My friend Laurence Zuckerman writes:
I find it surprising that you are praising Kiera Feldman’s article on Birthright in the Nation when its thesis is upside down. Feldman argues that Birthright is succeeding in indoctrinating young American Jews to get behind Zionism in general and the current Israeli regime in particular. But the evidence seems to suggest the opposite. Since 1999, when Birthright began, we have seen the rise of J Street and Jewish Voice for Peace. We have seen an ever growing outspokeness on the part of young American Jews about their alienation from Zionism and Israeli right-wing politics. We have seen a growing acceptance of Mearsheimer and Walt’s thesis on the Israel lobby. There are countless other examples. (The growth of your website has been a leading indicator.)
So the story really should be how little Steinhardt, Bronfman and Netanyahu have gotten for their $600 million.
Yes, the kids like the free trip to Israel but most of them can see the contradictions of what is happening there. And when they come home and are confronted with acts like Operation Cast Lead and the attack on the Mavi Marvara, the fact that they cuddled with a Jewish girl or boy in a bedouin tent and had beers with an IDF solider do not present very cogent counter arguments. The underlying assumption of Feldman’s story is that because Bronfman and Steinhardt are rich and they are spending millions they must know what they are doing and they must be succeeding. Her own experience proved why Birthright is a failure on its own terms (neither she nor her Birthright boyfriend nor others on her trip were indoctrinated) but she was unable to look past her blinders to write the real story. Instead it is another piece about rightwing bogeymen.
