Trump plan won’t change minds of US Jews disaffected from Israel

For many American Jews, Israel’s control of Palestinian freedom of movement and the Palestinian territories in general, is unethical, unjust, and incompatible with their view of Judaism.

By JEREMY SHARON
Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews throw a counter-protest across the street from a "Stop Iran Rally," where numerous US senators spoke, in the hopes of convincing other senators to denounce the Iran nuclear deal on September 1 (photo credit: AFP PHOTO)
Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews throw a counter-protest across the street from a "Stop Iran Rally," where numerous US senators spoke, in the hopes of convincing other senators to denounce the Iran nuclear deal on September 1
(photo credit: AFP PHOTO)
One of the critical factors frequently cited in the chilling of relations between US Jews and Israel has been the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians and Israel’s control of Palestinian territory and its population.
Liberal Jewish Americans, who form the large majority of the American Jewish community, have long advocated for the adoption of a two-state solution, and have clamored for it with greater urgency as the conflict has continued over the past two decades without an end in sight.
This advocacy for a Palestinian state alongside Israel is an aspect of liberal American Jews’ push for social justice of all forms, be it economic or political, in line with a guiding principal of progressive Judaism to be “a light unto the nations,” as described in the Book of Isaiah.
Part of this aspiration is to engage in tikkun olam, a concept seen by progressive Jews as an injunction to rectify the injustices of the world.
So for many American Jews, what they and others describe as the Israeli “occupation” of the Palestinians, Israel’s control of Palestinian freedom of movement and the Palestinian territories in general, is unethical, unjust and incompatible with their view of Judaism.
For Israelis, the country’s control over the Palestinians is seen primarily through a security lens and concerns about the human rights of the Palestinian population take a back seat to the safety of Israeli citizens.
They worry that a withdrawal from the West Bank would produce a situation similar to that produced by the withdrawal from Gaza, a worry constantly reinforced by continual attacks from Gaza.
Over the past decade, successive Israeli governments have therefore been extremely cautious regarding any concessions to the Palestinians, and the Israeli electorate has grown increasingly right-wing because of the unallayed security concerns of the majority of Israelis.
So, will the unveiling of the Trump plan on Tuesday, and Israel’s acceptance of it, change the way American Jews view Israel?
After all, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ostensibly agreed to the establishment of a Palestinian state as stipulated in the Trump proposal, and to the abandonment of 70% to 80% of the West Bank.
Under the terms of the agreement, Israel would also have to give up sovereign territory from its pre-1967 lines as compensation to the Palestinian state for land in the West Bank to be annexed by Israel.
And the Palestinians will be able to establish their capital in the eastern part of Jerusalem.
Throughout the last two decades, Israeli governments have shown a clear disinclination to make territorial concessions to the Palestinians, but now, finally, the Israeli prime minister appears to have conceded on such matters and taken a step toward peace and justice for the Palestinians.
This is, however, not the way the Trump plan has been viewed by liberal US Jews and institutions.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the head of the Reform movement in the US, said that he is concerned with the prospect of unilateral Israeli annexations of the territory allocated to it under the Trump plan, worrying that it would end either Israel’s Jewish or democratic character.
The left-wing J Street lobbying group described the plan as a sham and said there was “zero chance” it could be the basis of renewed peace negotiations.
And the Jewish Democratic Council of America said the plan could “impede prospects for peace by legitimizing unilateral Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank,” and was detached from reality since its drafters did not engage with the Palestinian leadership at all.
Numerous other left-wing Jewish organizations and advocates of a two-state solution condemned the proposals, citing the fact that Israel may annex territory before a Palestinian state is declared; criticizing the torturous format of the borders of the proposed Palestinian state and its lack of territorial contiguity; and noting that the Palestinians must comply with a long list of conditions before their state can be declared, the establishment of which is itself dependent on the approval of Israel and the US.
In short, the proposals have not, and likely will not, change the minds of those US Jews who have long been concerned with Israel’s ongoing control of the Palestinians, since they fear that Trump’s plan will merely perpetuate that control.