No time for compromise

In today’s high-tech medicine, to help diagnose and battle deadly diseases like cancer, doctors evaluate “markers” found in blood, urine and tissues. With these microscopic bits of evidence, the physician can determine the underlying situation and then defeat the malignancy.

Like cancer, antisemitism and anti-Zionism are vicious, intractable, morphing threats affecting of the Jewish people, and have persisted without a solution. Over the millennia, no anti-Jew-hatred vaccine or curative medicine has been found. Yes, Jews have survived and, in many regards, have succeeded, but they have historically been menaced, made to suffer, and marginalized. With the October 7th massacre, Hamas’s pure evil triggered an antisemitic metastasis across the globe with Jews once again accused of blood libels including killing innocents, starvation and genocide.

Many well-funded and well-resourced American Jewish organizations can seemingly play an important, positive role combating antisemitism and anti-Zionism. While they deliver a wide range of compassionate services, when it comes to addressing antisemitism and improving the state of Israel’s political advocacy, many of these organizations are too passive, distracted, fearful, conflicted or unwilling to collaborate. They have not individually or collectively made a substantial difference. As a result, they endanger the Jewish diaspora and sovereign Israel.

American Jews should meticulously assess the leadership, policies, mission, and expenditures of these organizations. Below you will find a proposed set of qualitative Pro-Jewish/Israel Organization Markers to help you decide if they deserve your financial support, which ones offer the greatest potential to succeed, and where you can petition them to improve.

Until the last two hundred and fifty years, Jews and Jewish families lived in diasporic nation states that were unreliable hosts. Largely, the Jews had to fend for themselves and at best they benefited from the guidance of their local rabbis. Over time, these Jews were expelled, forced to convert, killed, tortured, or just assimilated.

In America, there was a proliferation of these organizations. They have assumed many missions from worship, charity, education, camping, lobbying, college-years support and engagement with what was hoped to be non-Jewish alliances. Not surprisingly, they were influenced by the personalities and perspectives of lay investors, salaried professional leaders, and even their beneficiaries.

Their policies were an aggregate of thinking reflecting the broad stream flow of attitudes, politics and society’s perspectives. Demographically, most Jews traditionally held liberal views and voted Democrat. During the Holocaust years, American Jewish organizations proved largely to be ineffective in helping their Western European brethren because of an isolationist bent, American antisemitism and misdirection from the likes of Rabbi Stephen S. Wise who was overly solicitous of the progressive President Roosevelt.

Today, after what is often called America’s golden age of Judaism, a variety of global and domestic factors have arisen to once again endanger American Jews, as well as Jews around the world and especially Jews in Israel. Since the late 60’s, Jew-hatred and anti-Israel geopolitics have metastasized coming from the progressive far-Left and far-Right, from Islamic forces, and the plain vanilla version still resident in Europe. Assimilation and politics-is-the-new-religion are two major influences that accelerated these trends.

Billions of dollars are funneled into Jewish organizations and a relatively large portion of Jews are supporters and members at synagogues of multiple disciplines. Jews should not be wet noodles accepting what these organization support. With the steep rise in antisemitism, a weakening of support for Israel in Congress, an intractable Middle East, loss of Christian Europe to Moslem population shifts, nuclear weapons and a battle of civilizations, uncompromising performance from Jewish leadership should be mandatory.

Pro-Jewish/Israel Organization Markers

1-Pro-Jewish/Israel needs override political affiliation. Despite the political affiliations of professional and lay leaders, their actions align with what is good for Jewish and Israeli causes. If they are Progressives they will respect Conservatives’ points of view, and the reverse is also true. They will support political leaders of both persuasions.

2- Confronts Islamic antisemitism. These organizations call out the actions of all Islamic haters and are not afraid of being labeled Islamophobic. They are clear-eyed about the Koranic hate and the fortunes of money routed into America to buy influence and indoctrinate.

3-Leaders visit Israel. These organizations ensure their leaders frequently visit Israel so they can speak with authority about the on-the-ground reality. They also welcome IDF soldiers, politicians and hostage victims.

4-Media-critical voices. These organizations strenuously object when the media is wrongfully critical of Israel. They will engage publicly and proudly to confront untruthfulness.

5-Adherance to biblically correct terminology. The kingdoms of Judea and Samaria are mentioned in the bible, and use of terms like “settlements” or “West Bank” would be avoided.

6-Gratitude for support of Israel. Without regard to political affiliation or other affiliations, appreciation for supportive actions and statement are publicly granted. Thanking President Trump for his unprecedented actions against Iran preventing another Holocaust or President Biden’s early advocacy were cases in point.

7-Devalue DEI/woke doctrine. The Diversity/Equity/Inclusion mindset is antithetical to pro-Israel policy with its “white privilege” and “oppressor” theories. Jews and Israel have been cancelled, criticized by DEI advocates and penalized by BDS. Organizations should proactively discount these doctrines including social justice, Critical Race Theory and wokeism.

8-Descerning about affiliations with hateful groups. While outreach and engagement are useful, recently, Jewish organizations foolishly made common cause with BLM and the Women’s March initiative, and both proved to be guided by antisemitic leadership.

9-Prioritzing Jewish issues ahead of other topics. When Jews and Israel are under attack, focusing on issues like climate control, abortion, or gun control are minimized. While Tikkun Olam is fundamental to our beliefs, they avoid virtue signally that distracts from their primary mission.

10-Critisim of Israeli leadership and policy is minimized. Because Israel is a democratic country with well-run elections and a complex parliamentary system needing diverse coalitions, Jewish organizations should not negatively opine about any duly elected leaders. Diaspora leaders do not pay Israeli taxes or see their children serve in the IDF and accordingly need to restrain their criticism.

Moving forward, apply these Pro-Jewish/Israel Organization Markers as guidelines to assess which to support. Does an organization check all or most of the boxes? You can speak up as a dues-paying member and demand change. You can use these markers as an objective basis for making personal decisions. Where you see deficiencies, talk to the rabbis or leaders and demand explanations.

American Jews should apply these markers as an acid test. This is not the time for compromise. It is time for action.