Though we have not yet seen the full JFNA statement, the Times of Israel just reported that JFNA stated in part:
ADDENDUM; here is the JFNA Statement in its entirety:“It is tragic that the Administration chose to mar its legacy of support for the Jewish State and set back the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace,” wrote the Jewish Federations of North America in a rare critique of a US administration, recalling that in the past “President Obama has consistently supported Israel’s right to self-defense and affirmed that America has an “iron clad commitment to make sure Israel is secure.”The umbrella organization noted that “Jewish Federations across North America are deeply disappointed that the United States abstained from today’s vote on the one-sided, anti-Israel resolution that was passed by the UN Security Council today,” adding that “the Administration’s decision undermined a core principle of American foreign policy that has been embraced by Democratic and Republican Administrations for decades: that the only route to a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is through direct negotiations between the parties.”
Congratulations to JFNA for rising up and stating it straight, emphatically and well.Jewish Federations across North America are deeply disappointed that the United States abstained from today’s vote on the one-sided, anti-Israel resolution that was passed by the UN Security Council today.The Administration’s decision undermined a core principle of American foreign policy that has been embraced by Democratic and Republican Administrations for decades: that the only route to a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is through direct negotiations between the parties.It also upended its own principled stance against UN resolutions that isolate Israel. Just two years ago when the U.S. vetoed a similar resolution, UN Ambassador Samantha Power stated “We voted against it because we know what everyone here knows, as well – peace will come from hard choices and compromises that must be made at the negotiating table.” And the Obama Administration ignored the advice of 88 Members of the U.S. Senate who urged the President in September to reject such resolutions.President Obama has consistently supported Israel’s right to self-defense and affirmed that America has an “iron clad commitment to make sure Israel is secure.” Several weeks ago the U.S. and Israel signed an unprecedented $38 billion military aid package."
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Great. So since JFNA claims to support Israel as a Jewish AND democratic state, are we going to hear a clear and strident condemnation of settlement activity? Or is JFNA reflecting a minority hard-right view of an unrepresentative leadership?
Sorry, friend, JFNA and others, have followed the correct and prudent course with its statement. The expression of sorrow and anguish over this President's decision not to veto a UN Resolution which in no way advances the road to a peace process is in no way an endorsement of "settlement activity." To suggest otherwise is just wrong.
Richard, While I agree with your position and also congratulate JFNA on speaking out it seems strange to me that the statement, although not seen in its entirety, only condemns the US for abstaining. It doesn't seem to take a positon on what the US vote should have been. While it may be implied, I don't see where it suggests that the US veto the resolution. So that leaves two other options vote in favor, or vote against. In either case JFNA would have caused an outrage among enormous segments of the Jewish community from the left and the right. Did I miss something in the abbreviated statement?
Richard:
With all due respect, Bibi and the right wing have been thumbing their nose at the POTUS in unprecedented ways over the past 8 years. Bibi has enabled the settlers--he (and they) had come to the belief that they could pretty much do what they want with impunity.
Not on our dime (or trillions of them) they don't. Not if they claim to believe in a two state solution. It's frankly embarrassing what Israel is doing regarding continued settlement building and the creation of new ones. No other country in the world stepped up to support Israel here on this point--are they truly all ant-Semitic?
It's about time Israel (or at least its right wing element) take a long hard look at its policy here and actually take concrete steps to do something about it. I am proud, as a committed Jew, American and Zionist, that our President took this step. While I realize that you and others may disagree, it's not an automatic "obvious" that our President should have vetoed this. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Obama's Cairo speech? You mean the only President who in the heart of the Arab world spoke loud and clear about condemning anti-Semitism and combatting Holocaust denial?
I love my Federation and my community but I am continually ashamed at its disconnect from my generation and those who come after me.
Yet another Israeli government minister is calling for annexation of the territories. For eight years the Netanyahu government has preferred to appease the settlers rather than think hard about the future.
Blind acquiescence to the hard-right Netanyahu government, and unceasing attacks against those who even question its policies, alienate a growing number of American Jews aged under 50.
Don't say we weren't warned.
Does the UNSC resolution advance peace? Probably not. But has Netanyahu done anything to advance peace in the last eight years? Nothing. The vote wasn't an attack on Israel. It was a clear message that the entire world sees the settlements as illegal, and there's a limit on the number of times you can lie, undercut a sitting US President, and ignore your friends and allies.
Anon at 9:31 touches on a raw and painful subject.
The more we follow the AIPAC-ZOA line of complete adoration of Bibi, and never question his government policies (something we would never do for any politician at home), the more we betray our next generation and show the lack of courage and thoughtfulness that we demand at home.
It takes precisely three minutes to sniff out a fake. And our blind loyalty (and increasing McCarthyism) in the Jewish community to the Netanyahu government is going to implode in our faces very fast.
Where was the statement condemning the Israeli goverment for advancing legislation that legalized an unauthorized outpost built on private settlement land, thus unifying the international community against the settlement enterprise? Did we miss that statement?
Sadly, I think that anon 9:43 is wrong.
Our blind loyalty to the Netanyahu government is going to keep going.
And eventually, in several years time, we will look at all the fine and upstanding leaders who could have been Jewish Federation leaders, who will have walked away in disgust at how we sold out our values, decency, ethics and morality for "Judea and Samaria."
Sorry Richard, but "[t]he expression of sorrow and anguish over this President's decision not to veto a UN Resolution" is precisely an endorsement of "settlement activity."
This wasn't about a UN resolution not advancing the "road to a peace process." We have a President (and an entire world - not all of whom are anti-Semites) who loves Israel but is clearly saying that the settlements are bad for Israel and bad for the world.
"Jewish Federations across North America are deeply disappointed that the United States abstained from today’s vote on the one-sided, anti-Israel resolution that was passed by the UN Security Council today,”
And all over North America, millenials, Gen Xers and others looked at the spineless leadership who came up with such a betrayal of our values, shrugged, and continued their transitions to other charitable and social organizations. Ones which actually stood up for social justice, peace and freedom, instead of land, territory and denial of rights to others.
Every time the above arguments are raised -- that we are alienating the next generation with this blind fealty to the Israeli Government -- the reaction from our hard-right comes with demands for loyalty and silence. It would be nice, Richard, to have a proper discussion on this issue. We deserve it.
Friends,
I want to thank all of you have Commented to this Post and immediate predecessor, those who agree with me, those who agree with JFNA's Statement, and those who have disagreed, often passionately. I do have my disagreement with those who ascribe, e.g., "hard right" views because we believe that President Obama should have vetoed the venal UN Resolution in question; or, on the other hand, that all those who support the President's non-action are on the far left, and somehow hate Israel.
As regular readers know, what I express on these many pages is my opinion and only mine. Some of you presume to speak for, e.g., all Millenials, all of the "Next Generation" and similar. What all of us should know is that no one, and no one organization, speaks for North American Jewry -- but we can have a reasonable expectation that our organizations will strive to speak for most f us. If not, then our organizations will fade away in irrelevance.
The question remains, as the last Commentator questioned, can we "have a proper discussion," and, if so, who will convene it.
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