Maariv published an eye-opening report a few days ago regarding an interview with the chief executive of the largest Jewish communal fundraising organization in the U.S., UJA Federation of NY. It’s leader, Eric Goldstein, was almost suicidally candid (something for which such executives are not known) about the impact Israel’s brutalism towards the Palestinians is having on federation fundraising. Here are some excerpts which I’ve translated (the story has not been published in English):
Relations between Israel and American Jews face the most severe crisis since the founding of the State [of Israel]. So say leaders of the U.S. Jewish community in the face of the actions of the Israeli government concerning the Palestinians, Israel’s relationship with the U.S. government [Trump administration], and its [tense] relations with Diaspora Jewry.
The interview was conducted in the context of a visit by a delegation of Israeli officials, journalists, and the Diaspora ministry to consult with Jewish leaders in Washington and New York. Those they met with offered a grim picture of relations between the two largest Jewish communities in the world.
Goldstein told his Israeli interlocutors that Israel’s exceedingly warm embrace of the Trump administration was causing him no end of headaches with Jewish donors who were disturbed by this alliance. Netanyahu’s violent crackdown on the Palestinians also contributed to this antipathy. These developments further distanced American Jews from Israel and reduced their support for it:
“People who three years ago were among the biggest supporters of Israel now say they feel like throwing up, and that all their emotional investment in, and love for Israel has gone down the drain.”
He also said that virtually every day donors tell the Federation that they don’t want their funds invested in Israel. “They look at relations with the Palestinians, relations with [African] asylum seekers, and the [Israeli Orthodox] rabbinic monopoly and see a profound cultural break. They say they no longer feel comfortable with all this and therefore prefer to cut off their donations [to Israel].
Despite the presence of Diaspora ministry officials in the delegation, Goldstein criticized the minister, Naftali Bennett for telling a recent cabinet meeting that the growing disaffection of American Jews is not connected to any policy of the Israeli government. Goldstein said:
“This is simply not true. The government’s’ policies have a decisive role impacting our relationships with Israel.”
The reporter also noted that despite the fact that most American Jews define themselves politically as liberal, Israeli officials are prohibited from meeting with J Street, which represents the views of the majority of Jews (as the article phrased it). J Street told him that Ambassador Dermer hasn’t returned a phone call in the past two years.
Though the UJA Federation itself has reported record-breaking fundraising for 2016 and 2017, I don’t know if Goldstein is seeing a dramatic fall-off in fundraising this year. That would seem likely though I haven’t been able to document this. However, it’s been widely reported that overall U.S. Jewish giving to Israel has begun a steep decline since 2009. A Brandeis University social scientist wrote this:
…The proportion of Jewish institutional giving to Israeli causes has fallen since 2009. Several factors, including demographic and social changes, a diminishing perception of Israel as being in need and concerns over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have probably been driving this decline for years. More recently, Israel’s increasingly conservative policies on social and religious issues, which are often at odds with what most American Jews support, might also be playing a role.
[Though] the total scope of donations for Israel grew between 2000 and 2015…the share of Jewish giving going to Israel from the overall contributions – which also includes Jewish causes outside Israel and non-Jewish charities – has declined.
…The proportion of Jewish giving going to Israeli causes as a share of donations is decreasing as is the share of giving to non-Jewish causes. Meanwhile, giving to Jewish causes outside Israel is rising.
Figures the author offers in a graph are even more revealing. The level of decline in giving to Israeli causes declined over that fifteen year period by nearly 50%, which giving to non-Israeli Jewish causes increased by more than 100%. She concludes on this pessimistic note:
Israel’s increasingly conservative social and religious policies may be gradually eroding Jewish philanthropic support for Israeli causes. I believe this trend will only grow…
Israel’s hardline rightist government led by Bibi Netanyahu sees the handwriting on the wall. He understands that he’s losing American Jews who, for the past seventy years, have been the linchpin of support for Israel in the world. That explains what would otherwise appear totally bizarre and counter-intuitive about Netanyahu’s increasingly avid embrace of some of the world’s genocidal and anti-Semitic dictators. In turning away from Diaspora Jews, he’s defying John Donne’s verse: “No man is an island, entire of itself.” As far as Israel is concerned, it is prepared to go it alone; to see foreign support for Israel wither on the vine.
