The involvement of American businessman Morris Talansky in the latest scandal surrounding Ehud Olmert ought to raise questions that go far beyond what the prime minister did or did not do, and whether he ought to pay the price. Some serious soul-searching is in order about the relationship between American Jewry and Israel.
Granted, Talansky is a mere individual, but he is not the only one. Jerusalem is full of wheeler-dealers, functionaries, lobbyists, donors and philanthropists. There are rich men and middlemen, envoys and delegations — many of them with good intentions, but some without.
They wheedle and schnorr and contribute to various causes. It’s the kind of schnorring that begins with Shaare Zedek Medical Center and could end in court. The question here is why did Talansky, or any other American Jew, invest, allegedly, in Olmert? What do they receive in exchange for this pot stirring?
It’s time to reorganize the system, to air out the relationship between the world’s largest and second-largest Jewish community — a relationship that has long become distorted and even harmful.
It is time to say to American Jews directly, as is customary among relatives: Leave us alone. Take your hands off Israel. Stop using your money to buy influence in Israel. Stop contributing to advance your interests and views, some of which are at times delusionary and extremely dangerous to the future of the country you’re supposedly trying to protect.
No thank you, we’re doing all right. No thank you, some of you are causing us great damage. If you want to wield influence, do it in your own country. You have a lot of power and influence there. Perhaps too much; it’s none of our business.
You are American, not Israeli citizens, and no amount of money can or should change this fact. War and peace, social justice and government, education and religion in Israel are a matter for its citizens alone.
Our door should of course remain open to visits, immigration and displays of interest. But the extent of American Jewry’s intervention in our affairs has long become intolerable. It’s time to show them the door — the one that separates them from us.
Israeli politicians from all parties engage in an overly close rapport with American Jews, and of course, their money. The American Jewish establishment may support all Israeli governments blindly and automatically — this, too, is inexplicable and raises weighty questions. But under the official countenance of not intervening in our internal affairs, they have a thumb in every pie.
Sixty years old, economically sound, enjoying the great superpower’s massive support, which is unequalled worldwide — Israel is strong and mature enough to manage without the interference of American Jewry.
The name of the game, of course, is money. Everything is about money, even if it is concealed under a pile of cliches and promises. From the prime minister to the mayor of a remote town, from hospital director to community center manager — all look to American Jewish money. That’s a guarantee for unhealthy relations.
If it could be justified in the state’s early days, when everything was still new, it no longer has place in a 60-year-old state that can and should build its own community centers and avoid the price it will be charged for schnorring. We are dealing with an impatient, aggressive Jewish community, one whose aggression is reflected in its relations with Israel.
In many areas the damage is direct and considerable. The settlements in the territories, for example, would not have thrived and grown had it not been for the big money flowing from American Jews. An investigation by the Ynet news Web site released around two years ago found that American Jews sent $100 million to the settlements in the past decade.
Dozens of Jewish associations foster and finance the most nefarious project we’ve ever had here, from the One Israel Fund to the Hebron Fund, from American Friends of Ateret Cohanim to Shuvu Banim. They are all fattening the settlements, some openly and others under the table. By so doing American Jews are helping to shape and mutilate another state.
The contribution of American Jewry to Israel may, on balance, be positive. They financed and built for us quite heavily; we in turn offered them a safe haven and a source of pride.
Neither side of this equation, though, is relevant any longer. We no longer need their money — certainly not at the price of their interference — and it is doubtful we can still offer them that haven or pride. Let’s part as friends, then.
Let American Jews attend to their own business, and us to ours. And let’s be done with any more Morris Talanskys.
Gideon Levy is a columnist and editorial board member of Haaretz, where this article originally appeared.
Why is it wrong for American Jews to be involved in Israel, but okay for EU Gentiles to own one third of Ha'aretz? How else could Ha'aretz stay in business?
little is known ab. why/how jews make money. perhaps torahic teachings/commandments that they be lenders, light onto the world; to have servants and not serve others, etc., causes ashkenazim to strive harder or much harder to succeed; while other people are content just to be like everybody else. or they may be, indeed, superior. thus,if they are superior, strive to be superior, then that makes them rejectionist/separatists. and if they reject us, we certainly will reject them. judaism, islam, and christianity is rejectionist. perhaps this will not always be so. or perpetually fighting/hating. thank u.
Brilliant idea. Now if we could only get Israel out of our business.
I believe Mr. Levy's overstates his case. By and large, the vast majority of Jewish-American organizations and individuals long ago gave up trying to influence Israeli policy, politics or much else. That said, Israel has long had her hand out for money from the Diaspora but not for outside opinions, even when improvements are possible across a broad spectrum of activities. As long as Israel claims to be the Land and voice of the Jewish people, the opinions of those outside the land have merit and should be discussed openly and widely. Discussion is not demand; it is not insistence; it is not ill-conceived. It has definite value. Only when Israel finally states that she is the land of the Israeli people, will she be justified in claiming 'hands-off'. Sixty years without a constitution, a defined separation of powers, a multitude of parties and weak coalitions, and old-fashioned, out-of-date politicians with decades of attachment to power have left Israel 'on the ropes' as a secular, not terribly democratic state when corrupt leadership remain in power. Power to the people? Hardly. Modernize politically and Jews around the world will come to you. Don't and they won't. And put your hands back in your pockets until that happens.
Gideon Levy is an idiot who writes in an American newspaper about Americans staying out of Israel's decision-making process. Aren't Israelis asking for assistance on the Settlements, and not Americans forcing assistance on Israelis? A vacuous piece of writing indeed.
If you were taking care of ur own business; wouldn't you be forbidding your own people from taking money from them? Or are they like little children who have to be protected from themselves? Expect meddling when you compromise principals and honor for money. It's just religious extortion for both sides. No money, no meddling....GOD sees the choices you make, as if I had to remind you of that.
B'tselem has been financed not only by the British Foreign Office and other major government-linked European foundations but by American Jews. Peace Now likewise although they may be in trouble for violating Israeli law. The New Israel Fund's purpose is to redefine Israel and to subvert its public policy-making system with American Jewish funds. Gideon Levy is probably being paid with American Jewish money for this article (as he should be) but that's another invidious situation for him who also gets invited to campus tours and other educational conferences and the like. If he wishes to take the high moral ground, he has a very long climb ahead of him, if he can get his feet unstuck from the morass he's in. And when is The Forward going to get some opposite-to-Gideon-Levy op-eds published?
Very strong words Mr. Levy... What a mentch you are. Ken yirbu!
Mr. Levy unfaily puts all blame and responsibility on American Jews. If he is opposed to the settlements, then blame the Israeli government for allowing them in the first place! Why not at least put part of the blame on the israeli politicians who accept American money? Is Mr. levy saying that israelis are too weak to refuse American money?
We are trying to save Israel from Gidoen Levy. The EU and other NGOS hostile to Israel fund terror as well as delegitimize Israel.We are just trying to provide balance. Gideon Levy wants the benefit of himself, we want the benefit of Israel. Gideon, you are neither dear nor a cousin. You are a 5th columnist
Geo Levy thinks the "world's superpower" just gives Israel its support and protection. It's the focused efforts of millions of the American Electorate (Jewish and non-Jewish) that ensures that. Israel's mostly uneducated leadership and media should more closely resemble American Jews, and Israel would be in a better position than Haaretz gives the impression that it is in.
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