Thanks to everyone who read my article (“Don’t Hate the Jewish State,” April 12) and especially to those of you who took the time to respond to it, either critically or in support.
My article drew so many critical comments because it addressed an idea that makes Jews uncomfortable: that Judaism and Jewish identity do not fit with anti-Zionism. Several commenters decried my views as “anti-Palestinian” and intolerant. I never criticized the vast majority of Palestinians, who comprise most of the innocent victims of this conflict. I did speak out against support for terrorism and murder.
Furthermore, Israel does welcome all Jews to live and work. Two Reform-movement kibbutzim exist in the Negev; there are many Reform and liberal synagogues, schools and other institutions; and anyone who can demonstrate Jewish ancestry as defined by the Israeli government can make aliyah.
My thesis was not “Jews stick together.” I argued, rather, that liberal Jewish anti-Zionists often misunderstand the basic facts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, support a cause that utilizes hatred and murder and risk a significant break with their Jewish identities. In my argument I advocated pro-peace, pro-two-state-solution Zionism. I am critical of many of the policies of the Israeli government, but I support the state’s right to exist in peace and security.
Israel exists because the Jewish people need a country of their own for the purpose of national self-determination and security. Global anti-Semitism is on the rise; now more than ever, Jews should understand why Israel is necessary. Many Jewish students who deny Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State in safety and security may not be aware of the tragic events that, in part, led to the state’s founding.
One response to my article, posted by blogger KungFuJew on his own site and on Jewschool, took the criticism too far. KungFuJew attacked me personally and offended me greatly. He took quotes from my article out of context and criticized views that I don’t hold. He also painted an inaccurate personal picture of me (we’ve never met) and branded me as an uninformed writer who had no journalistic tact or facts to back up his case.
The post was patronizing, unfair, offensive and dishonest. If KungFuJew would like to discuss the arguments that I raised in the article, I welcome the debate. As it is, I ask that he not resort to ad hominem attacks.
