Liberals Need to Stop Feeling Shame When Supporting Israel

All my life, I have been liberal and I have been Jewish.  These identities are badges I have worn proudly and which have long bolstered one another.  Except on one subject: Israel.  So for a long time, I just stayed away from the landmine that discussing Israel can be.  I wore Judaism proudly, but was careful not to mention Israeli politics.  When it would come up, I would offer vague support, saying I believe Israel had a right to exist, but quickly agreeing to condemn the settlements and emphasizing my sympathy for the plight of the Palestinian people.  But what defined my support of Israel, was how sheepish I was about it.  I felt shameful in liberal circles for voicing my support of Israel.  But I believe this has pushed all American Jewish voices into a false choice – those who support Israel and therefore support its decisions regarding Palestinians and those who are against Israel because of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.  As Anne Roiphe wrote about recently, the