The new support comes from sources who harbor varying degrees of distaste for Jews. But they exclude Israel from this calculation because its right-wing government shares so many of the values of other right-wing movements throughout the world, including neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups as well. Israel has become a nation obsessed with Jewish racialism. It detests non-Jews within Israel including groups such as African refugees seeking asylum there. Israel is now seen as a bastion of western values in a sea of Muslim hordes. Like the infamous Battle of Vienna, Israel is taking a stand against them; as it lies on the frontlines of the religious-cultural war between West and East.
it doesn’t seem that the picture is directly connected to the present article. the man is wearing a ‘Palestinian scarf’ giving ‘eye-candy’ before the article sort of sways opinions
The”Palestinian scarf” is no more objectionable than a yamulkah would be.
True but only Jews wear yamulkahs. Generally a Jew wearing a Palestinian scarf is provocation whereas by a Jew it is a part of his life.
@natasha: a “provocation?” Aren’t we a wee bit Palestinophobic???
A keffiyeh has worn by multiple people in the Middle East just like sudra was worn by Jews and Armenians years ago.
“Netanyahu’s violent crackdown on the Palestinians also contributed to this antipathy. ”
Compared to his predecessors, Netanyahu has shown great restraint toward the Palestinians.
He hasn’t launched full scale invasions of Gaza, nor has he targeted Hamas leadership for assassination.
Netanyahu’s policy seems to be one of containment and border protection. This is also seen in his approach to Lebanon and Syria.
Now consider the Palestinians for a moment.
There has been a recent uptick in West Bank violence, which culminated in the shooting deaths of two IDF soldiers and a drive by shooting of Jewish civilians near Ofra. The assassination of these two soldiers, which was well planned and executed, wasn’t the work of Hamas, but the work of Fatah’s Tanzim.
Why? Revenge for the occupation? No.
The recent uptick in West Bank violence against Israel has two possible causes. The recent violence is either a power play, and manoeuvre by high ranking Fatah activists to secure their position in anticipation of the political eclipse of Mahmoud Abbas, or the violence is an indication that the powerful Barghouti family is moving to align itself with Hamas.
http://jcpa.org/is-the-barghouti-family-joining-forces-with-hamas/
How has Netanyahu responded to the recent West Bank violence? With restraint.
Hmmm. Has it never occurred to you that they are simply resisting the Israeli army because they are being violently occupied? And being broken into their houses in the middle of the night, and humiliated and kept for hours at checkpoints, and forced to destroy their own minutest building projects (like a toilet added to the house) at gunpoint? Ah, such violent and primitive people these Ayrabs.
@Elisabeth
I tried to make myself clear.
Some Arab on Jew violence in the region is the result of internal Palestinian politics.
Overall, the causes of the rest of Arab on Jew violence are myriad; you’ve enumerated some of them.
And lest we forget, much Palestinian Arab on Jew violence precedes ‘Occupation’, and the formation of the State of Israel.
@Peter Dahu
I am for Truth, not ‘ethno nationalism’.
Why not challenge my opinion, or my choice of facts, rather than drifting off topic with an ad hominem attack?
Slow Lane: “Facts” YOu think you use “facts?” Please. Your claims are just that, claims. Opinions, Prejudices masquerading as facts. You offer no credible sources, no facts, no proof. Cardinal comment rule for which I moderated you: you cannot present opinions as facts. Your opinions must be supported by credible sources and by facts. If they are not they will not be published here. This is not your own personal hasbara outlet. This is a place for discussion and debate, but only grounded in fact and evidence, for which you offer neither.
@ Fast Lane: What a load of utter horseshit! “Restraint?” Murdering 700 Gazan women and children in 2014 was”restrai nt?” He’s a butcher. Little different than the Israeli PM butchers before him, but a butcher nonetheless. Don’t shame yourself or Truth or decency by pretending otherwise.
So Operation Protective Edge was not a “full-scale invasion?” What was it? A kiddie cartoon show?
So the cold-blooded murder of 230 Gazans is an example of “containment and protection?” Who do you think you’re fooling? And his approach in Syria where Bibi launched over 100 air assaults and assassinated Syrian, Hezbollah and Iranian commanders, is defensive??
The “uptick” in violence in the West Bank was a direct result of the IDF invading Gaza and murdering 7 Hams fighters and a senior commander. That was not violence for which Israel had no responsibility. It violated efforts at negotiating a ceasefire and incited Hamas retaliation.
Hamas took responsibility for the killings, not Fatah. So again you’re blowing smoke up our behinds. I don’t like fabulists, fakers and hoaxsters. So I’m moderating you. If you want to blow zio-smoke you’ll do that elsewhere. If you want to post comments that contain facts and opinions supported by credible sources, I’ll approve future comments. If not, you puerile hasbara will not be posted here again.
