By Bruce S. Ticker
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar’s two-part twitter outburst alleging that Jewish money finances congressional support for Israel probably reflects the thinking of many racial minorities and, for that matter, numerous whites.
Israel, they believe, is the Goliath in the Middle East that is seizing Palestinian land, massacring unarmed demonstrators, and jailing and torturing Arab children. What’s more, America is bolstering Israel’s military forces with our tax money that could be spent on anti-poverty programs here. And America even goes so far as to invade Middle Eastern countries – most notably Iraq – to protect Israel while sacrificing our children, siblings, cousins and friends in the military, at the behest of American Jews whose first obligation is to Israel.
If the situation was presented to me this way, I would be disturbed by not only Israel but also Jews worldwide. The overall picture distorts what is really going on. While there are issues that merit discussion, Omar, Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are antagonistic in their approach and they don’t bother to criticize the Arab side, whose acts are far worse than anything the Israelis do.
Their strength is in numbers. Many of their followers are well-intentioned, and if they learn more about the nuances of the situation they might at least soften their attitudes. After all, most Americans spend little time pondering the Israeli-Arab conflict. Many do not think about politics much, and those who do are mainly concerned about health care, better-paying jobs, etc. Then when hard-edged advocates for the Palestinians relate how Israel is oppressing these people, the average person believes it. They have no reason to doubt their word without having access to other sources.
To transform their views, engagement with people on the margins might work. A few who responded to my writings with assumptions about my attitudes relented somewhat after I clarified my beliefs and presented facts they never heard before. I once corrected a writer’s false accusation about the late general and prime minister Ariel Sharon, and he apologized.
With engagement, one must enter the process with an open mind and willingness to concede when they are right. Omar was careless to connect AIPAC to funding campaigns of members of Congress who support Israel. Though the American Israel Public Affairs Committee does not contribute to political campaigns, it does for good or ill extensively influence administrations and members of Congress.
Stereotypes aside, many American Jews are wealthier in higher proportions, and some politically conservative Jews actively sought the invasion of Iraq. Israeli actions are open to question and merit investigation. Americans have every right to reconsider how our tax dollars are spent on Israel and our various military ventures.
Yet the likes of Omar and Tlaib neglect to mention many obscured details. Congress does allocate considerable monies to Israel and ignores the countless burdens of the poor. The reason is simple: Both Democrats and Republicans support Israel, and the GOP does its utmost to block measures to expand health care and regulate access to guns, etc. They likewise strive to reverse hard-won advantages. They even revived slavery during the 35-day government shutdown by ordering federal employees to work without pay.
Since Franklin D. Roosevelt was president, Jews have been a mainstay of the Democratic Party. In the last three decades, 67 to 80 percent of Jews have voted for Democratic presidential candidates. Most large Jewish enclaves are represented in Congress by Democrats, including the New York metropolitan area, southern California and southern Florida. Many wealthy Jews contribute to Democratic candidates.
If most Jews here wanted the military to invade Iraq, why would they vote for Democrats? A Republican president led us into that war. If they seek to deny opportunities for the poor, which comprises many Jews, why would they vote for Democrats?
The Democratic outlook, in other words: the notion of improving the lives of Americans and supporting Israel can live together in harmony. Not to mention addressing Palestinian concerns. Is doing all this simultaneously, well, doable?
Of events 5,400 miles to the east, Palestinian backers behave as if the Arabs can do no wrong. They do not mention the missiles fired from Gaza into Israel, the violent efforts by mobs of Palestinians to break into Israeli territory, or the murders of innocent Israelis in their own homes.
Especially significant was Israel’s offer of an independent state in 2000 when President Clinton hosted a summit at Camp David with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who refused the offer out of hand. This was followed by ongoing acts of terrorism.
If Israel did anything wrong, would that have been possible had Arafat agreed to an offer for a Palestinian state?
People must be told. If they recognize that they have been unfair, perhaps they will wonder why they are listening to the Omars and Tlaibs of this world.
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Ticker is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. He may be contacted via bruce.ticker@sdjewishworld.com