There are times when, despite my best efforts, I become enraged. This is one of those times.
Today is, in Israel, Jerusalem Day – the day in which Jewish Israelis (and Jews in the diaspora) celebrate the "unification" of Jerusalem in 1967, when portions of the Old City and East Jerusalem, notably the Western Wall, were wrested from Jordanian hands.
In commemoration, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu gave a speech yesterday, a speech that left me fuming. Not because of his predictable rhetoric, though it was in rare form.
Rather, I'm angry today because of our country's enabling of such predictable rhetoric. I'm angry with conservative Christians, who lobby our leaders to support Israel's most hawkish policies because of their own theological leanings. I'm angry with right-wing Jews in America who support AIPAC, an organization that does much to (indirectly, and sometimes, unintentionally) lobby against the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I'm angry with our Congressional leaders, who continuously bow to such political influences and pressures.
And I'm angry with myself.
— Yesterday —
Speaking to an Orthodox yeshiva yesterday (that was the site of a terrorist attack in 2008), Netanyahu made clear his plan to continue building in East Jerusalem, his plan to "unify" the entirety of the city by building new apartments, new settlements and new homes for Jews in areas the Palestinians hope one day will serve as their capital.
He did so by playing a linguistic trick, turning a Jewish aspirational prayer – "Next year in Jerusalem" – into a political statement: "Next year in a more built up Jerusalem."
— Today —
Of course, nothing about these words are new. Everyone has known for years that Netanyahu's real aspiration is for Israel to retain all of Jerusalem (not to mention all West Bank lands for a Greater Israel). Recently, he said it before Congress to great applause. And today, he said as much before the Israeli Knesset.
And here lies the crux of my anger. The United States has always had the capacity to wield unusual influence upon Israeli leaders due to the heavy diplomatic, financial and military support America provides Israel. Without American support – support, as an American Jew, I value greatly – Israel would be in serious trouble.
On the flip side, Israeli leaders have always been able to exert remarkable defiance despite such reliance upon America for one reason: our country's societal (read: conservative Christian and Jewish) support for Israeli positions and general apathy toward Palestinian narratives and rights.
And so, throughout our history, the United States has often played the role of the enabler, allowing Israel to act illegally, building settlement after settlement, with impunity, despite officially being against such building. For few politicians have been willing to boldly step up and not only attempt to save the Palestinians from Israeli occupation, but save the Israelis from themselves.
— Tomorrow —
But this game can't continue indefinitely for Israel, for as Peter Beinart has pointed out on many occasions, young Jews in America are feeling less and less connected to Israel due to the country's continued occupation of Palestinian lands. American support in Jewish communities, from influential Jewish donors, will not last forever.
And this game won't continue for the Palestinians, who – with the Arab Spring influencing the young and old alike throughout the West Bank and Gaza – are not going to give up on statehood this time around. Whether it be before September, when Palestinians hope to gain UN approval for statehood, or after September, one thing seems clear: a last push is going to be made, soon, by all of Palestinian society to attain their sovereignty, and such a push will likely not end until such sovereignty is achieved.
I understand the political realities in America – I'm not naive. I understand the enormous pressure Obama is under with regard to his stance toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The pressure he is under to fall in line. I understand that, despite fuming at Netanyahu and rejecting his positions, the Obama administration will still try to rescue Israel at the UN by vetoing the Palestinians' attempt to become a full UN member.
And so I'm angry with myself. For not doing enough to help change the narrative in America. For waiting too long to begin using my pen to write political pieces, engaged solely in my own, personal art, writing novels and poems when I could have, with some of my writing, been engaged in helping (perhaps with futility) Obama stand up to the political pressures that swirl around him in our country.
And I'm angry for writing this diary, which I will likely remove once the anger subsides. I'm angry for having to write it. As a Jew who cares about Israel. As a Jew who cares about the rights of Palestinians. As a Jew who loves this country.
And so anger as love. It's not the way I want it to be manifested.