Sunday Times journalist Josh Glancy argues that being honest, showing concern and voicing criticism is the way to be a true friend of Israel.
I was invited by a friend’s father to come along to the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) lunch. Although my domestic political affiliations lie elsewhere, I thought the event might be interesting from a Zionist and journalistic point of view. So I duly dug out my solitary tie and showed up with the great and the good of the Conservative party and British Jewry at the Park Plaza on Westminster Bridge.
The turnout was remarkable. Despite the eurozone debate planned for that afternoon in parliament and the momentous news of David Cameron’s EU veto from the night before, the Conservative party was there almost in its entirety. Party chairman Sayeeda Warsi, chancellor George Osborne and even Alan Duncan, often critical of Israel, were in attendance. (Notably absent was Aidan Burley MP, who had been exposed by the Mail on Sunday for being present during a stag party with some unfortunate Nazi content.)
The event was a clear display of power by the CFI, it was impressive, and heartening that there are so many politicians in this country who are happy to publicly identify with Israel.
However, the overall tone of the event was disappointing. It gloried in Israel’s many achievements, survival, democracy, civil rights and a burgeoning technology and science-based economy, but veered away from the Palestinian issue entirely – the word ‘Palestinians’ wasn’t actually mentioned until the closing speech (and only then to blame them for the failure of various peace processes).
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not arguing that every event regarding Israel has to focus on its intractable security situation or the plight of the Palestinians. We see plenty of that in our newspapers, and I often have to explain to people that there is far more to Israel than ‘the situation’. It is a real country, and it is important for our parliamentary legislators to know that.
But that is not to say that the event should have propagated an impeccable view of Israel. I sincerely doubt I was the only one in the room made uncomfortable by this relentless panegyric. Had I been able to spot the diminutive Alan Duncan from across the room I’m pretty sure he would have been squirming in his seat. The view of the situation put forward by CFI director Stuart Polak in his closing speech was so blinkered that only the more hard-line Conservatives could have supported it entirely.
But because everyone in the room was in agreement that Israel is generally a good thing (a view I share), they were happy to nod along and make their way back over Westminster Bridge having done their Zionist duty.
To my mind, the sycophantic tone of the event was unworthy of a true friend of Israel. It needs its friends to be honest, it needs them to be forthright in their criticisms. The Conservative Friends of Israel should not exist simply to promote mindless Hasbara and propagandise for the Israeli government.
If they are truly friends of Israel, they should be expressing concern about the illiberal tendencies of Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party and about ongoing settlement construction alongside their praise of Israel’s hi-tech industries and its tolerance towards homosexuality.
It’s not always easy to criticise your friends in public. It feels disloyal, and it feels as though you are giving ammunition to your friend’s enemies.
But it is not in Israel’s interests to receive a consistent whitewash from its friends. To borrow from Plutarch: “I don’t need a friend who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better”. Israel’s friends must have the courage to shake their heads every once in a while.
Amos Oz spoke at the recent J-Street conference and told delegates that on his frequent visits to the US American Jews told him that whilst it was acceptable for Israeli Jews to argue amongst themselves, diaspora Jewry should always present a united front. He said he understood that argument but why could US Jews not unite under the banner of J-Street rather then Aipac!
During my recent visit to Israel I spoke with people – including close family members – who were highly critical of the current government. Each one gave me the same message. We need diaspora Jews to explain within their own communities how Israel is changing, that we believe they have misconceptions about Israel that must be challenged, that we do not believe that even our own children will remain here.
This message springs from a well of deep despair, that they cannot effect change within Israel from within so it is now up to diaspora Jews to try and effect change from outside.
Gone are the days when they wanted Jews to pursue the IROW policy – Israel right or wrong – for fear of providing one’s opponents with “ammunition”, when they felt that diaspora Jews were not entitled to criticise and try and influence internal politics. Now they are actively seeking our support and help and the message I got was – please, speak out!
Josh – thanks – you have made my day more interesting and that is surely the point of these blogs… as for telling Israel off… I think there are houses to be put in order before Israel. But then again, I only live here, what do I know?
Jason,
I haven’t hidden my cards at any point. I do believe Israel needs telling off sometimes, particularly at the moment. Anyone that can’t see that isn’t looking and listening carefully or honestly enough. If I didn’t think this I wouldn’t have written the post calling for a more critical view in the first place.
Countries constantly seek to influence the policies of their allies. This is not a subversion of democracy, this is diplomacy.
There is nothing wrong with the occasional bout of congratulation, but it becomes mindless when the enormous problems, inequalities and injustices occurring in a country are ignored entirely. This just isn’t good enough in my view.
Josh, I am afraid you have shown your cards. You are approaching this from a point of view that Israel needs telling off, correcting or chastising in some way. Of course there are issues to be raised and discussed, and I would be – without any significant internal knowledge – sure that the delegations and meetings that CFI conduct and facilitate between their members and their Israeli counterparts are full and frank. I am certain that they address the issues that concern you and moreover, the majority of Israelis. But again, a public reception is not the forum for criticism.
