By Avram Hein
December 24, 2006
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Promoting the image of Israel as a beleaguered David against an Arab Goliath, where bombs go off every day and our enemies at the doorstep is not only a distortion of reality but also harmful to Israel.
Billions of dollars of foreign investment do not come, tourists remain at home, and philanthropic dollars go to waste.
Most Israel advocacy is based on self-appointed Jewish leaders in New York or Los Angeles crying that Israel is weak and completely conflict-ridden when the truth is otherwise. While the conflict can not be ignored, the focus of Jewish leadership on the conflict is counterproductive and bad for Israel.
Israel advocacy is not the way to build a strong Jewish people or a strong Israel. Advocacy, as Larry Derfner recently wrote in The Jerusalem Post, "only works on the home crowd - those who love nothing more than cheering Israel and booing the Arabs." He noted that "the standard hasbara approach is ridiculously one-sided, propagandistic, not to be taken seriously at all." If this is clear to an Israeli Jew, imagine how clear it must be to the majority who hold no views on Israel.
Derfner pointed out some ways in which Israel advocacy efforts can improve, notably "abandoning the children of light vs children of darkness theme" and "lay off the propaganda and bullshit and talk like one reasonable, balanced, intelligent adult to another." What Derfner is advocating, in fact, is Israel education.
In a recent conversation I had with a former professor at the Hebrew University and an expert on the Jewish community, I was told that there is an inherent conflict between Israel advocacy and Israel education. Instead of screaming that Israel is not an apartheid state he noted that Israel education would seriously explore issues of why some people (most recently former president Jimmy Carter) use the term "apartheid" when describing Israel or Israel's actions. They do not have to agree with the term (and, if given a serious examination of the topic, most likely would not) but it is important to understand how and why the rest of the world sees Israel.
Professor Steven Cohen once noted that "we need ? more exposure in the Jewish community to views which challenge our own. We need more opportunities for people? to explore their views on Israel, some of which many of us may find uncomfortable."
Education is nuanced. Advocacy isn't. Unfortunately most Israel advocacy organizations are run in the Diaspora, by people not fluent in Hebrew and with little exposure to an Israel beyond missions and five-star hotels. Most have not lived in Israel for an extended period of time. Few understand the complexities of daily life in Israel which extend far beyond the battlefield. The lack of education and knowledge about Israel among the elites of the Jewish organizations lead to wasted funds and products which do not help Israel. The result of many advocacy organizations do not speak to most people. This is the root of Israel's failed hasbara.
While some so-called "advocates for Israel" claim that they recognize the distinction between so-called legitimate criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism, the rhetoric rarely matches the reality and legitimate criticism is often tarred-and-feathered as anti-Semitism. This is partly because "Israel advocacy" is, for many, their sole tie to their Jewish identity and thus, Israel's imperfections cause their own precarious Jewish identity to suffer.
The recent trend in favor of "Israel Studies" centers on campuses, teaching Israel as an academic interdisciplinary subject, "warts and all" is a positive first step. The works of those such as Mitchell Bard and his Israel Scholar Development Fund must be commended and supported. Israel education must go beyond the Arab-Israeli conflict (a miniscule component of daily life in Israel) and also operate in the fields of economics, sociology, arts, literature, and religious studies, in addition to political science and international relations. Understanding the nuances of Israeli culture and society, in addition to the myriad challenges and threats is essential knowledge for all lovers of Israel.
An honest and educated approach to Israel is good for Israel. Ultimately, education is the best form of advocacy.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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