Zionism Explored

I wonder if my previous post sounded a bit like propaganda or if I was trying to convince others or myself of something. I think the issue is for me is that I have such a gut reaction at times to anti-Israel rhetoric that I may have difficulty responding in a rational manner, or in a manner that seems authentic.

I think it is a struggle to talk about Israel. At my internship, we did not talk about it much; our engagement was limited to particularly difficult times of fighting when the rabbi put out a statement about it. It is not easy be supportive outwardly while feeling tormented on the inside; and it is challenging to want to respond to a stinging critique and feeling that the words yo have may be inadequate to temper it.

We go round and round. I remember a group conversation I had several months ago with ten others about the issues that are important to us, and I was the only one who mentioned Israel. Later, the group leader confided that he had long ago given up hope of peaceful resolutions to Israel's ongoing conflicts with the Palestinians and Arab neighbors. In that statement, I heard that he had given up on Israel entirely and that it had no importance to him or to his family. It was hard to hear but also understandable since perhaps the difficult conversations were not happening, perhaps the emotional connections had not been made by visiting Israel or perhaps as progressive Jews in America, Israel just doesn't matter.

But I believe Israel does matter, even if I am not entirely sure how to express it. Therefore, I will persevere in my learning and my conversations with people smarter than I to make the picture fuller and clearer. I need to be proactive in educating myself about what is going on and not taking the newspapers at face value, even when they are the NY Times. If I am going to be a Zionist, I might as well be a good one.