THE SITUATION IN ISRAEL AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ROLE OF THE PROFESSIONAL

DANIEL S. MARIASCHIN Executive Vice President of B'nai B'ritii International, Washington, DC

American Jewish organizations have mobilized to address the increasingly vocal pro- Palestinian campaign against Israel. New hasbara approaches, taking into account new technologies and the sophistication of Israel's adversaries, are being implemented, as are traditional methods such as letter-writing campaigns and solidarity rallies.

"Resistance will move forward, jihad will represendng various points of view across a continue, and martyrdom operations will new peace process spectrum. continue until the full liberation of The Al-Aqsa Intifada, the Palesdnian re­ Palestine. The Zionist entity will fall within sponse to the breakdown at Camp David, the first quarter of this century. " began a process that affected the thinking of many in our community. Frustration and dis­ Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, spiritual leader illusionment set in over the fact that major of Hamas, at a rally marking the group's Israeli concessions (including negodations IS* anniversary, Gaza City, over the status of the Temple Mount) at December 29. 2002 Camp David (and later, in January 2001 at Taba) were met by a riptide of violence against Israelis. Added to the violence was he roller coaster known as the Oslo the anti-Israel/anti-Semitic campaign un­ TPeace Process has seen its highs and leashed by the Palesdnians and their allies at lows in the nearly ten years since the hand­ the United Nadons Conference on Racism in shake on the White House lawn in Septem­ Durban, South Africa in August, 2001. Tele­ ber 1993. Then, even hard-nosed skeptics vision footage of Palestinians celebrating in saw some prospects for peace. But since July the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the World 2000, when the Palestinians rejected an Trade Center and the Pentagon only added to American attempt at brokering a resolution the feelings that the years since Oslo had of the conflict, the process has steadily un­ brought us full circle to the Arab-Israeli con­ raveled, pushed over the edge by a series of flict that existed pre-Oslo. suicide bombings and drive-by shootings of The proliferation of cable television and Israelis that have caused even ardent opti­ the growth of pan-Arab television networks mists to rethink the entire exercise. most notably the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera, Since 1993, the American Jewish commu­ compounded Israel's image problem. Cable nity has been divided into several camps networks often buy footage and reportage over exactly how to achieve peace. Some from other networks and news organiza­ groups advocated proactive concessions by tions. Suddenly, the Palestinian perspec­ Israel, including a dismantling of the settle­ tive—mostly biased from the point of view ments; some stressed "reciprocity" measures of many in our community—was popping on both sides; and others expressed disbelief up on TV screens everywhere, from the in Palestinian intentions and suggested a Middle East, to Europe, to our own screens continuation of the status quo. The decades- here at home. Adding to the challenge has old consensus on Israel that had bound most been the sophistication of pro-Palestinian American Jewish organizations was replaced spokesmen from the Arab-American com­ by a mixture of stop, go, and caution lights munity and the inclination of TV networks

