Why do so many American Jewish organizations today seem so reluctant to speak forthrightly about their support for Israel and even more reluctant to use the word Zionism?
Why have so many American Jews let Zionism become a dirty word?
Like many American Jews in the days before Passover, I received a great many email appeals from organizations asking me to make a financial contribution. Admittedly, I may be looking too closely at solicitations like these since becoming chairman last summer of Americans For A Safe Israel (AFSI). But I am finding these solicitations, as well as many of the websites for these groups, disappointing in the way they portray their missions.
It’s instructive to review how some of the groups asking American Jews for financial support describe themselves.
For example, the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), in its 350-word Passover appeal, makes no mention of either Israel or Zionism.
This seems like more than an oversight: The NJAC also omits both Israel and Zionism from its 187-word mission statement on its website. The website features an additional 48-word description that is not defined as a mission statement—or anything else. Again, no mention of Israel or Zionism.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) features a similar 49-word description. Once again, there’s no mention of Israel or Zionism.
The NJAC and ADL use much of the same language in these depictions, including antisemitism, hate, community, combat/combating and organization/organizations.
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) is the successor organization to the National Community Relations Advisory Council (NJRC), although it makes no mention of this on its website. It should be pointed out that, unlike its predecessor, JCPA is no longer connected to federations and the official Jewish community, but is an independent left-wing group.
Still, its leaders avoid mentioning Israel or Zionism on their 269-word “About JCPA” webpage.
So what does the JCPA say about itself?
“JCPA’s work is rooted in the understanding that only by overcoming lines of difference and fostering solidarity across communities can we advance an inclusive future in which Jews—and all people—are safe and free.”
There seems to be tremendous overlap in what these three groups say about themselves.
This avoidance of the word Zionism is not just a left-wing phenomenon. The National Jewish Advocacy Center would have to be objectively categorized as right-of-center. Its “counsel” is David Schoen, the former short-term national chairman of the Zionist Organization of America, who also served as an attorney for President Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial and Steve Bannon in his 2022 criminal trial.
On the other hand, there’s J Street—the controversial Washington, D.C.-based Jewish pressure group that was created in 2007 specifically, and almost exclusively, to lobby for an independent Palestinian state. On its “About Us” page, J Street spends 218 words talking about “Who we are” and “What we do.” It does say that it was “created to serve as the political home and voice for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy Americans.”
The word Zionism does not appear once.
But this should not surprise knowledgeable observers. J Street is not really Zionist. Its supporters are the type of American Jews who are uncomfortable with the word Zionism, and J Street is playing to that audience.
Recently, however, J Street’s website has featured prominent pop-up ads for the Hatikvah Slate in the World Zionist Congress elections. These are not paid ads; J Street does publish paid advertisements, but these are not among them.
One of the main components of the Hatikvah Slate is Partners for Progressive Israel (PPI).
PPI, just months before the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, hosted a webinar where Israeli speakers discussed changing the lyrics to—wait for it—“Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem, which in English means “The Hope.”
“Hatikvah!” And now PPI, J Street and their allies are calling their slate by that name.
The webinar featured former Knesset member Avraham Burg and Haifa University professor Faisal Azaiza.
Throughout the webinar, the two shared their vision for completely stripping Israel of its Jewish identity. Burg said the music to “Hatikvah” would be retained, but the lyrics would be removed. The national flag would no longer display a Star of David. Instead, it would be “a color.”
The Law of Return, which grants automatic citizenship to any Jew who needs or wants it, would be repealed. Instead, Burg stated that “an individual Jew who is persecuted might be given a fast track to citizenship.” He quickly added that “Palestinians seeking shelter would have the same right.”
Burg explicitly denounced the idea of any connection between Israel and world Jewry. “Israel does not belong to the whole Jewish people; it belongs only to the citizens of Israel,” he asserted.
Why is the Hatikvah Slate allowed to run in an election that calls itself Zionist? We know why these groups want representation in the Zionist Congress—so they can lobby there for a Palestinian state.
A record number of American Jews are participating in the World Zionist Congress elections. These voters should also be demanding more from our organizational leaders on a regular basis.
JCPA says it “has served as the national convener of Jewish coalitions working to build a just and inclusive democracy.” But far too many Jewish students on America’s campuses are being targeted by masked terrorism supporters at out-of-control protests. What these students do not need is “conveners.”
Let’s instead call on our community’s institutions to put teaching Zionism at the center of their work … or close up shop.