Linking to JCPOA here is like dumping a pile of dreck in the comment threads. It has no credibility. In fact, it is a propaganda organ not just for Israel, but for the intelligence services. Don’t do that again.
Richard said:
“Hamas took responsibility for the killings, not Fatah”.
“The Palestinian militant group Hamas praised Thursday’s attack. The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, did not claim responsibility for the attack, but warned of more to come. ”
https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/13/middleeast/west-bank-shooting-intl/index.html
So you’ve moderated me for telling the truth. Par for the course at Richard’s Animal Farm.
Richard said:
“The “uptick” in violence in the West Bank was a direct result of the IDF invading Gaza and murdering 7 Hams fighters and a senior commander.”
Richards You just said, “You offer no credible sources, no facts, no proof. Cardinal comment rule for which I moderated you: you cannot present opinions as facts. Your opinions must be supported by credible sources and by facts.
So where are your credible sources and facts? More Snowball and Napolean bull#$%.
@ Fast Lane: I presume you read Hebrew. So read this article in Yediot which says clearly that Hamas is behind this round of violence on the West Bank. The article is by Alex Fishman, one of Israel’s finest military-security journalists. You wanted proof. There’s your proof.
And your “proof” Tanzim are responsible aside from an Israeli military-intelligence source or journalist quoting an anonymous such source? Just because Hamas didn’t claim responsibiilty doesn’t mean it wasn’t responsible.
So you believe that Fatah and the Tanzim organized the killings? And on what basis do you believe this? What is their motivation? Hamas has plenty of motivation since the IDF just murdered one of their most senior commanders in Gaza and since they’d be riling up Fatah by disturbing the security peace enforced by PA security forces. What does Fatah have to gain by resuming terror attacks which they’ve last committed years ago?
It is clear that there is continuity between the Gaza invasion and the West Bank attacks. There is no continuity between any prior incident involving Tanzim or Fatah.
Another comment rule: do NOT publish more than three comments in any 24 hour period. You cannot monopolize the comment threads and this is my way of preventing that.
Richard, excellent post and excellent moderation. One small note: it’s JCPA not JCPOA. The JCPOA is another great achievement that typical hasbara writers like our Slow Lane here smear and use as a bait.
Thanks.
@ Newt: I’m not sure where you see the term “JCPOA” in this post. Are you looking at another post? If so, let me know.
Richard yes please scroll two posts above it and see your last paragraph of your second reply to Fast Lane “Linking to JCPOA here is like dumping a pile of dreck in the comment threads. It has no credibility. In fact, it is a propaganda organ not just for Israel, but for the intelligence services. Don’t do that again.”
I just noticed it’s not a biggie. I’m a fan of JCPOA.
American Jewish support for Israel is diminishing, proportionate to the diminution of religious observance among American Jews due to intermarriage and assimilation.
Some of the loss of support is the result of Netanyahu’s policies, and some is due to campus activism.
Israel’s support of President Trump also loses Israel support.
So what, I say.
Reports of Israel’s imminent demise are exaggerated.
Bloody hell, Richard! You should be so proud of the American Jewish community!They will keep Judaism alive as an ethical way of thinking, while Israel drags it down to the level of every other stupid form of (ethno-) nationalism.
Fast Lane is doing a good job of that by himself.
I’m the guy in the photo. It’s popping up everywhere but I’ve never received a dime. I appreciate being called eye-candy, or was that just the keffiyeh. My own personal opinion is that Zionism was a huge mistake, and has comitted a monstrous crime against humanity. Israel needs to end. The refugees and descendants need to be allowed to return. Israelis need to either be willing to live in a liberated Palestine with Muslim and Christian neighbors like I have in New Jersey, or leave.
@ rich siegel: Poor Natasha thinks you’re not a kosher Yid because wearing a keffieyh is a deliberate “provocation.” I’ll bet that was the idea, wasn’t it? And are Jews if not provocateurs??
@Richard, Natasha is right. I’m not kosher at all. My wife is Chinese and we have a lovely mixed-race daughter, age 13. When she was two a local Orthodox rabbi (Zionist) got nasty with me and instructed me to not raise her Jewish, and I heartily agreed. A few years later I sought counseling with an anti-Zionist Orthodox rabbi to explore whether or not I want to continue membership in our tribe. He was unable to convince me that there is a value in tribal identification. At a point he got disgusted with me and excommunicated me, claimed he had the power to do it. So I’m a happy ex-Jew. I still carry that sign. My heritage will never change. But when I put the sign down, well, there’s a Christmas tree in my house, and even though I’m mostly vegetarian I love crab-meat. I look at Judaism as tribal-narcissism. I see Zionism as its inevitable bastard child, a violation of Judaism and yet certainly a product of it. I’m glad to have “chosenness” out of my life.
