"Jews who dwell outside the Land of Israel are idol worshippers in purity.

" Talmud, Avoda Zara 8

Are you a Zionist? Think Again

“Blood For Money,” the "You can't sit in Manhattan and be a

translation of the Hebrew Zionist just because you like oranges, As long as it is
title of Israeli journalist falafel and come here once a year to argue clear to all of us
Matti Golan’s book about in Jerusalem about 'Where is Zionism that Israeli Jewish
the relationship between
going?' There is only one answer: Zionism identity deals, for
Israel and Diaspora Jewry. better or worse,
In English it was titled is going on here.” "Zionism as I see it
with the full
“With Friends Like You: exists only in its practical form. And as a spectrum of the
What Israelis Really person who likes shoes isn't a shoemaker, reality and that
Think About American so a Jew who likes Israel isn't a Zionist.'' Diaspora Jewry
Jews” (Yonatan Geffen, Israeli Poet) deals only with
Diaspora Jews are
parts of it, then at
aware that they least the difference
have a homeland Who then has forsaken the Land of Israel? -- You Have! More than any between whole and
that will always be Israeli, you have voted the loudest and strongest for territorial compromise, part is
ready to accept because you have remained in the United States. No matter how strongly you acknowledged. But
feel, how loudly you protest and how much you send to groups n Israel who the moment that
them as lovely oppose territorial compromise, as long as you remain here, you remain the
swans rather than Jews insist that
primary reason that Israel must consider such a drastic step. The numbers are
ugly ducklings, and clear, the Jewish-Arab demography in Israel is a reality, and the large Jewish involvement in the
this helps them feel population outside of Israel is a fact. Roughly half of the world's Jews study and
more secure about remain outside of Israel by preference. How can they then demand that the interpretation of
living outside of other half -- the half that have sacrificed so much already -- sacrifice even texts, or in the
more, and in the judgment of their chosen government risk their very
this homeland. organized activity
existence, in order to hold on to every inch of the Land, all in deference to
Knowing that Israel those who don't even respect the Land enough to live there?! Pardon me, but of Jewish
exists as a second even Israelis would consider that to be Chutzpah. institutions, are
home for all Jews, equal to the totality
provides even those Do we have an historic right to all of the Land of Israel? Of course we do. of the social and
considering aliyah But with all rights, come responsibilities. How can we expect to actualize
political and
with a feeling that our rights if we're not willing to shoulder the responsibilities and
inconveniences that are a part of them. economic reality
they do not need to that we in Israel
rush—Israel will Consider this. There are more than enough Jews in Chicago to change the are contending
always welcome destiny of the city of Hebron, if they would all move there tomorrow. with - not only
them with open Imagine, Hebron would become a Jewish city with a Palestinian minority
does the moral
arms. The fact that overnight, instead of a Palestinian population center, with 500 Jewish
residents who require special security arrangements. There could be signs at significance of the
Jews received their
own “Ireland” or the entrances to the city - Now entering Hebron - A gift to the State of Israel historic Jewish
“Italy” in 1948
by the Jews of Chicago. That's quite a bit more impressive than a sign grappling with a
dedicating the wing of a hospital or a school. total reality lose its
enables them to feel
in America and validity, there is
I'm not deluding myself into thinking that such a scenario would actually
elsewhere like other happen. However, I would like to make one point stick. When you sit in also the easy and
immigrants who left mourning this Tisha B'Av over the destruction of Jerusalem and the loss of convenient option
the “old country” the Land of Israel in our past, your thoughts may turn to the painful of a constant flow
compromise in the Land of Israel that is taking place today. If you feel the from the whole to
behind. – Yossi
urge to look for someone to blame, just make sure you also look in the
Beilin, His the partial. – AB
mirror. -Chaim Shacham, Consul-General of Israel to the Midwest, 1995
Brother’s Keeper Yehoshua, People
without a Land, Haaretz
(2000) (2006)
American Jews and Israel – Summer Institute For Creative Zionism 1