[Ask Shuli is on vacation, so we’re asking you, our TC Jewfolk readers, to answer this question amongst yourselves. Nu, two Jews, three opinions, right? Let’s have it.]
Israel’s in the news again. Did you notice?
Did all of your non-Jewish friends and colleagues ask you your opinion on the Gaza Flotilla craziness, the latest crisis in the holyland (see Jenna’s riveting take on the problem here)? And how did you respond… this time?
We’re curious – do any of you feel that you defend Israel’s actions time and time again regardless of whether you understand the issues/the specific details of the latest crisis, because of a gut reaction, an instinct to support our people, struggling for survival in an embattled slice of the Middle East? Or do you shy away, uncomfortable at the question, the issue, the implications? Do you debate yourself, others, or both?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and remember that you can always post anonymously.
(Photo: hoyasmeg)
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I want comment on defending Israel at work or not (personally, I try to avoid politics at work altogether, but if asked, I know where I stand…), but I’d like to throw out this offer.
I often hear from other Jews that they would like to speak about Israel to their neighbors, co-workers, or friends, but while they know where they stand in their own hearts, they just don’t know what to say when it comes to explaining Israel and her struggle to others.
So if you ever find yourself in this situation – here’s an offer for you:
The JCRC runs a speakers’ bureau for this very purpose! (Full disclosure: I have been part of this speakers’ bureau for several years now.) My fellow speakers and I come out to different groups, and help educate about Israel – in churches, community ed centers, rotary clubs, schools, and sewing circles. And we also speak to synagogues and other Jewish groups. And one of the things we speak about is not only what the situation is, but also how to explain it to others.
So if you ever feel like you’d like to get some guidance on how to best present Israel’s case to the public, or just want to get someone to talk about Israel and her public image to you, or your friends – call the JCRC. Or post a comment on this column. Or contact me (Jenna TCJewfolk com). And we’ll get you someone to answer any questions you might have! (Guaranteed, or your money back! :))
Interesting question. The first thing I’ve found is that, although I look for news on Israel almost every day (except Shabbat when I’m not online), the people where I work don’t. So while one co-worker mentioned the Gaza flotilla incident to me, most of the time I don’t think most of the non-Jewish people where I work are even aware of some of the things I spend so much time being concerned about.
When it comes up, I always defend Israel, at least to some degree. Not because I think Israel is always right, but because the propaganda campaign against Israel is so effective that I want to give the people around me another perspective.
As a result, I take it as my responsibility to do some research and become informed on the facts and the issues as quickly as possible after something hits the news, so I can speak intelligently on it. That’s where sites like this and my fellow bloggers come in very handy!
I agree with Jenna and Susan – it’s important to be informed! I grew up in a very pro-Israel family and defending Israel was a gut reaction. As I got older it became more difficult to defend Israel without the facts, and you really need to dig sometimes – there are a lot of “fake facts” out there! It helps me defend Israel on a logical, factual basis, instead of relying on emotions, and I feel more confident getting into a debate. That said, living in Israel most of my arguments are with left-wing Israelis, so I’m in a different situation!
Debbie,
I think you bring up the most crucial point here – it is so important to have the right facts.
For anyone looking for a good media source to look at when you hear of things happening, I would very highly recommend the Jerusalem Post (http://www.jpost.com/).
Terrific, very thorough coverage – and all in English.
It is definitely the best source of Israel-related news I have found myself.
If you’re looking for more historical details, strange as it is to say this – Wikipedia is actually quite decent on covering the history of Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict (I think they lock that article down on a regular basis).
The Jewish Virtual Library is also terrific, if you ever need to look up specific historical details.
And for books, “Myths and Facts” and “The Case for Israel” are both basic and terrific sources.
And for anyone who ever needs a good source of news coverage in Russian, http://news.israelinfo.ru is a pretty good source.
I hope this helps someone the next time you’re looking for the facts on the next bombing, flotilla, or “international incident.”
~Jenna