By Bruce S. Ticker
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — Which river? Which sea? In a video, a sample of humane, kindhearted advocates for the “Palestinian cause” could not identify the bodies of water referenced in the “from the river to the sea” chant.
An internet friend sent me this missive: “What I don’t understand is – like my friend said – he lives here, not Africa! (referencing New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani). If Iran is funding them, then get after Iran? What changed – didn’t Iran & Israel sign a truce at one time?
“That’s what helped South Africa – BDS?…Been going on for how long!?…It’s like a hornet’s nest – it was already there and wanted to establish a new entity? Fall of the Ottoman Empire, and WWII – if Palestine goes, then what about the rest of the Middle East? What about the Ethiopians and the Russians? Wasn’t getting along there before statehood?”
There are critics of Israel who offer an abundance of rationalizing while displaying limited knowledge to impart. To put it plainly, they do not know what they are talking about. That is how the anti-Israel mob snares followers. The mob educates well-intentioned people about the struggle of an oppressed people – just like racial minorities in America and elsewhere. The monster who has stepped on their throat for 77 years has since Oct. 7, 2023, massacred them in great numbers.
These recruits are misguided on the issues and commonly lumped together as “useful idiots.” The anti-Israel mob that instructs them conveniently leaves out trivial details, such as their ultimate goal of destroying Israel. Or that persecuted Palestinians are treated by terrorists as pawns and sacrificial lambs. The recruits have legitimate concerns about Israeli actions, but they do not understand that anti-Israel Arabs’ tactics and objectives are far worse than anything that Israel has ever done.
A great many of these followers are shocked by Israel’s attacks which Hamas claims has caused nearly 70,000 Arab deaths. This element alone has produced massive support. It is hard for pro-Israel Jews to justify Israel’s military response to the murder of 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, but the anti-Israel mob neglects to mention how Hamas deploys terrorists to schools and hospitals that are used as springboards to attack Israel.
Arab activists rely upon “useful idiots” to inflate their numbers so they can overwhelm Israel’s narrative. If they can attract followers by distorting the issues, why can’t we dilute their involvement by telling them the truth?
The Jewish community needs to develop a sustainable “Good Cop/Bad Cop” strategy to transform public opinion. Certainly we must openly contest Arab lies and distortions, but there are followers who do not comprehend the full scope of Arabic schemes. Our goal? Influence them to either give up their participation or adopt a more evenhanded perspective. They can persist with criticism of Israel – informed criticism, that is – but they should be just as willing to criticize the Arabs.
Maybe we can correct the record through extensive outreach, especially on a person-to-person basis. My suggested approach would be address some of their questions and assumptions one by one. Listed below are some of the most crucial questions which I attempt to answer in a civil, straightforward manner. With one exception, I try to keep my suggested responses short. I avoid addressing some starkly obvious concerns because I lack for fully formed answers.
I hope this strategy will influence most people, but many will likely be impervious to the arguments. Most of all, be respectful. Anyone who would listen to the Jewish narrative with an open mind does not deserve to be called a “useful idiot.”
Assertion: Israel persists in occupying Palestinian land after 77 years.
A quarter-century ago, the Israelis offered the Arabs an independent state covering Gaza, part of Jerusalem and more than 90 percent of the West Bank. The Arabs rejected the plan and followed it up with a bloody four-year uprising.
These events occurred in July 2000 when President Clinton hosted a summit at Camp David between the late Arab leader Yasser Arafat and then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Barak’s proposal was the latest gesture in modern Israel’s tradition of offering compromise since its creation in 1948.
Whether this territory is “Palestinian land” is, at the least, a matter of debate.
Jerusalem Post writer Herb Keinon offered a slightly deeper explanation: “What the Camp David summit drove home was that the most a left-wing Israeli prime minister could offer – and he offered far more than anyone before – fell short by a mile of Arafat’s minimum requirements…It was no coincidence that the Second Intifada…broke out just two months after the Camp David breakdown.
“Israel’s conclusion was that there was no partner on the other side, and that the Palestinians were simply not interested in reaching a peace deal.”
Assertion: Israel persists in denying there is renewed pressure for a Palestinian state.
The Camp David breakdown induced a political earthquake in Israel as voters steadily elected more conservative governments. The current administration refuses to accept a Palestinian state, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, because it will empower Hamas. They naturally fear a repeat of Oct. 7 if a state is established. This could change if a more moderate political party replaces them in elections scheduled for next year. I personally think we should look at other options, but a two-state solution is acceptable if it can work.
Assertion: The U.S. government ignores its poor while sending billions in arms to Israel.
Congress can probably afford both. Each political party supports military aid to Israel. Democrats seek social reforms while Republicans not only resist them but actively try to deplete what programs we have. This, too, can change if Democrats recapture Congress next year and retake the White House in 2028. Of course, debate remains over whether Israel should continue receiving military aid.
Assertion: U.S. Jews back Israel, right or wrong, without concern for minorities.
Some do, but most American and other Diaspora Jews appear to be evenhanded in assessing Israeli actions, and they care about vulnerable citizens, especially since many American Jews are among the vulnerable. The majority of American Jews vote for Democrats. Our votes for Democratic presidential candidates generally range from 67 to 82 percent, though President Trump gained an additional four percent in 2024. Most Jewish communities are represented by Democrats in Congress. If American Jews put Israel ahead of domestic needs, why don’t more of us vote Republican?
Assertion: Zionists are determined to expel or kill all Arabs
There may well be some Zionists who intend harsh treatment for the Arabs. However, anyone who believes in Israel’s right to exist is inherently a Zionist. Most Zionists do not seek persecution of Arabs.
According to the Jewish Virtual Library, “Its general definition means the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Zionism has come to include the movement for the development of the State of Israel and the protection of the Jewish nation in Israel through support for the Israel Defense Forces.”
Assertion: Ending military aid to Israel will end its attacks
Why? Nobody questioned Hamas’ source of arms and how to stop it. Israel’s critics rarely urged the release of hostages. I cannot recall much sympathy for grieving relatives of those killed and families anxious for the fate of their children, siblings and parents held in captivity. I do not remember empathy for crippled Israelis and all victims who will forever suffer from trauma.
You owe us an explanation for your insensitivity to the Jewish people.
Assertion: Criticizing Israel does not make us antisemites
Of course not, but some of your friends are. As written above, most of you are plainly insensitive to Jews. You present your concerns in a hostile manner, refusing to give us a chance to express our perspective. You think that because we’re Jews we automatically back everything Israel does. My sense is that most Jews in America are confused by the war and do not know how to respond. You are quick to attack Israel, but what about Hamas? This has been a one-sided protest targeting Israel.
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Bruce S. Ticker is a Philadelphia-based columnist