Alienating Our Youth
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Many in the “mainstream” Jewish community, including some in the media, handle the generational divide in a shortsighted and thoughtless manner. The hostility directed at J Street is actually more an emotional symptom of generational flux than anything having to do with J Street itself.
Poll after poll shows the younger generation is increasingly more liberal in its views toward Israel. When it comes their turn to join the ranks of the pro-Israel community they find themselves shut out by a wall of uncompromising, rigid and reflexive folks who will not accept their pragmatic views.
They find no such barrier to entry at J Street and are welcome with open arms. They then find the organization that did accept them demonized; this only acts to further alienate these young people from the community.
They see the far right allowed into the tent while their moderate views are considered unacceptable. Shutting out the youth rather then integrating their views in the fold will result in a generation disaffected from pro-Israel advocacy. This is not a recipe for a strong and lasting Jewish community.
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J Street is funded by George Soros, a man notorious for his antipathy to Israel. He would not invest his hedge funds profits in support of an organization that has Israel's best interests at heart. That's all we need to know about J Street. Feeh!
It is not a generational matter at all. There's a small, yet very vocal minority within the Jewish community that is very much alienated by it and has serious identity issues. These guys join jstree because they are so anti-Israel, and then expect everyone to accept their anti-Israel deeds as part of the world? I don't think so... Jewish history tells us that there have always been j-streets, but these were all dead ends, and did not survive within the Jewish community. The same will happen with these guys. They'll either grow out of their rebellion, or will assimilate happily in the American society.
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