Yossi Mekelberg
For a man whose career has been founded and sustained by cynically and opportunistically driving wedges between different segments of Israeli society, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has at least managed to unite people from the four corners of the world in complete opposition to his government’s assault on the judiciary and, by that, on Israeli democracy. It is even more “impressive” that he has managed to unite Jewish communities across the world – supporters of Israel through thick and thin – in their loss of trust in his leadership and government, leaving them deeply worried about the country’s future.
A recent survey by the British-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research asked members of the Jewish community: “What do British Jews think about Israel’s leaders and its future?” The findings were a mixture of disapproval and concern. Netanyahu, who not that long ago was widely supported by the community, even by those who did not share his political opinions, now had a 69 percent disapproval rate among those polled. It is hard to believe that the two Jewish supremacist ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich “enjoyed” a fractionally lower level of disapproval than Netanyahu, but this can be explained both by the pair being less known to British Jewry, and, more likely, because those surveyed directed their anger more at the Israeli prime minister for allowing these unsavory characters to be part of his government in the first place, and for taking a leading position in destroying the liberal democratic character of the country.
But what should worry Israelis are not just the ugly words and deeds of certain politicians, but also the growing pessimism, as expressed in the survey, about the future of democratic governance in Israel. After all, for 75 years British Jews, like other Jewish communities, have been supporting Israel politically, economically and morally. At present, more than 70 percent of those polled are either moderately or highly pessimistic about the future of Israel, and generally feel negative about the country.
For Britain’s Jewry, as for most diaspora Jews, developments in Israel in recent years have been generally disappointing and a source of deep concern, but since the current government was formed these feelings have become stronger and more widespread. It is also a community with deep roots in British society, and contrary to the expectations of the state of Israel and many Israelis, their first loyalty is to the UK and they carry their Britishness with pride, along with a strong sense of their Jewish identity, albeit with varying levels of affinity to Israel. However, the days of being reluctant to criticize Israel, or to obey the dictates of Israelis to support it come what may, are long gone. Make no mistake, if Israel’s future is to be non-liberal, non-democratic, more or less authoritarian, and led by racist-messianic politicians, such as Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, and in the ultra-orthodox fashion, many Jewish communities will end their support for the country. Diaspora Jews have always supported some sort of ideal model of Zionism, a Zionism that never really existed, yet sufficed to ignite their imagination and give them a sense of pride. Moreover, in the back of their minds, like so many Jews all over the world, Israel is seen as a haven in a time of need, an insurance policy for a rainy day should lives be endangered by an outburst of antisemitism, no matter how settled the community might be in a country, or how real or immediate the threat. This without denying the existence of antisemitism in British society and elsewhere, and how toxic it can be.
Gradually, Israel’s belligerent policies toward the Palestinians and, more recently, the erosion of democracy within the Israeli state have had both a perceptual and a concrete impact on Jewish communities abroad. The ideal image of Israel – of a country of pioneers who changed the course of Jewish history from being that of a group that was scattered, stagnant and persecuted worldwide, to that of an emancipated people who became masters of their own destiny against all the odds, and built a democratic and prosperous country – is fast fading.
Instead Jews observe from afar corruption spreading like wildfire all the way to the top of government; a most extreme version of Judaism taking over the country, one that is as remote as possible from the tolerant and welcoming British Jewish version; and instead of peace with the Palestinians, settlements being built at an accelerated pace to ensure that a two-state solution will never materialize, while a harsh occupation is imposed on the Palestinians through inhuman measures. And because of this horror show, British Jews are starting to fear that being seen to support Israel will threaten their own safety, and this becomes all the more obvious whenever there is a round of hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians, although the vile verbal and sometimes physical attacks and threats against them during such periods cannot be condoned and must not be tolerated.
Gradually, even the supportive Board of Deputies of British Jews, the umbrella organization of mainstream Jews in the UK, is becoming exasperated by the actions of the Israeli right, and last year refused to meet with Smotrich even before he became a minister, tweeting, “You are not wanted here,” and strongly condemning his racist and homophobic diatribes, while calling on “all members of the British Jewish community to show him the door.” Now Israel’s finance minister, he has stopped funds previously allocated to Palestinian citizens of Israel, and supports settler violence in his other role as a minister in the defense ministry. The schism between Israel and the Jewish diaspora is real, visible and was probably inevitable; nevertheless, it allows both to redefine relations between the two, and this re-evaluation is probably long overdue. Many Jews have a strong sense of kinship with Israel; some dream of moving there “when the time is right,” although that time may never come, while others still see it as a spiritual home. But this should not divert from the fact that the direction Israel is taking has alienated most of world Jewry, and giving it unconditional support is compromising their conscience and their social standing.
Hence, Jews as individuals, and as a community, should not be afraid to openly criticize Israel and to reject support for policies with which they are not comfortable. This might be a defining moment in relations between Israel and the Jewish diaspora, which will become more candid, more honest and, hence, healthier, once Israel knows that it will receive support only when it earns and deserves it.
