increases isolation and ignorance.
Akiva Eldar, the chief political editor of Ha’aretz, one of Israel’s largest newspapers, recently compared American Jews’ unfaltering backing of Israel’s policies to a parent handing cash to their drug-addicted child. It is undeniable that the situation in the Middle-East right now is far from ideal, and if the news from the last year has shown us anything, the Israeli administration seems to be addicted to a pattern of compulsive self-destructive behavior, and its closest ally continues to be the enabling parent. Living in Israel for the past year, has taught me that Israel needs the support of American Jews, but that it should not be shown by turning a blind eye to the occupation, the blockade on Gaza, and illegal construction of settlements. Allowing these practices, especially in the name of security, poses a far more dangerous threat to the future of Israel as a democratic state than any campaign bringing to light the atrocities of the conflict.
As a citizen of Israel, an American-Jew and an activist, I know that an emotional or spiritual connection to Israel does not require unfaltering support of its policies; criticism does not imply a threat to Israel’s existence and illuminating the amount of US financial and military aid directed to Israel is not equivalent to anti-Semitism. Anger and isolation, may be natural responses in times of fear, but they do not address the problem. We still have the opportunity to engage proactively, and the right to freedom of speech protected in the United States allows for individuals with different perspectives to interact mindfully and encourage a US policy that is pro-peace and promotes freedom from violence for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Shiri Raphaely is a Seattleite and 2009 graduate of Tufts University who now lives in Israel. She has been working on human rights advocacy in Israel for the last year with the Mossawa Center, the Advocacy Center for Palestinian Citizens of Israel , and is about to transition into the field of environmental justice and negotiation with Friends of the Earth: Middle East, a trilateral environmental organization working to facilitate cooperative efforts and dialogue between Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank.
