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May 7, 2023

Key Takeaways:

• For years, right-wing American donors and organizations have funded right-wing movements in Israel. We cannot vote in Israel but if we care about Israel's future we should financially support Israeli organizations working for a safe and secure Israel that is Jewish and democratic.

• Five years ago tomorrow, Trump walked away from the Iran Deal while Iran was in compliance and more than a year from breakout. Now Iran is days or weeks away, Israel and the U.S. are less secure, and what does the GOP want to do? Nominate Trump for president for the third time.

• But our Republican friends would have us believe that the greatest threat is not that one of our two major parties will again nominate an ignorant, corrupt, authoritarian antisemite for the highest office in the land but that some Democratic outliers did not wish Israel a happy birthday. Are we in middle school? Grow up.

• Looking for books to read during Jewish American Heritage Month? I've got some recommendations.

Read to the end for corrections, what you may have missed last week, fun stuff, and upcoming events.

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Hi Steve,

What should Americans concerned about the direction Israel's current government do? We don't live there and we can't vote it out of office. Only Israelis can do that. We must continue to support military assistance and cooperation with Israel because nothing Israel's government is doing negates the reality of threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. Our support for Israel transcends any particular government, just as our support for the United States transcends any particular government (which differentiates us from the Republicans who stormed the Capitol and voted against certifying a fair and legal election).

What we can do is support those in Israel who share our values. In Pirke Avot, Ben Zoma says "Who is wise? He who learns from every man." Our right-wing American friends have taught us that political and ideological financial contributions can make a difference not only in America but in Israel. Let us learn from them.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs wrote "about the vacuum centrist and liberal Jews have created by either avoiding investment in Israel altogether, or by giving to projects perceived as apolitical. This vacuum has allowed [American] right-wing funders to drive Israel further and further toward fascism. Rather than walk away from Israel now, donors concerned about the future of Israel must respond by investing in human rights and civil society groups that have been fighting for democracy for years.

"Progressive American Jews who criticize Israel are accustomed to hearing the complaint that one shouldn’t try to influence the policy of a country where they don’t live. This attack oozes with hypocrisy as right-wing donors have no compunction about pouring billions of dollars into advancing right-wing policies in Israel, funding settlement growth and even supporting the violent extremists who now have outsized power in the Israeli government."

Anshel Pfeffer wrote that "Netanyahu’s rapid ascendancy to head Likud just six years after joining the party in 1987, becoming Israel’s youngest prime minister at age 46 and his longevity at the top of Israeli politics – none of this would have been possible without a major supporting cast of American Jews." He writes that he is often asked by liberal Jewish Americans what they can do to influence policy in Israel, "yet the answer is right there, staring them in the face."

If you are concerned about Israel's future, consider donating to organizations in Israel fighting for the Israel we love. Give strategically. Israel is an economically advanced country. If you currently give to organizations in Israel or organizations in the U.S. that funnel funds to Israel, maybe shift your contributions from organizations doing what Israel can do by itself (or that are less urgent) to organizations addressing Israel's existential struggles.

A partial list to consider might include Commanders for Israel's Security, the Economic Cooperation Foundation, the Masorti Foundation, the Center for Liberal Democracy, and Mishmar Hasaf. I'm sure there are others. It takes a good billionaire to stop a bad billionaire, so if you are a billionaire, this is your opportunity. If you're not, give what you can.

Five years ago tomorrow, Trump walked away from the Iran Deal. The Iran Deal was working, but Trump walked away on May 8, 2018, while Iran was still in compliance. Then his “maximum pressure” strategy failed, his efforts at the UN to continue the arms embargo against Iran failed, and his efforts at the UN to snapback sanctions against Iran failed. Trump accomplished nothing, and now Iran is far closer to nuclear weapons than when Trump left the deal.

Alon Pinkas reports that the commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, said a few days ago that it would take Iran “two weeks” to produce the 90 percent-enriched uranium required to manufacture a bomb (that two-week period is frequently referred as the “breakout time”) but the United States remains convinced that Iran realizes it would be counterproductive to actually acquire military nuclear capability.

As is too often the case, a Republican president left a mess for his Democratic successor to clean up. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on May 4 that the U.S. is "engaging Iran diplomatically regarding its nuclear program, and we continue to believe that it was a tragic mistake to leave the deal with nothing at all to replace it. But we have made clear to Iran that it can never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon. As President Biden has repeatedly reaffirmed, he will take the actions that are necessary to stand by this statement, including by recognizing Israel’s freedom of action."

Israel and America are less secure. That's Trump's legacy on Israel. Trump is the front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

But don't fret about an incompetent, authoritarian, corrupt, antisemite leading the Republican Party. Instead, pretend you're still in middle school and obsess about some Democratic outliers who didn't wish Israel a happy birthday. Better yet, grow up and recognize that the Republican Party is a threat to our values, our safety, and the U.S.-Israel relationship. As Ben Samuels wrote following House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) trip to Israel, "despite the efforts of Democratic leadership and pro-Israel Democratic backbenchers to pretend Israel can rise above partisan divides, the Republican Party – largely steered by years of McCarthy's leadership and Netanyahu's cultivation – has helped Israel evolve into a definitively partisan issue."

