Doubting Obama on Israel

It is poetic justice that Malcolm Hoenlein was assailed for indicating that many American Jews doubt President Obama’s support for Israel.

I had hoped for years that Hoenlein would be ousted as executive vice chairman for the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, almost as much as I hoped that this organization would shorten its name. Now is hardly the time for the right-leaning, Republican-friendly Hoenlein to leave the public scene. Or others like him, as they reflect a natural dilemma for American Jews.

A dual loyalty test was thrust upon American Jews from the instant most of us stepped into the voting booths last Nov. 4. President Obama has proven to be a breath of fresh air after George W. Bush’s eight years of abuse of office and incompetence. Nearly 80 percent of American Jews voted for Obama because, most likely, he would make a good-faith effort to resolve our domestic problems and rebuild our relations with, well, the rest of the world.

Yet we have been confused, or worse, about his stance on Israel. The fate of Israel is crucial to the feelings of even the more disconnected Jews here. Israel is the home of 5.3 million of our brethren whose very lives depend upon wise decision-making by Israeli and American leaders.

Obama has demanded concessions from Israel without exploring the feasibility of some of these measures. His call for an independent Palestinian state ignores recent history, that Israel offered the Arabs their own state in 2000 and the result has been three wars in less than a decade. Israel’s exit from Gaza led to two of those wars, and the Arabs have done nothing to improve areas under their control.

The Arabs persist in firing rockets from Gaza, Iran’s president insists on his threats to destroy Israel and an Israeli soldier remains in captivity at this writing, presumably in Gaza, while Obama and other world leaders urge Israel to make risky concessions.

So it should be no surprise if Hoenlein, a Philadelphia native, told the truth when a conservative Web site, called Newsmax, quoted him as saying that Jewish leaders “are expressing concern about what was said” in the president’s Cairo speech last June 4. The weekly Forward, a Jewish newspaper which reported on Hoenlein’s comments in Newsmax, cited another Hoenlein quote: “I’ve heard it from some of his strongest supporters. It’s expected from his detractors. Even people close to him have said to us that there were parts of the speech that bothered them.”

According to The Forward, the National Jewish Democratic Council stated that Hoenlein’s remarks reflected a mistaken reading of Jewish public opinion. The Union for Reform Judaism sent a letter to Alan Solow, chairman of the President’s Conference, criticizing Hoenlein’s comments.

Hoenlein had twice before made mistakes preparing for election-year events that left the appearance that he was giving Republican presidential candidates an advantage. In 2004, he hosted a reception for the Republican Jewish Coalition during the GOP convention, and drew fire for neglecting to do the same during the Democratic convention for the RJC’s counterpart, the National Jewish Democratic Council.

Last year, he helped organize an anti-Iran rally in which Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, then the GOP vice presidential candidate, was invited to speak, and then she was barred from the rally when it was learned that no senior Democratic counterpart would speak. Practically speaking, Hoenlein’s misadventures probably made no difference in the outcome of either election.

It stands to reason that supporters of Israel are concerned with Obama’s positions on Israel and some of his statements during his June 4 speech. I have harshly criticized Israeli leaders and others for their hawkish views, but I am now worried if Obama will pressure Israel to take steps which could be harmful.

Especially, the president’s urgent drive for a Palestinian state is perilous. Too many questions beg to be answered: Is a Palestinian state even the solution? If such a state is established, what is to stop the Arabs from firing rockets into Tel Aviv? How will settlements factor into the picture?

Hoenlein and other Jewish leaders, even the hawkish ones, are needed more than ever. Right-leaning Jewish leaders have in the past advocated offensive positions which antagonized or confused people who might otherwise be supportive of Israel. Now the Jewish community has legitimate reasons to doubt our president’s intentions.

No matter who occupies the Oval Office or controls Congress, the Jewish community should maintain a watch on our leaders and voice its concerns whenever necessary. Not only the established organizations, which rate mixed reviews, but the entire Jewish community. At one time, Jews were often out in force on issues which affected them, but it does not seem that way now.

Jews who are considered moderates have no movement. Those who wish to become more involved face a serious dilemma. Jews on the left routinely support a Palestinian state, which those in the center or on the right cannot readily advocate.

Jews on the right would undoubtedly concur with less hawkish Jews on some core issues - ending rocket attacks on Israeli towns, countering the Iranian nuclear threat to Israel, questioning the creation of a Palestinian state and releasing Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit. Some on the right demand that any movement takes firmer positions such as rigid opposition to a Palestinian state, division of Jerusalem and removing the settlements.

One friend called Obama an “anti-Semite” and another accused the president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of “throwing Israel under the bus.”

More power to them if they can launch a large movement on that basis. I do not share their confidence. Perhaps they are right, but many Jews will probably disavow such an approach. No question that common ground exists. It is crucial that we capitalize on this opportunity.