I share many people’s concern about the survival of the state of Israel. The threat of its demise would be tragic, not only to Israel but to the survivors and refugees of the Holocaust and their descendants. Loss of Israel would expose world Jewry to intensification of antisemitism. These are serious issues that go way beyond ordinary international politics.
But it is important to recognize that the biggest threat to Israel is the failure of the Netanyahu government and its supporters to understand the limits of international support. Israel cannot survive without international support. But international support is not and will not be automatic. If Israel’s government can be tricked into self-destructive behavior, Israel will be pushed into the sea.
Many people seem to understand the trap that Hamas laid for Netanyahu, a trap aimed directly at cutting off international support for Israel by provoking Netanyahu into behavior that the world would condemn, not support. In that respect Hamas showed that it does understand world politics in a way that Netanyahu, his government and supporters do not. That is and will be tragic.
The world, and many in this country, have not supported Netanyahu’s efforts to kick Palestinians out of their homes and lands on the West Bank so that Israel’s so-called ultra-conservative religious extremists could settle there. By its constant pushing for yet more settlements, Netanyahu has kept that issue on the front pages. And the settlers themselves have harassed and shot at Palestinians on the West Bank. Not a good background for Israeli efforts to defend itself in ways that result in mass casualties of civilians.
Many are trying to push Biden to do more. They think that American support for Israel is locked in. But that misunderstands American politics just as it misunderstands world politics.
There are a few million Jews around the globe but well over a billion Muslims and many of them – fine, caring, decent people – live here too. They easily include Jews and even Israel in their wishes for peace, prosperity and good will. But they expect decent behavior in return. The left wing of the Democratic Party is already pushing back over the number of casualties in Gaza. If Biden jeopardizes support from too many such groups, we may end up with an occupant of the White House who has been encouraging this country’s armed antisemites.
As they have for people of all origins, America’s founding principles have welcomed Jews for centuries. America has been the major destination for Jewish refugees worldwide and Jews have built solid, peaceful, productive lives here. Jews have participated in everything from the Revolution to the Civil Rights Movement. Only a fool would risk America’s welcome and the possibility that it would be replaced by armed extremists who have already been attacking not only individual Jews but Jewish and American institutions.
So, for me, Netanyahu and those who think like him are the number 1 threat to Israel. Hamas gets the prize for immoral behavior, but Israel’s extremists get the dunce cap for stupidity. And America gets the prize for decades of standing on the sidelines and watching everything unravel.
It’s time for Israel’s strongest supporters to wake up, open their eyes, deal with the Middle East in a constructive way and take seriously the fact that equal justice for all has to be part of the solution. Thanksgiving is a good time to start.
Steve Gottlieb’s latest book is Unfit for Democracy: The Roberts Court and The Breakdown of American Politics. He is the Jay and Ruth Caplan Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Albany Law School, served on the New York Civil Liberties Union board, on the New York Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Iran.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.