The Israeli Supreme Court recently ruled against legislation allowing Israel to detain illegal migrants without trial, a ruling that angered many Likud lawmakers. Is the Israeli Supreme Court “anti-Israel” because its ruling overturned a conservative Likud stance on illegal migrants and people who could pose a security risk to the Jewish State?
Of course not, because Israel is a democracy. Its Supreme Court upholds cherished laws and values in Israel, even if these rulings challenge ideologies related to “national security” and a “war on terror.”
{mosads}Similarly, Haaretz wrote in 2012 that, “The Supreme Court on Wednesday instructed the state to release a document setting the minimum nutritional requirements for sustaining the residents of the Gaza Strip between 2007-2010.” Was Israel’s Supreme Court siding with Hamas and other terrorists by forcing the IDF and lawmakers to disclose this document? Hardly, and there are a number of other Israeli Supreme Court decisions that people who abide by catchy euphemisms might view as “anti-Israel.” How about the New York Times article in 2012 titled, “Israel’s Top Court Orders Settlers to Leave Outpost,” and other Israeli Supreme Court rulings siding with Palestinians?
Democracies with great military power who face security threats from terror groups like Al-Qaeda, Hamas, or ISIS, fall into the trap of these terrorists by adhering to mindless euphemisms like “war on terror” or “Stand With,” or other phrases that gives carte blanche to any manner of defeating the enemy. The Iraq War is seen as a colossal mistake today by most Americans, but 72 percent of Americans according to a Gallup Poll in 2003 agreed with invading Iraq because “we had to fight them over there.” If people had engaged in more debate back then, we might not have made the same mistakes.
Therefore, what does the Israeli Supreme Court, or the Iraq War poll in 2003, or euphemisms aimed at silencing critique have to do with John Stewart and The Daily Show? When even a Jewish comedian loved by millions of Americans and fans around the world is derided, disparaged, and demeaned (by many within his own community) for voicing a viewpoint contrary to the current groupthink among conservatives, imagine what could happen to you, even as a Jew who loves Israel, if you choose to speak out.
Jon Stewart’s crime, in the eyes of a great many indignant and angry detractors is this segment from The Daily Show (scroll to 4:48). If one can find any hate-filled, pro-terrorist, or pro-Hamas ideology or rhetoric in this segment, then it’s likely that a failure of critical thinking is also evident in the assessment. Was Stewart’s analysis of the Gaza War conservative in nature? Absolutely not, but it resonated with a great many American Jews who love Israel, like me, and it explained several aspects of the war not highlighted by euphemism or nationalistic banter. Disagreement of Stewart’s viewpoint is fine, but that’s not what took place; angry attacks (by other Jews) aimed at the validity of his Jewish heritage, disparaging remarks about even his family and the origins of his name, and vile phrases like “self-hating Jew” were leveled at him. Rightwing radio host Mark Levin yelled in his high-pitched voice, “Have you f’ing seen Israel, you little twerp?! Have you f’ing seen what surrounds Israel, you little twerp?!” Therefore, one must wonder if insults and accusations of being “pro-Hamas” are the inevitable outcome when someone dares to speak like Jon Stewart.
Imagine the day your Christianity is questioned for disagreeing with Obama or Bush, and then you’ll get an idea of what Jon Stewart, and other Jews must endure when voicing certain opinions.
When people like Jon Stewart are besmirched and called “anti-Israel” for a segment with nothing “anti-Israel” in it other than the audacity to illustrate certain realities of war (like the inability to move out of a dense areas and away from imminent bombardment), imagine what the “thought police” will do to you. They’ll question your heritage, your “Jewishness,” your intent, and disparage your motives if they don’t like what they hear. Democracies don’t work that way, and the day even Jon Stewart is silenced by people of his own heritage is the day that Jews everywhere, especially in Israel, replace euphemistic catch phrases for reasoned critique and dialogue. Israel’s democracy benefits more from honest critique by people who care about its long-term security than cheerleaders who’d never utter a word of dissent for fear of being “anti-Israel.”
Goodman is a Jewish-American author and journalist.