@Rich Siegel
” I look at Judaism as tribal-narcissism”
What about you wife? Isn’t she part of the Han ethnic group?
The Han Chinese have their own separate language, religion and culture and State.
What’s good for the Han should be good for the Jews too. Right?
@ Fast Lane: I don’t permit questioning individuals about other members of their family. That is a privacy intrusion and provocation I do not permit. Do not do this again.
The Han do not have their own ethnic state. They are the primary ethnic group within a multi-ethnic state. As for that, the Chinese are doing as bad a job at respecting their own minority ethnic groups as Israel is. And they’ve just thrown 1 million Uighurs in concentration camps and industrial slavery. Is that the model you want to embrace for Israel? How about Sodastream plants all over Palestinian towns and villages in which Palestinians work at slave labor wages like the Uighurs are doing now? Sound good?
@ Rich Siegel: It is absolutely preposterous to judge an entire religion based on your own personal experience with two adherents of that religion. I’d say you came your relationships with those two individuals with your own very pre-conceived, even stubborn, notions about Judaism. I doubt they or anybody else could have persuaded you otherwise.
I share many of your feelings about Israel and classical Zionism. But your feelings about Judaism–not at all.
BTW, according to Jewish law even if you renounce Judaism you are not considered an “ex-Jew.” You are always a Jew in the eyes of Judaism. Of course, you are welcome to consider yourself whatever you wish.
And this is not a signal to engage in a long colloquy on the subject. In fact, that’s exactly what I don’t want to do.
[Comment deleted: you are now banned–remember to take your luggage from the plane after disembarking at Ben Gurion. Give our fond regards to your handler at Hasbara Central during your debriefing]
Being Episcopalian I am versed in and adhere too the Christian doctrine that there is no longer tribal hierarchy. Episcopalians commonly refer to our ‘faith tradition’ and others having their ‘faith tradition’. Different but equals in the sight of God. Of course history shows, depending of the period and denomination Christians have been wickedly tribal. . I have only recently been exposed to the combination of Zionists and Evangelical Zionists – ‘Jews For Jesus’ now enmeshed with President Trump. Makes it difficult but I am not going to allow these cults to be spoilers of MY faith tradition. Judaism may need you now more than ever. ( or not ) Richard, This is off subject but I don’t know whom to ask. Please clarify some news I read in the Seattle Times in about 1987 or so. I want to do some follow up reading on this subject but do not remember his name. I think it was the Israeli Defense Minister ? who when writing his end of life memoirs wanted Israelis to know that the 1967 War was intentionally provoked by plowing Palestinian land – which would create a war readiness with Jordan allies and this would justify Israel attacking and capturing Palestinian lands – so they could then be used by Israel as a bargaining chip for a ‘peace deal. He said when he saw on the news that ‘settlers’ were streaming in on TV he was livid. He wanted this secret known so it could be taken into consideration as to the future of Palestinians. Who was this ? what title did his book have? My memory accurate ? It’s been a long time. Please point me in the right direction.
Thanks.
Small point: the 1 million Arab Jews who were thrown out of their countries, where will they go?
And all property and everything else stolen from the European Jews will they be given back?
e.g. real estate in Berlin-one small example.
At this point there is no viable way on Israeli-Palestinian integration in the Land of Israel. It will only beget much more blood shed than has already happened.
@Natasha, You are citing a myth. There was no mass expulsion of Jews from Arab/Muslim countries. This lie is a device Zionists use to justify the nakba and to make the situation seem unresolvable. Jews did very well in the region prior to Zionism. In North Africa Muslims protected Jews from the Nazis. There are still thriving Jewish communities in a few of these countries. After the nakba, and in response to it, things got tough for Jews in a few of these countries. In Egypt, after the nakba, after the Lavon affair, after the joint British/French/Israeli attack in 1956, Egypt took over 51% ownership of Jewish businesses. Can you blame them? In Iraq Zionist agents planted bombs in synagogues to frighten the Jews into leaving, creating a fake crisis. Zionists used to deny the nakba. Now that they can’t deny it any more, they say, “Well, what about all the Jewish refugees from Arab/Muslim countries. It’s a trick. Don’t fall for it.
