Benjamin Netanyahu’s electoral victory has prompted much talk of American Jews feeling themselves increasingly “distant” from Israel. Some of this talk takes the form of loosely (or not-so-loosely) veiled threats: if Israelis don’t start voting the way American Jews supposedly want them too, they will lose American-Jewish support. Shmuel Rosner contends that this talk is based on faulty assumptions:
[W]hy blame Israel and its decisions for the phenomenon of “distancing”? Why presuppose that it is the Israeli voters that need to change their outlook to win favor with American Jews—and not conclude that it is American Jews that need to change their outlook to win favor with Israeli Jews?
The threat of “distancing from Israel” is based on two faulty pillars: that politics is a main driver of connection and disconnection to Israel [and] that Israel needs American Jews more than they need Israel. . . .
I don’t accept these assumptions—because they are unproven and untrue. Unproven because, as we’ve seen in many studies in recent years, the political divide is not the main driver that determines the connection of Jews to Israel. Of course, this might change, but thus far it has not. Untrue, because American Jews need the connection to Israel no less than Israel needs this connection.
Read more on Jewish Journal: http://www.jewishjournal.com/rosnersdomain/item/american_jews_are_disappointed_with_israels_election_tough_luck