For more than half a century, Israel has been a beloved member of the American Jewish family. We’ve kvelled at its extraordinary accomplishments, applauded its vibrant culture and poured in more than $35 billion in contributions to hospitals and universities, for housing, water solutions, parks and historic preservation.
A 2010 survey of the community revealed that 75 percent of Jewish Americans, religious or not, considered support for Israel a major part of Jewish American identity. And 82 percent believed that American support for Israel was either about right or not great enough.
But as the war in Gaza has dragged on, cracks have opened up. While three quarters of America’s Jews still consider Israel’s existence vital to the future of the Jewish people, 40 percent accuse Israel of genocide against the Palestinians and only 36 percent of young Jews claim any emotional attachment at all to Israel.
What does this mean for the future relationship between American Jewry and Israel?
Bret Stephens and Jeremy Ben-Ami will join us to parse the possibilities.
Two of the most prominent American Jewish voices, Bret and Jeremy, both strong backers of a vibrant, democratic Israel, have been disagreeing for more than a decade about how to ensure such a future and how to maintain continuing support by American Jewry. Their differing opinions about how to balance morality against security, criticism against its misuse and the role American Jews can and should play in Israeli politics will be central to their discussion, moderated by journalist, author and a moderator of public conversations Abigail Pogrebin.
