Collaborating With Those Who Think Israel Should Not Have Been Established

 A Guest Post By Dr. Harold Goldmeier

Israel’s friends and supporters often criticize her really lousy public relations. Since the flash win war of 1967, Israel has never been able to convey a persona of the peace seeking, charitable nation she really has been, nor the light unto the world she has always challenged herself to be.  Jews are among her most harsh critics giving aid and comfort to those who want the complete destruction of the Jewish State.

            
There has arisen a clear thinking, articulate, and a damn effective writer and speaker about Israel’s purpose on earth, and her role in the 21^st century.  He is Daniel Gordis, and he has raised the bar for critics of Israel by declaring what I call THE GORDIS DOCTRINE. Gordis defined it with unshakeable clarity and in the simplest language at this year’s J-Street annual conference. 


J-Street is a self-described pro-Israel advocacy group that more often is sympathetic to Palestinian than Israeli positions on political and security matters. It collaborates with groups that want to boycott Israeli goods, have companies divest their holdings in Israeli companies, and delegitimize Israel in world forums thus isolating her and opening her to sanctions. Gordis lectured the attendees on the meaning and importance of Israel. He went on to make it clear unless you love Israel and are committed to the continued existence and the security of her people, we cannot give quarter to your ideas and will vigorously work against all these groups stand for.

            
Gordis is the man who penned that Israel is the place that “can make you cry.” Jews tolerate differences of opinion, because of our Talmudic background and Israel is a democracy.  We welcome argument and dissent with passion and heart.  It defines “the Big Tent” allusion.  One-state solution or two, a Jewish State or one man-one vote, a theocracy or secular democracy, original borders or new ones based on lands captured from invading countries, no nation has more issues and debates and debaters.

            
The Tent, simply put by Gordis, is no longer welcoming nor big enough for those who collaborate with people who believe Israel should never have been established and do not want her to exist as a Jewish state: he defines this doctrine to conference attendees and others:

           

“They are our enemies. It doesn’t matter if they are in Israel or outside, or if they                 are Jewish or not. If they are working to end Israel, or to end it as a Jewish and democratic State, then they are our enemies, plain and simple. There are enemies who cannot be loved or compromised into submission, and you need to recognize that. The Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement is a case in point. No one in their right mind doubts that BDS is opposed to Israel’s continued existence as a Jewish State. So why were they invited to (J-Street’s) annual conference? There need to be limits to those whom you’d welcome into your tent. YOU NEED TO SHOW US THAT YOU CARE ABOUT ISRAEL MORE THAN YOU CARE ABOUT DIALOGUE WITH ISRAEL’S ENEMIES (emphasis added).”

                
The safety of Israel’s citizens is more crucial than moral agendas he told J-Street.  That defines a national doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine made it clear to America’s enemies that any interference with countries in our hemisphere would be viewed as acts of aggression and America would defend her self-interests with armed force if necessary. President Truman took it to the next step. He warned the Soviets that we would come to the defense of free people (like Greece and Turkey) anywhere in the world threatened by armed or coercive forces from within or by outside totalitarian regimes.  President Eisenhower further refined this doctrine to use U. S. economic aid or military forces if a country so requested under threat from armed aggression. The Suez War gave it meaning and teeth. John Kennedy told the world his doctrine most eloquently when he said, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

            
Charles Krauthammer defined the Bush doctrine that gave the U.S. the right at any time to secure the safety of U.S. citizens from nations giving aid and comfort to terrorists, including the policy of preventive war, who harm the U.S. It justified the invasion of Afghanistan, drones flying into Pakistan, and the Seals violating sovereign territory to kill bin Laden.

           
Israel is no less justified than every other nation state in that it must protect the safety of its citizens from suicide bombers, rockets fired across her borders, warships transporting tons of arms and ammunitions to enemies who have sworn to drive Israel into the Sea, from armies of neighboring states that launch full scale invasion after invasion since 1948. No longer do we need to engage in dialogue with Jews and others who do not care if Israel lives or goes away, if the U.N. was right to vote her into existence along with Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, none of which were nation states.  Only Israel’s existence and purpose is unrecognized and unaccepted.  There is no talking to these people about solutions to peaceful coexistence unless they love Israel and for those principles for which she stands.

Dr. Harold Goldmeier Chicago, Ill. hgoldmeier@aol.com Dr. Goldmeier was a Chicago Public School 

teacher, a Research and Teaching Fellow at Harvard University earning a Doctorate in Education, and taught as an Assistant Professor at Tufts Medical School. He worked in government for three Governors, the U. S. Surgeon General, and in children and youth advocacy for nearly two decades. He recently sold his business after nearly three decades. He has been married more than forty years with children living in America and Israel, and a son who recently served with the Israel Defense Forces. He has published more than two-dozen articles in professional journals and popular magazines and newspapers.

Dr. Goldmeier is currently a writer, consultant to government agencies, and to small businesses on economic growth and marketing. His most recent articles appeared in The Jewish Press on terrorism, and in Haaretz of Israel and he writes a guest post for LifeinIsrael.blogspot.com., Open.Salon.com., and more.