Being an American Jew has been really difficult ever since the October 7th attack by Hamas. As a soverign country I backed Israel 100%. I would join the Israeli army to make sure there will always be a Jewish state. I am a zionist. Nothing has changed today, but today's news headlines support the fears we've been reading and seeing throughout the media. The citizens of Gaza are in fact starving. This is a humanitarian crisis. I've believed this to be true for awhile, but understand as an American Jew there's very little middle ground. Many of my friends who are Israeli's or families I know very well from the Jewish day school refuse to speak against the Israeli government or their policies. Then you have the Jews on the left that march with Hamas sympthesizers and now reject zionism. So here I am in the middle without a space to express my views. Either side of the Jewish spectrum will look down upon my POV. In Israel you have protests pressuring the government and they are still considered zionists. I know I'm not alone among fellow American Jews, but many of us have remained silent.
I don't think I can continue to be silent. I'm afraid it's come to the point I have to speak up and start to put pressure on American Jewish institutions. Every American Jewish Federation chapter donates a portion of their yearly campaign to Israel. I've yet to see a statement from our Federation condeming anything that Israel has done or in support of the starving Palestinians in Gaza. And I don't expect to see a statement anytime soon. My Indianapolis Jewish community will survive if I choose not to make a pledge this year, but perhaps if more Jews speak up and withold their donations it will eventually make a difference. Another option is to renounce my temple membership until as a religious institution they begin to put pressure on American Jewish Organizations that give money to Israel.
I will remain a zionist, but I dream of peace for all Israeli's and their neighbors. Unfortunately Hamas still lives among our neighbors so I understand the need for Israel to stay strong, but enough is enough starving these Palestinians.
On the front page of the Indianapolis chapter of the Jewish Community Relations Council, our public affairs and community relations arm of the Indianapolis Jewish Community it says the following:
Love Your Neighbor
Justice, Justice You Shall Pursue
Repair the World
Do Not Opress the Stranger
Do Not Stand Idly By
Until this branch of the Jewish community makes a statement condeming Israel for witholding all forms of aid these statements mean nothing. Even two major Israeli organizations are now saying Israel is committing genocide. Unlike the holocaust, the world is now watching.
@eppy99 I've noticed a shift in tone over the past two weeks or so in Europe. Officials with governments that are generally strongly pro-Israel have begun distancing themselves. You're hearing strong calls for international recognition of a Palestinian state. Obviously, I expect US officials will be much slower and not go nearly so far. But Bibi is definitely hitting the point where continuing to do what he's doing is going to damage Israel's international relations.
@goat Yes, I believe you're correct. But in my opinion change will not come until the American Jews who have previoulsy supported Israel, given money to Israel, visited Israel and are active within their own communities begin to speak out. Our politicians won't change until the voices of American Jews do. But it's possible the Evangelical Christians that support Israel will continue to regardless of what Jews say. I don't have my pulse on that community, does anyone here have a sense of how Christians feel?
Sadly I don't think Bibi cares about anythings that happens outside of Israel. He will continue to follow his own instincts and the right wing that continues to keep him in power.
@goat regarding Palestinian statehood, I was previously a proponent of a two state solution. That will never happen in my lifetime now. The Palestinians should have taken a deal when there was one.
Hardliners will say I'm supporting the terrorists, that's so far from the truth. I want Israel to be a state I can send my family to visit and pray at the wall or celebrate the Sabbath and be proud of. I fear Israel will become a country of the right wing orthodox. They're the ones having all the babies. They're still the group getting handouts because they're the "true" believers and study Torah each and every day. Finally the government said they must serve, but I'm not sure that's even being enforced. I tend to think its window dressing.
Sorry, I'm feeling quite angry about this situation.....but we also know who Hamas is....they see the starvation their people face and yet they still refuse to release all the hostages. If they were to release them perhaps they lost any leverage but I think it would put all the pressure for Bibi to tone it down. Either way both sides are responsible for the current situation.
@eppy99 I agree the time for the two-state solution is gone. Maybe it will come back around again in a generation, but I doubt it. Over the past two decades, Israel has expanded into the West Bank in a manner that makes a Palestinian state there pretty much impossible.
@goat As much as I sound like the silent American Jews have no pulpit, today was an important day. With Trump stating there is starvation in Gaza and the Israeli's allowing for more aid to reach Gaza, the time is now! The door is just slightly ajar for Jewish institutions to support the aid towards Gaza. It's a small admission but it would be very important and telling.
@goat As much as I sound like the silent American Jews have no pulpit, today was an important day. With Trump stating there is starvation in Gaza and the Israeli's allowing for more aid to reach Gaza, the time is now! The door is just slightly ajar for Jewish institutions to support the aid towards Gaza. It's a small admission but it would be very important and telling.
I know it's a Kommie liberal rag that supports the terrorists... but these are the headlines currently on HuffPost:
@unclemark Starvation is starvation regardless of the source. Who knows if those are accurate images from Gaza, but I feel confident there is in fact a humanitarian crisis.
@unclemark Starvation is starvation regardless of the source. Who knows if those are accurate images from Gaza, but I feel confident there is in fact a humanitarian crisis.
The Hamas terrorists are savages, but nothing excuses the barbarity the Israelis are inflicting on Gaza.
@unclemark No offense, I'm not sure what to do with the use of the word, barbarity, as it relates to my people. I'm not going to confirm or deny it's relevancy, it just hurts and I'm still coming to terms with the entire change of tone.
Sorry, I'm feeling quite angry about this situation.....but we also know who Hamas is....they see the starvation their people face and yet they still refuse to release all the hostages. If they were to release them perhaps they lost any leverage but I think it would put all the pressure for Bibi to tone it down. Either way both sides are responsible for the current situation.
Palestinians had their chance to overthrow Hamas. They haven't done it. Hostages haven't returned. Weapons are still aimed. I don't really give any fvcks or believe you can distinguish between the two groups.
That being said, you aren't wrong. Opinion is changing and the longer this goes on, the worse it will get for Israel in terms of worldview. We all agreed on that a long time ago.
@goat As much as I sound like the silent American Jews have no pulpit, today was an important day. With Trump stating there is starvation in Gaza and the Israeli's allowing for more aid to reach Gaza, the time is now! The door is just slightly ajar for Jewish institutions to support the aid towards Gaza. It's a small admission but it would be very important and telling.
I know it's a Kommie liberal rag that supports the terrorists... but these are the headlines currently on HuffPost:
Are you actually buying this? Or just noting that HuffPo is a garbage outlet like many others?
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