To Protect Israel, Stand Against Its Extremists
These past 16 months, the Israel that I love has been in terrible danger.
Israeli citizens have been massacred in their homes and at music festivals, displaced by Hezbollah’s rocket fire and have had to shelter from Iranian ballistic missile barrages. In Gaza, Israelis are still held hostage by Hamas, trapped in tunnels cruelly separated from their loved ones.
I am thankful for the announced ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas and hope to see it fully implemented with all hostages returned home and much needed aid surged to Palestinians. A sustained deal should see both a strong international commitment to the rebuilding of Gaza and the continued fostering of regional partnerships between Israel and Arab nations that would bolster Israeli security that has been under threat for far too long from external forces.
And while a fully realized ceasefire provides a long-term opportunity for Israel’s standing in the region, it is incumbent upon us to remember that it is not just Israel’s security that has been in jeopardy–it is also its character.
Before the horrors of October 7, a far-right coalition of extremists sought to execute a judicial coup that attacked the foundations of Israel’s democracy. Today, not only have they retrained their sights on the judiciary, they continue to attack Israel’s democratic character by seeking permanent, undemocratic control over millions of Palestinians in the West Bank and now in Gaza.
In the United States, we are embarking on a second Trump term. Not only does this mean we will once again be faced with a familiar-but-new Trump-Netanyahu era, but we will see even more extreme policy efforts to entrench Israeli occupation in the Palestinian Territories draped in conventional Israel-right-or-wrong trappings. It is more important than ever, with Israel’s Jewish and democratic character on the line, that lawmakers and the US Jewish community see through these facades when they are used.
For me, safeguarding Israel’s future means supporting pro-Israel organizations that align with my values. That means supporting J Street, the pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy movement committed to realizing a secure, democratic future for Israel. J Street understands the dangers that Israel faces and also knows that endless war and horrifying civilian casualties do not lessen these threats – they isolate Israel from its allies and empower its adversaries.
J Street also advocates a message that has finally broken into the Jewish American mainstream: Being pro-Israel does not mean unconditionally – and uncritically – supporting the Netanyahu government.
It is a mainstream voice that echoes my own. As a lifelong Zionist, I feel compelled to speak out when the Israeli government violates my Jewish values and its responsibility to protect the Israeli people. I remember the joy when my father took me to the first Israeli independence parade in Cleveland in 1948. I feel the atrocities of the Shoah deep in my bones, and I resonate with Israel’s promise to be a refuge for the Jewish people.
But Israel has not yet lived up to the promise of its founding. It is not yet that refuge. Its light among nations has dimmed. This cycle of bloodshed and displacement is not sustainable. There remains only one path to securing Israel’s future, and that path requires ending this war, releasing the hostages, and ultimately ensuring that this land can be a home to both Israelis and Palestinians with each enjoying the freedom, independence, and security they deserve.
As a dual American-Israeli citizen, I am committed to doing everything I can, in both countries, to fight for Israel’s future.
In Israel, I have given shelter to Israelis displaced by the October 7 attacks in the south and by Hezbollah rocket fire in the north along the border with Lebanon.
In the US, my commitment means supporting and working with advocacy groups like J Street that can help realize the Israel of my childhood, the Israel of my values.
I’ve worked in the American Jewish community for more than 30 years, and I’ve had many conversations with friends trying to balance their dedication to Israel with their despair over Netanyahu’s government. My answer to them is that there is no contradiction between these views. Because we are invested in Israel’s people and its future, we cannot stay silent when the Israeli government violates our deeply held beliefs and principles.
I have been disturbed by how many in my Jewish-American community continue to dismiss calls for peace or legitimate criticism of Netanyahu as anti-Israel or antisemitic. This Israel-right-or-wrong approach is no longer acceptable to many Jews like myself. It poses a profound threat to Israel’s future by normalizing extremists.
If American compatriots have any doubts – just look to Israel itself. In the last two years, tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to protest the Netanyahu government’s judicial coup and now to demand a deal that brings the hostages home and ends the terrible cycle of war and conflict for all. As pro-Israel American leaders, we cannot remain on the sidelines. It is not enough to advocate for security assistance to thwart Israel’s foreign enemies while turning a blind eye to the threats from within.
J Street understands this and has been aligned with the patriotic Israeli protesters from the beginning. As pro-Israel Americans, it is easy to overlook Israel’s failings because we care so deeply about it. But if you also care about Israel’s democratic future as much as I and J Street do, I ask you to take the difficult step of speaking to your organizations, congregations, and communities about joining with our pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy movement so we can realize a future where Israel’s government embodies our values and prioritizes the good of its people first and foremost.