That's not good, but that's the way it is. The Democratic Party is the only party that supports Israel--including a two-state solution, military and economic cooperation with Israel, and the democratic values that underly the U.S.-Israel relationship. It would be nice if both parties did. But pretending won't make it so.

Books to Read during Jewish American Heritage Month. May is Jewish American Heritage Month. Here are some relatively recently published books that I liked that you might like too:

• The Man Who Sold Air in the Holy Land, by Omer Friedlander–Interesting short story collection; some are sad, some are funny; all are well-written and worth reading.

• We Are Not One, by Eric Alterman–Excellent history and analysis of the U.S.-Israel relationship, attitudes of the Jewish community toward that relationship, and the extent to which domestic politics have influenced that relationship. Read my review.

• Bad Jews, by Emily Tamkin–Insightful analysis of the history of intra-Jewish relations and the relationship between America and its Jewish citizens. The title is not quite appropriate; it seems as if the author had one conception of the book, sort of abandoned it, but couldn’t let go of the title, which refers to disputes within the Jewish community about who is a good Jew and a bad Jew in certain contexts. That quibble aside (and that the author for some reason likes to say “Jewish people” instead of “Jews”), this book is an important read.

• The Conflict Over The Conflict, by Kenneth Stern--College students, parents, anyone concerned about the Israel/Palestine campus debate, and anyone wondering about the IHRA definition of antisemitism owe it to themselves to read this book. Stern is the director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate, the lead drafter of the IHRA’s “Working Definition of Antisemitism,” and was the American Jewish Committee’s expert on antisemitism for 25 years. Read my review here.

• Loving the Real Israel, by Alex Sinclair-- Sinclair presents an educational agenda for liberal Zionism and explains how to discuss the real Israel with friends, family, and community.

• People Love Dead Jews, by Dara Horn--Brilliantly written examination of how secular memory of Jewish tragedy dehumanizes and distorts Jewish history while attempting to universalize it and salve gentile guilt. Essential reading that reminds us that we and our ancestors are real people, not symbols.

• Can We Talk About Israel? A Guide for the Curious, Confused and Conflicted, by Daniel Sokatch--I’m often asked to recommend one book about Israel for those who want an introduction to the conflict. There is no one book, but some are better than others, and if you're looking for one book, this is it. It’s written from a pro-Israel perspective, it’s not too long (about 300 pages), and it's an easy read. The first part is a history of the conflict. The second part addresses issues such as settlements, BDS, and accusations of apartheid. A book this length cannot do justice to a subject that could be a college course, but it will help those interested understand the key issues, and it will not leave its readers caught by surprise in campus or other debates. Highly recommended. Read my full review.

• The Tunnel, by A.B. Yehoshua--Very good novel about identity, memory, Israelis, and Palestinians as told through the story of a retired engineer tasked with designing a tunnel that is more than it first appears.

• The Art of Leaving, by Ayelet Tsabari--Brilliantly written, touching, funny, memoir about a messed up Israeli, who is a bit of a jerk, trying to find herself. 

• A Pigeon and a Boy, by Meir Shalev--Beautifully written Israeli novel about two love stories and what it means to come home. “That is the way it is even if that cannot be!”

• Here All Along, by Sarah Hurwitz-- Witty, informative examination of Judaism that asks and answers the questions many young adults ask about Judaism written by Michelle Obama's speechwriter, who rediscovered her connection to Judaism. Would be a great gift for a twenty-something from someone who cares about Jewish continuity or a great gift to give a twenty-something if you care about Jewish continuity.

• Waking Lions, by Ayelet Gundar-Goshan--Brilliant literary thriller about a neurosurgeon who is blackmailed after he runs over an immigrant late at night and leaves the man to die.

Corrections. I'm entitled to my own opinions but not to my own facts. In last week's newsletter, I incorrectly stated that it's been 20 years since Lee Elia's speech. It's been 40 years. Thank you to the readers who corrected my math.

In Case You Missed It:

• Does this make you feel safer? A Jewish doctor was denied a $500 payment after refusing to promise Arkansas he won’t boycott Israel. I guess we don't need guards at our synagogues anymore, at least not in Arkansas after this.

• The debt ceiling and false equivalence--David Leonhardt explains the difference between 100% stories and 50% stories; the debt ceiling is a 90% story.

• The Ed Sheeran lawsuit is a threat to Western civilization. Luckily for Western Civilization, the jury ruled for Sheeran.

• As of today, 127 days into 2023, we've experienced at least 190 mass shootings and 14,200 gun violence deaths.

Tweet of the Week. Andrea Junker.

Video Clip of the Week. President Biden's funniest jokes at the White House Correspondents Dinner. (Or you can watch all of it for the serious parts too).

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