[comment deleted: If you want to get into a mud fight with Rich Siegel you’re going to do it elsewhere. Not here. THis comment is way off topic and designed to hijack the comment thread with a completely off topic fracas.]
[comment deleted: consider this your last warning before banning. Commenters comment. They don’t edit this blog. Your opinion on how I should edit this blog are meaningless. If you don’t like the job I do or object to anything I do–tough shit. No one forced you here–or did they? Remember, last warning.]
I love Jews like you and Richard who feel like they can tell the rest of us what Judaism is and isn’t about.
Somehow Muslims don’t need to stand for the test though obviously, the fight with Israel is a religious one, which is why Muslim countries thousands of miles away won’t recognize Israel.
Rich, congrats on the way you have chosen. If you don’t want to look back then don’t. Just don’t tell Jews, what and what not they should do.
@Ginger, I totally disagree with you. Muslims don’t object to Israel on religious grounds. They object to Israel out of basic human decency, and every moral and decent human being SHOULD object to Israel. Zionism has been an abomination which has caused immense human suffering. Now, if basic human decency is rooted in religion that’s fine. Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and Jews should all oppose Israel. But there is no Muslim doctrine or dogma specifically aimed at eliminating Israel.
[comment deleted: First I tell you the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs is not a credible source. So now you turn to Middle East Forum which is, if it’s even possible, a worse, more Islamophobic source. You know which sources I find credible. You know which sources I will find treif. Don’t test me by throwing in such garbage. If you do you will be well on your way to an outright ban.
[comment deleted]
@ Rich Siegel: Let’s end this colloquy. It’s taken the debate far off-topic. Hasbarists tend to try to hijack the threads and you’ve given them a perfect opportunity. I don’t have a problem with anything you’ve said here in this thread, but we probably do differ on some related issues. So let’s save all that for another time.
@ Ginger Bread: No, the fight with Israel is NOT a religious one. Israeli radical settlers and their allies, who are Islamophobes through and through (not to mention messianic Jewish supremacists), have transformed it into a anti-Muslim jihad. But it was never that before. Before 1967, when Israelis developed a messianic notion that they needed to conquer and settle the West Bank, there was no such religious hostility. It was the Greater Israel movement and settlerism which commenced this insanity. If Muslims respond in kind it is in direct response to this Israeli settler Judean provocation.
Oh, and as for telling you about Judaism, I don’t feel at all as Siegel does about my religion, which is part of my identity. I’ve spent decades studying these subjects including a Bachelor of Hebrew Literature degree in which I studied Bible, Talmud and Jewish history. Then two separate years (one undergrad and the other grad) studying similar subjects at the Hebrew University; and an MA in Comparative Literature with a major in Hebrew literature. So yeah, I feel I have a few things to say on the subject. If you don’t like what I have to say then why would you return here? No one’s put a gun to your head forcing you to visit. The exit is clearly marked if you choose to leave. No one’s stopping you.
If you persist in your jihad against Siegel I will moderate you as well. Knock off the off-topic back and forth. Stay on topic.
In Jerusalem Post was an article, that Bennet is working on a plan to bring 200,000 French Jews to Israel.
In 2018 it is estimated that 2,300 French Jews move to Israel (and most certainly 1,800 of them will move back to France or to USA in a year or two). It would be interesting to know how this kind of mass exodus could be created by Israelis. The only way is to use the old “tricks”.
Please come to Israel and see for yourself what is happening. My wife and I have lived in Israel for over 22 years, nearly 20 years in Jerusalem.
@ Arthur Golden: Oh please, you don’t know who you’re talking to. Please read my About page before you treat me like I know nothing about Israel and only need to visit to fall in love with the place as you have.
Do you realize that you are posting an image of a racist who on Facebook has called himself an antisemite and has a had a few visits from homeland security, also mocks the Talmud that even Facebook banned him a few times for saying racist stuff against Jews.
@ Moshe Ben Yakov: Cardinal rule here: if you make claims you support them with real evidence, facts and sources. I don’t trust your interpretation of anything. If you make such charges against anyone again without offering such proof you will lose your commenting privileges.
Support for Israel is also dropping as people learn the truth of Israel’s ethnic cleansing, property theft, colonization, and endless and cruel oppression of non-Jews.
[Comment deleted: off topic. Make sure your comment responds directly to the subject of the blog post and not unrelated or extraneous issues. Read and follow the comment rules, which are linked in the navigation bar.]