The Jewish firestorm

Furthermore, there appear to be elements of a power struggle (also familiar) over “who speaks on Israel” between more moderate organisations such as the various state Community Councils, the Anti-Defamation Commission of Bnai Brith, the “loyalist” Zionist Councils, and the very well-resourced neo-conservative private lobby group the Australian Israel Affairs Council which bills itself as Australia’s premier public affairs group.

The relative isolation, until very recently, of the Jewish community from the broader world of Jewish scholarship and critical thinking over issues of identity, and the possibility of the creation of legitimate Jewish alternatives. This includes relatively weak position of modernised, universalising liberal or reform Judaism with its roots in post-enlightenment Europe and the USA, as distinct from inward-looking, and traditionalist orthodoxy that has a strong influence even over those who are not particular observant.

The fact that there is a relatively weak “liberal” wing to the community means that it has adopted a fairly conservative religious and social agenda, in contrast to the much more progressive position taken by many reform Jews in the USA. Additionally, orthodoxy in Australia is now dominated by the wealthy Lubavitch sect who take a strongly Zionist position, coupled with its own particular type of messianic theology and social separatism.

A Jewish community that is increasingly affluent and increasingly inward looking. Additionally, recent immigrants from South Africa form an increasing proportion of the population and have left behind a tumultuous environment for suburban security. There are also many Israelis, who take a low profile. A majority of children are educated at private Jewish schools leading to less exposure to the rest of the Australian community. The organised Jewish left has declined in numbers (and possibly too, 10 years of the Liberal's fear agenda have had their ideological effect on the community).

In addition to the factor of the Holocaust, there are unresolved tensions over to what degree Israel is the centre of Jewish cultural or religious life, mixed in with a deep fear for the security of fellow Jews in Israel. This is the lightening rod issue which mixed in with the other issues outlined above, results in outbursts of extreme communal verbal violence.

Thus, as can be seen in the current spate of opinion pieces in the broadsheets in Melbourne and Sydney, in their letter columns, and in the Australian Jewish News, the mix of influences has resulted in a vituperative attitude towards signatories of “Independent Australian Jewish Voices” who have crossed not a physical, but a psychological line in challenging what is seen as acceptable criticism of Israel by those in dominant positions in the community.

Much of their language is drawn from publications in the US and Israel. Even the key point the signatories have stated - that they are opposed to terror - has been attacked as relativism because it supposedly equates Israel and Palestinian violence and is therefore a cover for anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.

What is also interesting is this criticism of the “Independent Australian Jewish Voices” is also coming from a number of well-known people in the community who would still claim to be on the left but who have become legitimated into mainstream power structures.

This also suggests there is a high degree of sensitivity across the board to challenges to community power, at least community power as perceived by those on the inside.

This results in the criticism, as expressed in the Jewish media and round the dinner table that those who are critical of mainstream structures and positions on Israel are in fact, not really acceptable members of a somehow defined community, and that they have no other legitimate form of Jewish identity or practice. This in fact explains the vilificatory, psychologising (“self-hating Jews”) and highly personalised tone of criticisms from the mainstream, rather than an informed debate on the merits of the politics of contemporary Israel, the crisis in Zionism, the lunacy of 40 years of occupation and so on.

In fact, I would argue that for many of the signatories of the letter, the issue of Israel is in fact the lodestone of their Jewish identity, attenuated as it may be in some cases. They have signed the petition because they see a desperate situation, rather than out of a crude anti-Zionism as is being presented by so-called legitimate opinion.

The Jewish community, such as it is, should welcome this as an opportunity for engagement, rather than rejection.