92 The Situation in Israel and Its Impact on The Role of the Professional I 93

to be "even-handed" in their coverage of the peace process were also going nowhere: the conflict. visits to the region by Gen. Anthony Zinni, Beyond the media, new problems were the special American envoy, were met with developing. On university campuses across suicide bombings and other violence. the country, pro-Palestinian groups, often From this low point, both the American joined by sympathetic opponents of global­ Jewish and Israel community's response ization, began to organize anti-Israel and an­ moved from despair and frustration to re­ ti-Semitic demonstrations. One of the most solve and a heightened sense of activism. In notorious was held at San Francisco State April, more than 200,000 Jews and other University in May, 2002. A pro-Israel rally supporters of Israel gathered on the Mall in on campus was met by a counter-demonstra­ Washington, DC in the largest demonstration tion, led by Palestinians and others, in which ever for Israel in the United States. Orga­ "Go back to Russia," "Hitler did not finish nized by the Conference of Presidents of the job," and "get out of here or we will kill Major American Jewish Organizations and you" were among the epithets and threats the United Jewish Communities, together directed at the Jewish students. The campus with a broad group of Jewish organizations, police claimed they were not to arrest any­ the rally featured speeches by Israeli leaders, one, lest "it start a riot." The campus admin­ top Administration officials, members of the istration's initial reaction was passive. U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, Since then, the anti-Israel movement on Christian friends of Israel, and leading campus has taken on a life of its own. Most American Jewish spokesmen. The demon­ noteworthy is the effort at divestiture, a call stration energized the community and on universities and colleges to divest their brought about, if not a consensus of how to portfolios of stock in companies that do busi­ proceed in the peace process, a general ness with Israel, patterned after a similar agreement that the Palestinian leadership campaign against the apartheid regime in was, at best turning a blind eye to the vio­ South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s. To lence and, at worst, encouraging it as a date, most universities have rejected the call, means of advancing its own objectives. but the comparison of Israel to the apartheid- In a speech delivered on June 24, 2002, era regime in South Africa recalls the Zion­ President George W. Bush provided impor­ ism-Racism equation spawned by the infa­ tant support to the views held by many in our mous UN Resolution adopted in 1975, which community, when he called for the replace­ was as invidious then as it is now. ment of Yasir Arafat as head of the Palestin­ Perhaps the nadir of this year of difficulty ian Authority (PA), an end to corruption in came in March, April, and May of 2002. A the PA, and the democratization of the Pal­ series of suicide bombings, including one at estinian political process. He stated "There the Park Hotel in Netanya on the evening of cannot be a Palestinian state through vio­ the first Passover seder, led many to believe lence." The President said that only after that the Palestinian strategy was to seek Is­ these changes he advocated occurred could rael's destruction, suicide bombing by sui­ such a state—first provisional and then per­ cide bombing. Indeed, Farouk Kaddoumi, manent— come about. once known as the "Foreign Minister of the From the beginning of the second Inti­ Palestinians," who decided not to return, fada, and especially over the past year, Jew­ from Tunis to the West Bank/Gaza after ish organizations have become mobilized to Oslo, boasted that the destruction of Israel meet the threats posed by the actual, as well was underway. As evidence, he claimed Is­ as the propaganda assaults directed at Israel raelis were leaving their country and Israel's and Israelis and supporters of Israel every­ economy was being destroyed as a result of where. the bombings. Diplomatic efforts to restart Here are but a few examples: Two media

