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The Social Justice Worldview Vs. The Israel Worldview

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  • The Social Justice Worldview Vs. The Israel Worldview

    THE SOCIAL JUSTICE WORLDVIEW VS. THE ISRAEL WORLDVIEW
    by Kung Fu Jew

    Jew School
    http://jewschool.com/2009/06/11/16647/the-s ocial-justice-worldview-vs-the-israel-worldview/
    J une 12 2009

    Jewschool is co-sponsoring Love, Hate and the Jewish State: A
    Conversation on Social Justice and Israel, with Makom, the New Israel
    Fund, and 16 other minyanim, arts & culture, and social justice orgs
    (see below).

    This is the internal conflict that is already defining our generation
    of Jews. Two worldviews that are deeply Jewishly informed and yet at
    odds with each other: social justice vs. Israel.

    Social justice is a worldview of "all helping all" and more
    specifically the stronger helping the disadvantaged, the weak helping
    the weak, the weak helping each other. It's about fighting against
    entrenched power which resists giving up unfair advantage. The most
    concise definition of "social justice" was told to me by a Catholic
    youth minister: "a state of right relationships." Rightness in conduct
    and healthy relations between employer/employee, government/citizen,
    Jew/gentile, and state-to-state.

    The Israel worldview, regardless of whether you are right or left,
    is one defined by "Jews helping Jews," each ethnicity looking out
    for themselves, and the weak nation becoming strong (and maintaining
    deterance). It's about apportioning power by nationality, ethnicity
    or religion -- and a heirachy of their comparative greivances. Israel
    becomes important as the national liberation project of the Jewish
    people. It defines success as the safety of one group among others
    (even if other groups happen to benefit, theirs can be secondary).

    The conflict becomes:

    Many people who support peace in the Middle East will not engender to
    spend time on Israel -- and why should they? There are worse conflicts
    in the world, like genocide in Darfur. Even if you are left wing,
    paying special attention to one's own ethnicity is still a parochial,
    inward-focused conversation. These people might feel more comfortable
    helping all people, regardless of ethnicity in ways that cut across
    socioeconomic status: health care for all, ending racism against
    all, collective bargaining rights for all, housing rights for all,
    international rights for all, et al.

    Many people who see a relevance for Israel's existance (of one
    version or another) are uncomfortable christening underdogs and
    painting all holders of power with the same brush. A worldview that
    doesn't validate the historical travails of the Jewish people or
    seeks to pave away nationalisms or ethnic prides entirely is also
    uncomfortable. Anti-Semitism is subsumed into just another racism,
    where many might feel it has special, and specially personal, perils.

    This conflict cuts many other directions: Some who do both social
    justice activism and Israel activism must compartmentalize their
    value systems, keeping them separated, balanced. A rare few manage
    to integrate them fully. And plenty -- tragically a great many --
    do neither.

    It has serious effects on our Jewish communities:

    While it aims to benefit all peoples through its work, the
    Anti-Defamation League created permanent schisms by opposing
    Congressional recognition of the Armenian genocide -- leading to staff
    quitting in protest, the loss of Armenian partners in anti-racism
    projects, and accusations of hypocrisy.

    Social justice organizations like Jewish FundS for Justice and
    American Jewish World Service must keep their distance from Israel
    matters to avoid the pitfalls of how their differing supporters
    proportion "justice" between Israel and Palestine. They are lambasted
    unfairly for not having a stance on an issue thousands of miles away,
    tangental to their core missions. Their distance can prevent their
    involvement in many worthwhile projects in which Israel, however
    briefly, is addressed.

    The New Israel Fund is one of the few organizations that manage to
    integrate Israel and social justice via social justice for all members
    (not just citizens) of Israeli society. The Progressive Jewish Alliance
    takes local, global and Israel justice stances. Both lose the valuable
    support of constituents who have an Israel (pro or con) litmus test.

    Our minyanim and shuls have "Israel committees" and "social action
    committees" -- but who ever has seen an "Israel and social justice
    committee"? Or who has seen an Israel committee take up the issue
    of gay rights in Israel? Or a social justice committee tackle
    anti-Semitism on the left?

    Can we integrate the two? Are they neccesarily exclusive? Are those of
    us who feel this way really so many? Can we envision Jewish communities
    that manage to blend them without rancor?

    Next Thursday's event proposes no answers, but offers a chance
    to explore this topic in a safe space, guided by experienced
    facilitators, and designed by activists who seek also a healthier
    conversation. Please join Jewscool for Love, Hate and the Jewish State:
    A Conversation on Social Justice and Israel on Thursday, June 18th
    at 7 pm - 10 pm, at the JCC in Manhattan. And hey, Yisrael Campbell
    emcees and afterwards there's alcohol and JDub DJ Joro Boro too.

    This event is brought to you by Makom and New Israel Fund, in
    partnership with AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps, Encounter,
    Foundation for Jewish Culture, The JCC in Manhattan, Jewcy.com, The
    Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning, The Union of Progressive
    Zionists, and the following co-sponsors: Bnai Jeshurun's Tze'irim,
    Brooklyn Jews, JDub Records, Jewschool.com, Just Vision, Kehillat
    Hadar, Kol Zimrah, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, Romemu,
    and Zeek.
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