Getting Israel

What American Jews Just Don't Get about Israel - Daniel Gordis

The U.S. and Israel are very different projects. America was created to be a haven to "huddled masses yearning to breathe free," as Emma Lazarus' poem at the foot of the Statue of Liberty declares, while Israel's Declaration of Independence begins, "The land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people." America was meant to embrace all of humanity, while Israel was intended to save the Jewish people.
    
"End the occupation," [some misguided] American Jews chant. But Israelis are also exhausted by the occupation - they just have no idea how to end it without the West Bank becoming a breeding ground for terrorists, as happened with Gaza once Israel pulled out in 2005. That's a risk Israelis are not willing to take. To Israeli ears, "End the occupation" sounds like "Abolish taxes" - a great idea but entirely unrealistic. American Jews look at Israel's relationship with the Palestinians as a civil-rights issue. Israelis see it as a survival issue.
    
A country's foremost obligation is the protection of its citizens, and any government Israelis elect will understand that. Israel's policy towards the Palestinians is unlikely to change until the Palestinians declare that they have ended their drive to destroy Israel. That will not happen anytime soon, however. 
The writer is senior vice president and Koret distinguished fellow at Shalem College in Jerusalem. 
(New York Post)
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