No

by Marcus Clavys

Created on: August 04, 2010

The question of whether American Jews must, as a matter of conviction, support Israel is certainly one that everyone born of a Jewish American family must consider at some time or another. There are two parts to the question. Firstly, should every Jew support Israel, whichever nation they come from? Second, should every American Jew support Israel? That is, is there something special about the political situation of American Jews that means they should support Israel even when other Jews would not? These are the questions to be addressed.

◊ Firstly, Should every Jew Support Israel? 

The answers to this question will vary depending on one's views of who the Jewish people are. The early 20th century and especially the events surrounding the inception of Israel in 1947 were very controversial even within the Jewish community. A large part of the controversy was whether it was proper to use political, and sometimes radical and brutal, means as a way of taking over the territory of the ancestral Jewish home. Members of the Zionist movement broadly believed that this was not only proper, but that it was the only right thing for their people to do. Zionism, an ideological and not necessarily a religious movement, was concerned with the “National Ideal” of Israel, with restoring the Jewish people to their ancestral home.

A more conservative opinion was that using political means to take the homeland - for the Jews to take it back in such a way - would mean being unfaithful and mistrustful of their God, who in history had repeatedly dispersed his chosen people and re-united them as they continued or faltered in their faithfulness to him. This controversy began some decades ago, but it is not entirely in the past.

So, should every Jew support Israel? If Israel is a product of the Zionist movement, then it would make sense if every Zionist supported Israel, though they would not need to. But for non-Zionist Jews, especially those who have qualms about Israel's existence or actions, there is certainly no reason at all why these Jews ought necessarily to support the state of Israel.

◊ Secondly, Should every American Jew Support Israel?

This brings in the complicated question of national allegiances. Is it more important for an American Jew to support America or to support Israel? It depends, of course, on the opinion one holds about the “moral status” of the state of Israel. If the state of Israel is considered to be good in itself and inherently valuable as the fulfillment of the “National Ideal,” then such a Jew should support Israel as a matter of conscience. This support of Israel might dovetail nicely with one's allegiance as an American citizen, but then again it might not. If there were a conflict, than integrity would demand relinquishing those responsibilities and, perhaps, one's citizenship.

It is quite possible for a Jew to believe, however, that the state of Israel is not inherently good in itself and as an end in itself. For an American Jew, for instance, there's no quandary about whether they ought to choose between allegiance to Israel or the United States. As citizens of the latter, insofar as they could continue to be conscientious Jews, they could continue to be conscientious American citizens.

So, should every American Jew support Israel? The answer, quite simply, is no, not if they don't believe it is right, good, or best.

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