Our refusal to have any kind of a diplomatic dialogue is a weight that will drag us underwater, both politically and economically-socially. Seeing worsening international isolation, Israel’s prestige among Diaspora Jews is also declining.
For the last two years, countries across the globe have been grappling with an ongoing economic and social crisis. The importance of having a social alternative that prioritizes the welfare of the citizen is unquestionable. But make no mistake: Social platforms go inextricably hand in hand with a diplomatic horizon.
The state of Israel has been witnessing worsening international isolation. The stymied negotiations with the Palestinians have not disappeared from the international discourse. Attempting to suppress this is tantamount to trying to stop internal hemorrhaging with a Band-Aid. Our refusal to have any kind of a diplomatic dialog is a weight that could very well drag us underwater, not only politically but also economically and socially.
Already the Israeli economy is paying dearly for the policy of its right-wing governments: International boycotts have prompted global marketing chains to remove Israeli products from their shelves; stevedore unions in Europe refuse to unload Israeli goods; consumer organizations blacklist Israeli companies.
All these actions have a direct impact on everybody’s pocket. Even if we were to save the struggling plants of Pri HaGalil and Phoenicia from shutting down, they would eventually collapse because their products could not sell around the world.
Israel’s ongoing decline in its international standing has other, equally dangerous repercussions, namely its declining status as a role model for Diaspora Jews. Those communities, which serve as Israel’s strategic home front vis-à-vis strong governments around the world — grow further distant from us.
Only a strong pro-Israeli Jewish American community can guarantee that we continue to get money for the Iron Dome anti-missile system, enjoy a US veto at the United Nations, and seek the protection under a diplomatic umbrella if needed. The same goes for the Jewish communities in other Western countries.
In a recently published study, two researchers from the Hebrew Union College and California State University asked young American Jews whether they would regard Israel’s destruction as a personal tragedy. Fifty percent said they wouldn’t. For these young people, Israel has become irrelevant. Diplomatic stalemate, the settlements, the Palestinians: What’s that have to do with us? young American Jews ask themselves.
It is those young American Jews who will be the community’s leaders in twenty years’ time. Those would be the people from whom we would ask for assistance in passing resolutions in the administration; those are the people who would block a hostile vote at the UN or wield pressure in the Congress to authorize another $3 billion in defense aid.
Fighting to lower the cost of living, raising the minimum wage, and providing housing is a justified and well-deserved cause, but it is not be-all and end-all. The state of Israel has the responsibility to see beyond the end of its nose and prepare for the challenges in the international arena. The government of Israel must lead the way for a clear diplomatic process vis-à-vis the Palestinians in order to break away from its serious international isolation.
Front Page Features