The Future of Israel - Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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From Modest Beginnings to a Vibrant State© ISRAEL MINISTRY OF TOURISMISRAELI ZIONISMAs Israel reaches middle-age, a renewed Identity Zionismcould help solve the country’s mid-life crisis. As Israeli Jewsbecome Americanized, they suffer more and more fromthe excessive materialism, alienation, individuation, apathyand loneliness that afflict so many moderns in advanced,consumerist society. Already, many Israelis complain ofa values crisis, lamenting too much corruption, greedand selfishness, at all levels of society. The Zionism ofthe kibbutz and the Jaffa orange may be more suited tomuseums; these days, it is hard to jump up and down,doing the circle dances of yesteryear, without sending yourcell phones, iPods, Blackberries and car keys flying. Butthe us of Zionism can counterbalance the I of modernityin Tel Aviv, as well as in New York. Zionist dreams canneutralize post-modern cynicism; Zionist social activismcan help cure the computer age’s couch-potato passivity.Having helped make so much of the desert green,Zionism has to help stop the modern Israeli from feelingso blue. Instead of draining swamps, there is pollutedair to clean and far too much litter to pick up. Insteadof broken refugees to resettle, there are the poor tofeed, the uneducated to teach, those broken by moderndysfunctions to heal. Instead of jumpstarting a culture, asociety, an economy and a political system, there are thesystems of a modern country waiting for their 60-yearcheck-up and, in some cases, a serious overhaul. Zionismwas never just about getting to Israel or surviving; it wasabout perfecting this new country and thriving. For all ofIsrael’s tremendous accomplishments these last 60 years– many thanks to Zionism – a renewed Zionism will tapa forward-thinking, altruistic, idealistic, creative sense ofcommunity for the next 600 years.True, so many of these lovely sentiments would be muchmore compelling, and easier to address, without theconstant security challenges Israel has been forced to face.But we cannot let the continuing threats against Israel robZionism of its idealism – and its transformative potential.Abandoning Zionist dreams amid sobering realities – orlimiting Zionist activism to Jewish self-defense – givesour enemies a victory they do not deserve. A centuryago, Theodor Herzl, the modern founder of this old-newmovement taught us: “Im Tirzu, ayn zo agaddah.” (If youwill it, it is no dream.) Today, we still need to dream – andstill need to show just how often we can transform thedreams of today into the triumphs of tomorrow. ◆Above: American-Jewsvisit a camel ranch inEilat. It is important tobuild on the great successof birthright Israel andhave Jews from all overthe world visit Israel.WEBRESOURCEs:The Jewish PeoplePolicy PlanningInstitute:www.jpppi.org.ilIsraeli PresidentialConference 2009:http://presidentconf.themarker.comConferenceof Presidentsof MayorAmerican JewishOrganizations:www.conferenceofpresidents.orgUnited JewishCommunities- TheFederation ofNorth America:www.ujc.orgRelations BetweenIsraeli and AmericanJewry: A RealisticVisionWritten by Professor Yehezkel Dror, Founding President ofThe Jewish People Planning InstituteRelations between American Jewry and Israel duringthe first 60 years of Israel’s existence have by and largedeveloped into a great success, to the benefit of all.However, achievements in the past do not automaticallyguarantee future success in a rapidly changing world,where clinging to what has worked in the past oftenassures failure in the future.This applies, first of all, to U.S.-Israeli relations as a whole.While excellent cooperation between American Jewryand Israel facilitates these relations, this relationship inturn depends on them. American Jews are committedU.S. citizens. Thus, they support U.S. policies that intheir view benefit both America and Israel. Therefore,Israel – in cooperation with American Jewry-- has towork hard at maintaining and strengthening its specialrelationship with the United States, as it is essential forits relations with American Jewry, in addition to othercritical considerations.Moving to intra-Jewish considerations in the United States,generational changes are increasingly raising difficultissues. The new generation shares less and less the deep➤the next 60 years143
ISRAEL AT 60emotional experiences of the Shoah, the establishmentof Israel and its struggle for survival, which for themis “history” rather than a formative experience. Also,the scope of shared campaigns such as “Let My PeopleGo” from the Soviet Union, has become more limited.And post-modern values attractive to many young Jews,compounded with a lack of understanding of MiddleEastern realities, can undermine support for Israel as aJewish State, as well as its policies.In Israel, the younger non-Orthodox generation regardsitself increasingly as “Israeli” first and only secondarily asJews. Many Israelis know all too little about AmericanJewry. And many Israeli policies, such as assigningsecondary status to main American Jewish religiousstreams, harm relations. Also, some Israeli realitiestarnish Israel’s image as a just and high-quality country,imperiling its standing among American Jews, especiallyin the younger generation.If the quite radical differences between the subjectiveexperiences and the objective realities of being a Jew ina Jewish State and being a Jew in the United States areadded to the outlook, the unavoidable conclusion is thatunless Israeli-U.S. Jewry relations are restructured on somenovel foundations, their future may be bleak. However, athriving future is possible as illustrated by the followingrealistic vision for the next 60 years:• Israel recognizes the legitimacy of Jews living in theDiaspora and accepts them, and especially AmericanJewry, as full partners sharing responsibility for the futureof the Jewish People as a whole.pressing predicaments, such as large scale assimilation.• American Jews better understand the realities facingIsrael in the Middle East, with special attention to theyounger generation so it is not carried away by anti-Israeli“new age” ideas.• American Jewry increases its moral, political and materialsupport for Israel, understanding that Israel cannot shoulderalone the continuous burdens and challenges of building(and defending) a Jewish State in the Middle East.• U.S. Jewry and Israel cooperate in developing newpatterns of “multiple residence,” as fitting globalization andpartly in place of diminishing full Aliya, with an increasingnumber of Jews dividing their time between the U.S. andIsrael, while respecting their citizen duties.• U.S. Jewry and Israel engage in joint projects, such asdesigning core curricula on Judaism and the Jewish Peopleto be shared by Jewish schools in both countries; cultivationand development of Jewish People leadership and a varietyof “Tikkun Olam--Mend the World” projects.Such a flourishing future relationship between Israeland American Jewry, within the special United States-Israel relationship, is definitely possible, and if it comes tofruition, will be of much benefit to all. But it is not assured.It does not stretch the imagination too much to constructa plausible nightmare scenario in which deterioratingIsrael-American Jewry relations have dire consequencesfor both communities within a context of serious tensionsarising between the United States and Israel.professoryehezkel drorProfessor of PoliticalScience at theHebrew Universityof Jerusalem, amember of the Clubof Rome, scholarand internationaladvisor on statecraft,governance, andpolicy planning. Heserved as a senior staffmember of the RANDCorporation in theUSA; Senior Advisorin the Offices of IsraeliPrime Ministers andMinisters of Defense.the future of israel• U.S. Jewish organizations and leaders are regularlyconsulted on major Israeli decisions that impact Jewry and theJewish People as a whole, such as the future of Jerusalem.• Israel does not “require” automatic support for all itsactions as a duty of American Jewry and is instead wideopen to frank discourse.• Israel changes domestic policies which are anathema tolarge parts of American Jewry, such as non-recognition ofmain religious streams.• Israeli public and leadership understand in-depth the maindynamics of American Jewry and tries to help in coping withTherefore, the 60 year anniversary of Israel is not only atime for celebrating the heroic achievements of the past,but also for working hard to assure continuing progress,prosperity and good will in the future – with the realisticand revitalized vision of Israel-American Jewry relationsserving as one of the policy compasses for doing so. ◆Below: The U.S. andIsrael on the worldmap. Both countries areworking hard towards aprosperous future.144
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