As for showing you examples, you would have to ask them… but examples of what? Of Israeli policy changing? Is that their role? Is that democratic? Israeli policy is decided by us… the Israeli voters… surely we choose our politicians, not a lobby in the UK.
Accordingly, CFI, as a support group for Israel should be explaining to its members this democratic will, and the concerns and desires that formulate our policy, not acting as some sort of unelected upper house.
And you know what… Israel and Israelis do some pretty incredible things everyday. www.Israelupclose.org is just one place where you can see some of them – and all this against a background of daily attacks against us…. I think that is worth a bit of ‘mindless congratulation’ at least now and again.
Jason, thank you for your comment.
You seem to be arguing that the organisation should be an apolitical cheerleader for Israel, and leave others to get on with debating the big issues which affect the country.
I don’t buy this. Yes the group is charged with promoting understanding and appreciation for Israel. But it is also an overtly political organisation, with strong influence over Conservative party policy towards Israel. It is at the heart of the Israel lobby in this country. As a result I think they have a duty to pursue a more balanced and thoughtful agenda which I believe would also be in Israel’s own long-term interests.
Re: The Barmitzvah analogy: There is nothing more tedious than listening to a father heap platitudinous praise on his darling son whilst everyone smiles sympathetically. This was a political event not a family simcha, but you are right, it felt more like a Barmitzvah. A mindless celebration instead of what should have been a thoughtful gathering.
You say I shouldn’t judge them by their gala dinner, but surely that’s exactly what I should judge them by. It’s their showcase, it’s when they show the party and the world what they are about.
If you can show me examples of how they pursue a much more balanced agenda behind the scenes, I’d be delighted to find out about that. Somehow, I doubt that is the case. That certainly wasn’t the impression given to the large audience.
I’m not saying that the crowd should have been subjected to a damning critique of Israel, of course not. But some sort of exploration, even a simple acknowledgement, of some of the errors Israel is making would have a least demonstrated that there are many sides to the story, and that the CFI is an organisation which is willing to criticise Israel when it errs, willing to stand up to them when they are wrong.
The issue of criticising Israel in public is very difficult. Yes it does receive a lot of criticism from its many enemies. But it rarely listens, and continues to head in a troubling direction regardless. Perhaps it would listen more carefully to criticism from some of its extremely influential friends, like the CFI.
Josh, a nice piece, but I believe you have missed a fundamental point. CFI is Conservative Friends of Israel, not Conservative Friends of Conservatives in Israel, or Labour in Israel etc… it has no place, I would argue, to comment publicly on Israel’s internal politics or the policies of its democratically elected government. Rather it is a group charged with promoting understanding and appreciation for Israel amongst the Conservative Party in the UK.
I would urge you not to judge from a gala reception the true discourse and depth of discussion of an organization – any organization – such as this. Would you expect a father to stand up at his son’s Bar Mitzvah and say yes he is a good boy, but we found his stack of naughty magazines, and we are concerned by his poor Latin results?
Friends show support, and offer advice when appropriate – there are enough who shout Israel down in public… and our true friends know that.
Thanks for these comments.
Adam, I’m afraid I don’t agree with you. The CFI is an organisation, and a hugely influential one with regards to British policy towards Israel. It is a crucial link between the Jewish community and the political establishment. Much as you and I can express our views in a heartfelt and passionate way, we don’t have any real influence (yet). The CFI does, and it is my view that they ought to wield this influence in a more thoughtful manner in order to help Britain push Israel in the right direction.
My Perspective, there are of course many Jews and Israelis who criticise the government and some of its wrong-headed policies. But it is fair to say the Jewish mainstream in this country, what you might call the “Jewish Chronicle” view (and the view propagated by the CFI), is often too complacent and blindly supportive – it fails to produce any meaningful critiques of Israel.
With all my heart and soul I love Israel, and for that reason I love Yachad; but I really feel like somewhere like CFI wouldn’t have been the place to discuss issues like the ones you raise in the article. It’s not a think tank, a pressure group or even an organisation; it’s a nothing really, a ‘non-ent’
Do CFI actually DO anything? If they actually go about trying to drum up old school, right wing, blind following of Israel then everything you write stands true, but I can’t help but feel that they meet up every now and then and as you say – nod in various directions and then walk away again. If they do nothing, then surely they can sit around and bask in the positive and ignore the bits they don’t want to hear – whilst it is down to activists such as yourself (and I’d like to think me too…) to engage with those who DO and not those who just talk.
Just a thought
I haven’t noticed that Jews, and indeed Jewish Israelis, are particularly bad at criticising Lieberman etc.. Jews are very outspoken on these sort of issues.