In the immediate aftermath of Rabin's death, the Israeli left assigned blame to the heated political rhetoric of Israel's right. "Words have consequences" was their mantra, as they scolded and implicated all critics of the slain Prime Minister's role in the Oslo "peace" process. It is interesting and fitting to make them fall on their own petards, by just quoting these "peace" addicts, in their description of their orthodox co-religionists. They rival their Arab antagonists.
Here for example is "humanist" writer and journalist Amos Oz: "A band of armed gangsters committing crimes against humanity, sadists, pogromchiks and murderers." And here's former Minister of Education (!) Shulamit Aloni: "Leeches, snakes, suckled on the same evil urges as Nazism, greedy and domineering, evil and primitive, corrupt, parasites, ambitious." And let us not forget Gideon Samet, columnist and Consul of Israel in Philadelphia: "The darkest and most horrible phenomena of our age."
A kind and generous philanthropist recently upbraided me when I referred to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as IMUS (International Museum of Universal Suffering). Objecting that it remains a great source of historical material and a reminder to the world, he warned that "they" would only use my insults to denigrate our tragic history. The "they" are clearly the anti-Semitic remnants that haunt all Holocaust era Jews. In my response I reminded my friend that "they" only reach gale force when Jews are perceived to be weak and disunited.
In the Forward of February 18, 2000, Seth Lipsky's editorial "Yitz Greenberg, Call Home" again takes the museum to task. It appears that while Greenberg, the new director of the museum is conferencing in Indonesia, the museum is preparing to show a film about the McCarthy era blacklist and its damage to "individual reputations and careers." Among those affected were many African-Americans, and the screening is to be followed by discussion with Alexandra Isles and Harry Belafonte. Rabbi Avi Weiss reacted by asking that the museum not become a "Museum for all Suffering." But the Weekly Standard asked the most appropriate question: "And this has what exactly to do with the Holocaust?"
One might have thought that a serious study of the McCarthy years by a Jewish research institution would include a discussion of how so many Jews became "useful idiots" for Uncle Joe Stalin. The Soviet Union's role in forced starvation, systematic and state sponsored anti-Semitism, bankrolling and support for international terrorism, and genocide second only to the Shoah should be part of an educational effort by a proper Holocaust Museum, but don't hold your breath while waiting.
The Forward continues to bring us these sober appraisals. We don't always agree with every word, but as Cindy Adams, the charming gossip diva of the New York Post says, "who else will tell you these things?"
The formerly influential political juggernaut known as the "Jewish Lobby" is in free-fall. While candidates for public office still give the requisite pro-Israel statement, the whole issue of support for Israel has become a minor blip on the political radar screen. Only two decades ago, Jewish activists were able to defeat legislators such as Senator Percy of Illinois who were known antagonists of Israel. Soon beluga whales and other endangered flora and fauna will engender more legislative attention than the Jewish State. To be sure, the role of Jewish communal and political organizations in the loss of prestige and power is obvious. The continual meddling in trendy, pacifist, non-Jewish issues has pushed these organizations and their leaders out of the mainstream. See "Reform movement follies" below for a good example of why Jewish groups have become so marginal.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, AIPAC, The Anti-Defamation League, Hadassah, to name just a few, were once courted by legislators, cabinet members, Congressional candidates, even the President. Today, with the exception of AIPAC, whose main function is to perpetuate foreign aid to Israel, by wielding the still powerful force of Jewish fundraising, all these organizations are relegated to obscurity. We say Amen. (In fact their only function as far as the administration is concerned is as a tool to bludgeon Israel.) They have perverted their original mandate and their role in the weakening of Zionism and Israel will have historic consequences.
However, what is most unconscionable is the role of Israel itself in the demise of the influence of American Jews. By weakening itself Israel has gutted the role and influence of its protagonists in America. Israel's elected leaders, of both Labor and the Likud, have willfully and perversely elevated terrorists to "peace partners," have turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to incitement to terrorism and murder, have made the security
(Continued on p.12)
February 2000 - 11 - Outpost