Regional Relations Matter

By Rob Lattin

Almost immediately following the release of Gilad Shalit rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza resumed.  Over the last couple of weeks, it has begun to feel like a major scuffle between Israel, Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad is on the horizon.  Sunday night at the Jewish General Assembly in Denver, Colorado, I had the opportunity to briefly discuss with Haaretz editor-in-chief, Aluf Benn, his thoughts on a possible Israeli invasion of Gaza.  Like all Israeli reporters, he feels that anything can happen at anytime.  I also asked him to what extent regional influences currently play a part in Israel’s decision-making process in engaging Hamas and its break-off cronies in a full on conflict.  To my surprise, he said that it did not.  To paraphrase, he stated that Israel does what it wants, and its behavior and relationship with Hamas is void of foreign influence.

I agree that in the end Israel will do what it feels is in its best interest, however, believing that Israel disregards regional relations in its major policy decisions is just naïve.  It would be outright poor policy planning on the behalf of the Israeli government if it did not allow its Gaza policies to be even remotely influenced by what is going on in the area.  Are relations between Israel, Turkey, and Egypt strained?  Absolutely.  Are they dead?  Not by a long shot.  As long as the alliances have a pulse, Israel will be sensitive to their counterpart’s feelings, within reason.  This is blatantly obvious seeing that Israel has not breached Egyptian sovereignty to combat the anarchic Bedouin of the Sinai, who are creating direct and serious security issues for Israel.  Further, Israel has been very calm in the wake of Turkish threats to use warships to escort flotillas to Gaza.  Mr. Benn, regional influences matter, and it is definitely showing its impact.

Zionism at the GA

The General Assembly of Jewish Federations of North America is one of the largest annual gatherings of Jews in the Diaspora. It brings together Jews from all points on the spectrums of political affiliation, religious observance, and opinions on Israel. There are many issues that are emphasized at the GA, with specialty tracks focusing on Jewish leadership, the Middle East and Israel, community building, and new and innovative tactics, among others. The diversity of the GA participants marks the tones of the various sessions, with conversations taking place on all of the issues facing the Jewish community, ranging from intermarriage to engaging the younger generation.

With so many issues on the table for the North American Jewish community to deal with and discuss, it is interesting to note the prevalence of Israel in the conference. Israel is an issue that is central to Jewish identity and the Jewish people, and it is heartening to see it being treated as such. In GA sessions, it has been noted that lately, Israel and Zionism are often treated as separate from the rest of Jewish communal life, but at this conference, the centrality of Israel is represented in the number of discussions and speakers that have focused on it.

Zionism, and the relationship that the Jewish people have with the Jewish national movement, has been a pivotal part of Jewish identity for generations. The connection that generations past had with Israel came from religious affinity and national identity. Today, the connection that Jewish communities around the world have with Israel is different than it has ever been before. The younger generations have never lived in a world without the State of Israel. Having grown up with the security that a sovereign Jewish State provides, they are able to take for granted the success of the Zionist movement without keeping in mind that Zionism is still alive today, and did not end in 1948 with the formal establishment of the modern State of Israel.

Sessions at the GA regarding Israel have ranged from conversations about the Assault on Israel’s Legitimacy to The Negev from Now to 2020 to Turning Israel Program Alumni into Advocates and Activists. These sessions touched on issues relating to Israel, but while focusing on the issues of Israel advocacy and legitimacy, neglected to truly address Zionism. Zionism, Jewish nationalism, is a word and a concept that has come under assault in recent years, one of the main targets of the movement to delegitimize Israel. While many participants have talked about their personal connections with Israel and their pro-Israel leanings, often identifying as a Zionist isn’t heard.

It is imperative that the Jewish community addresses this glaring omission. To identify as a Zionist is to identify with a movement that is as diverse as the Jewish community itself, with numerous ideologies and forms of expression. It is to voice affiliation with the belief that the Jewish people have a right to self-determination in their historic national homeland, the place that has been at the core of Jewish identity through generations of exile and dispersion.

As the North American Jewish community continues to explore its strengths and weaknesses at the GA, hopefully Zionism will come into question, in the various Israel discussions and in the collective conversation as well.