I think the blindly pro-Israel, and Israel as Judaism, stance of this organization, and of US religious communities in general, has been incredibly harmful for my generation of jews. If Judaism is not about leading an ethical life then it is without value. While the acting upon this is the hard part, failing to even think about this is lessons learned from the oppressors we have sworn not to be since the destruction of the second temple and puts the memory of the holocaust to shame even as it recognizes our ability to be powerful…we should ask what type of powerful we wish to be, as the writing on the wall attests (the one of concrete and barbed wire).
While I wasn’t exposed to these beliefs due to my lack of synagogue participation and my lack of intentional connection/interaction/participation with other jews (until recently) and as such have my own set of issues, it is heartening to see that those confronted with the realities of the situation–a mess–with an unequal and oppressive power imbalance are organizing, and as impossible as it sounds to many, divesting from Israel may be at the forefront of what Judaism needs to mean, today.
Fear of death does not justify killing or exploiting others when your life is not directly threatened. Perhaps the true believers among the orthodox were right when they bemoaned the arrogance of the Zionists in creating a state in Israel before the Messiah has come. And there are lessons to learn from the deeds of the Zionists, who talked to the Nazis and tried to get them to deport all the Jews to Israel, and perhaps from the silly libertarians who want to take over New Hampshire through non-violent means.
As a people, we have overcome countless tragedies due to the hands of our oppressors, may we have the strength to overcome a tragedy of our own oppression, and the foresight not to destroy millions…of ourselves and others in the process.