WINTER/SPRING 2003 Journal of Jewish Communal Service I 94 watchdog groups, MEMRI (Middle East Me­ the Yom Kippur War? During the oil em­ dia Research Institute) and CAMERA (Com­ bargo of the 1970s? After the first Intifada in mittee for Accuracy in Middle East Report­ the late 1980s? ing in America) work endlessly to reveal Indeed, each of those, and other crisis what the Arab media actually says about periods necessitated a community response. Israel and Jews, and to call attention to dis­ Creating better hasbara approaches—writ­ tortions and reporting imbalance on Ameri­ ing letters-to-the-editor, holding community can and foreign media outlets. Hillel: The rallies in support of Israel—have always Foundation for Jewish Campus Life and been an imperative within the organized AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Jewish community. What is different this Committee) do advocacy training on the col­ time is that the stakes are far higher than ever lege campus. The American Jewish Commit­ before, as are our doubts that a resolution of tee has run television ads highlighting Israel the conflict can be as easily effectuated as we as a vibrant democracy in region otherwise thought less than a decade ago. devoid of democratic values. The Anti-Def­ No matter where one finds oneself on the amation League surveys public opinion on Israeli political spectrum—Labor, Likud, re­ issues affecting Israel and anti-Semitism. ligious, left, right, or center—certain nag­ B'nai B'rith has published studies on Pales­ ging questions remain. Can an agreement be tinian and Syrian textbooks, which contain reached when Palestinian schoolchildren are hate-filled teachings about Jews and Israel taught that martyrdom against the "Zionist similar in style to that which appeared in enemy" is the ultimate sacrifice a Muslim Germany in the Nazi era. The Jewish Coun­ can make and that it will be rewarded in the cil on Public Affairs assists local Jewish after-life? Or that Jews are "treacherous and community councils to interpret Israel's case deceitful?" Can it be reached when the logo to both the Jewish and non-Jewish commu­ of a host of mainstream Palestinian organi­ nities. zations still features the outline of the entire Indeed, nearly eyery organization—secu­ map of Israel? Or when Islamic extremist lar, mass membership, synagogue-oriented, leaders like Hamas's Sheik Yassin foretell Zionist-affiliated—has its own programs and the destruction of Israel "within the first projects aimed at addressing the increasingly quarter of this century?" vocal pro-Palestinian campaign against Is­ Whatever one's view of who should lead rael. The Conference of Presidents has intro­ Israel or how he or she might achieve peace duced an e-mail publication, Daily Alert, a with the Palestinians and Israel's neighbors, summary of important news from Israel and it is clear that on the other side there are the Middle East. It also conducts an annual those who reject not only the process but consultation in Israel; that gathering brings Israel's existence altogether. The expression America's Jewish leadership together with of such sentiments used to be clouded by top Israeli leaders from the Prime Minister to ambiguous language (e.g., "ending the occu­ cabinet members, political leaders of all pation"), but has now become quite open and stripes, military leaders, and academics. The bald-faced. Conference and other organizations have Increasingly, even Bush Administration also convened top public relations experts to critics in Europe and elsewhere have come to discuss and propose new hasbara ap­ the realization that this process can only proaches for the community, taking into ac­ move forward if there is a change in Pales­ count new technologies and the sophistica­ tinian leadership. Let the pragmatists come tion of Israel's adversaries. forward, they are saying—those who can How is this era different from previous strike the deal with Israel, who are willing to moments of crisis for Israel and its support­ settie for more than half-a-loaf (e.g., 90% + ers? Did we not face similar challenges after of the West Bank and Gaza offered to Arafat

WINTER/SPRING 2003 The Situation in Israel and Its Impact on The Role of the Professional I 95 at Camp David) in a peace settlement and find ways to better connect our youth orga­ who will dismantle the extremist/terrorist el­ nizations with Israel at a time when security ements in their midst, in an overdue power considerations have essentially ruled out struggle that will surely come. Those Pales­ many of the summer and travel programs tinians who, while not necessarily embracing that did so much to create lasting bonds with the Jewish State, have come to the conclu­ the Jewish state. The same goes for tourism sion that it will never be defeated or disman­ in general. For the time being, how are we tled and that it, and its predominantly Jewish compensating for this through Israel-identity population, are here to stay. programming in JCCs and other venues? In the meantime, the role of the Jewish One creative project, bringing Jerusalem's professional is cast. At the end of the day, Ben-Yehuda Street merchants to JCCs, in the whatever our own ideas about how to craft a United States has been a major success. But peace deal, our great strength lies in the during this crisis period, we must do more. creativity and effectiveness of our hasbara Each of us has his or her own view of programs. Parts of the old formula never what kind of outcome we would like to see in became outdated: letter-writing campaigns, the Middle East and how to get there. For a dialing up the talk shows, meeting with brief moment only a few short years ago, it newspaper editors, and holding solidarity seemed logical for us to weigh in with our rallies cross-country. The new formula de­ views (individual or institutional) since the mands the best our creative juices can mus­ process was headed toward peace in any ter: informative (and usable) material distrib­ case. The terrible shocks of this past year uted via the intemet, campus and community have sobered us. It almost seems like 1975 advocacy training, opposition research on again. what Arab-American organizations are say­ Before we can reach that moment of hope ing about Israel (and its supporters), and, as briefly enjoyed only a decade ago, we need always, participation in our own electoral to go back to basics, as Israel and those who process. support it come once again under interna­ In addition to hasbara, we will need to tional reproach.

WINTER/SPRING 2003