Over the past several weeks the State of Israel has found itself becoming more and more a player on the global stage with all the consequences which flow from that position. Meanwhile, one has a sense that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), is increasingly marginalizing its positions as the most important organization advocating on behalf of the State of Israel in America.
Throughout the past five weeks as the Ukraine-Russia war has evolved and intensified, Israel has adopted a position as a player on the global stage, seeking to engage many of the issues on the one hand and to defuse the hostilities on the other. Israel has inserted itself as a force in many of the outside global and regional issues being affected by the war. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as well as other Government officials have assumed roles which have had both a direct as well as indirect role on the war.
The world is experiencing the most dangerous military confrontation in the West since World War II, with casualties and human suffering in the thousands—primarily innocent civilians--and millions of displaced refugees. The potential for a Russian chemical or nuclear attack hangs over all the NATO countries. Israel finds itself—directly or indirectly engaged--in almost every aspect of all these activities.
In addition, to conversations with both Presidents Putin and Zelensky, Prime Minister Bennett has sought to influence the continuing (or concluding) Iran nuclear negotiations in Vienna; the humanitarian relief effort for both Jews as well as non-Jews fleeing from Ukraine; further solidification of the Abraham Accords; and improving the rapidly deteriorating environmental conditions throughout the Middle East.
Over the past week, however, Israel also experienced the most serious eruption of terrorist incidents it has faced in almost 20 years. The events have occurred in three distinct, different parts of the country in very different locations and settings. The attacks also have occurred within Israel’s pre-1967 borders and appear to have been committed by radicalized Arab extremists. Of note, as well, is that none of the attacks appear to have targeted Israeli military locations, Israeli soldiers, or defense interests. While perhaps coordinated or similarly timed, they appear to have been random attacks.
The one factor which is readily apparent is the calendar. The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins today, April 1; the Jewish holiday of Passover begins at night in two weeks on April 15; and the Christian Holy Week begins on Sunday, April 9, with Easter on Sunday, April 17. There is a long ugly history about tensions among the faiths when these holidays coincide, but there is no indication that this was a motivating factor.
At the same time that Israel appears to be becoming much more engaged regionally and recognized as a global player, Israel’s long time standard bearer before Congress and the Administration, AIPAC, seems to be at risk of losing its credibility and clear identity. Having decided to also form a political action committee—which it had consciously and intentionally avoided throughout its existence—AIPAC announced its first group of political endorsements for the 2022 congressional elections. Among the 120 candidates Members that AIPAC endorsed in its first round of support were 61 Democrats and 59 Republicans. AIPAC created an even more serious problem for itself when it was determined that among the endorsees were 37 Republican Members of Congress who had refused to certify the results of the 2020 Presidential elections; that Joe Biden won. As Tom Dine, a previous head of AIPAC for thirteen years, remarked, this was an “existential mistake” for AIPAC. What Dine pointed out correctly as well, was that the current AIPAC leadership’s effort to justify its decisions only confirmed the organization’s failure to recognize the undemocratic character of those Members of Congress. It places AIPAC supporters in the role of justifying anti-democratic behavior in the name of support for Israel.
This action by AIPAC exposes the problem that many American Jews always have faced. Is support for Israel the only criteria which Jewish voters should consider when they vote for Members of Congress? Are there degrees of support and advocacy for Israel? When Senators and Representatives, who are supporters of Israel, identify with individuals and groups which present serious challenges to the character and future of the United States, should they be supported as enthusiastically as Members who support Israel, but might question some of Israel’s policies?
If American democracy is at stake, Israel’s survival may be as well. The effectiveness of Israeli leaders to engage as regional and globally leaders, as well as address the increasing terror attacks at home can be served better when American democracy is not compromised.
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