Seven years ago, when Saddam Hussein hurled 39 Scud missiles at Tel Aviv, Israel reluctantly refrained from retaliating. The Bush administration convinced Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir that an Israeli blow at Iraq would undermine the anti-Baghdad coalition assembled for Operation Desert Storm.
Today it is rapidlybecoming clear that Israel has atomized into a number of \”tribes\” –Sephardim, Russians, Ethiopians, ultra-Orthodox, national Orthodoxand secular Ashkenazim.
Over the past two years, Jerusalem alone has beenshaken by two bus bombings and by explosions in the Mahane Yehudamarket and the Ben-Yehuda shopping precinct.
In 1854, 30 self-described \”Israelites of this city\” founded the Hebrew Benevolent Society to serve their religious,social and philanthropic needs. Not only was the society the city\’sfirst Jewish organization, but it was also the first charitable groupof any kind in Los Angeles.
Even the Jewish institutional mainstream beganopenly challenging Israel\’s policies, with delegations expressingconcern over everything from peace talks to religiouspluralism.
As the American Jewish community celebrates the50th anniversary of Israel\’s independence, those of us who went overto fight as volunteers in the fledgling country\’s armed forces canlook back with special pride and remembrance.
Underneath the headline were threestories – one dealing with President Truman\’s announcement, one withthe opening hours of Israel\’s War of Independence, and the third withJewish reaction in Los Angeles (\”with a spirit of solemnity,\” wrotethe Times reporter) to the news from the Middle East.
The histories of nation-building are never simple.The place of the Indians within the American experience reveals themoral ambiguity of that nation\’s struggle for sovereignty. Facing thereality of the past often means facing the reality of moralcompromise.
I was in the back seat looking in theother direction, so I did not actually see the young Palestinian who,from an elevation at the side of the road, lofted a block of concreteabout 10 inches in diameter in our direction. He made an almostperfect hit, near midpoint on the front windshield. Thunk!
If, in the first decades of Israel\’s existence,American Jewish support was through charitable contributions, trade and investment is now the name of the game.
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