Opinion

January 5, 2011

POINT: How best to support an imperfect Israel

POINT: Caveat Conlator: Funder beware

by David Eisner

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The entire Jewish community should applaud the recently announced plan by The Jewish Federations of North America, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and several major Jewish federations to invest millions of dollars over the next few years to fight the delegitimization and demonization of Israel. These groups understand that if academic and cultural boycotts are legitimate when aimed at Jews in the West Bank today, they will soon become legitimate when aimed at Jews in Tel Aviv tomorrow; and, you can be sure that after that, the boycotters will set their sites on Jews in New York, Los Angeles, Peoria … and everywhere else that Jews live.

Unfortunately, on the ground, anti-delegitimization efforts are being undermined by some of the very organizations that the mainstream Jewish community actually finances. The JCC of Manhattan recently invited boycotter Tony Kushner to speak at the opening night of its “Other Israel Film Festival.” American Friends of Hebrew University bestowed their prestigious Scopus Award on boycotter Frank Gehry. The JCC of San Francisco made boycotter Stephen Sondheim a keynote speaker at their Ideas Programs. And, the executive committee of the Foundation for Jewish Culture, an organization with a proud history of support for Jewish scholarship and art — though also with a recent history of funding several highly controversial projects that many critics consider anti-Israel propaganda — recently overwhelmingly rejected a simple resolution to condemn “academic or cultural boycott of Jews or Israel, their academics and artists, or their academic and cultural institutions.”

This vote was disturbing for many reasons. First, the mission of the foundation is to “nurture a vibrant and enduring Jewish identity, culture, and community.” What could be less nurturing to Jewish culture than cultural boycotts? Second, the foundation had a special obligation to distance itself from boycotters; a number of artists and academics whom it has honored, funded or placed on grant panels during the past decade are some of our people’s most prominent boycotters — Kushner, Theodore Bikel (a board member of the foundation), Sheldon Harnick, to name a few.  In recent years, the foundation has funded some of the most anti-Israel propaganda, on the principle that artists and academics were entitled to “freedom of expression.” In rejecting the above resolution, the Foundation apparently concluded that some Jewish and Israeli artists and academics’ rights were not as important as others.

Most troubling of all, however, is that the Foundation for Jewish Culture is funded by many Jewish federations, foundations and philanthropists. Ironically, at just the time that so many of these major funding entities are investing millions in efforts to combat delegitimization and demonization from one pocket, they are actually (unwittingly) supporting delegitimization and demonization from the other pocket. 

I would maintain that Jewish communal money should never be used to provide artists or academics with a platform (i.e., funding, honor or visibility) for their art, scholarship or political views, if such a platform would be denied to another Jew or Israeli — anywhere in the world. Therefore, I propose that every Jewish federation, foundation and philanthropist that opposes academic and cultural boycotts — and every Jewish organization that receives community funds — enact a simple board resolution or grant policy (and require that each of its beneficiaries do the same), as follows:

BE IT RESOLVED that [name of federation or organization] condemns any attempt or implementation of any academic or cultural boycott of Jews or Israel, or Jewish or Israeli academic and cultural institutions, and will take any and all future action that it deems appropriate to publicize its position on the above, to distance itself from those who participate in such boycotts, and to ensure that it in no way aids or abets such boycotts through its funding programs.

Some boycotters may believe that by participating in international boycotts, they are merely protesting a policy of the Israeli government, when, in fact, they are fueling what the Reut Institute has called the Delegitimization Network, a loosely aligned group of radical leftist organizations and individuals who seek to “negate Israel’s right to exist.” Reut continues that the “effectiveness of Israel’s delegitimizers … stems from their ability to engage and mobilize others by blurring the lines with Israel’s critics.” Unfortunately, as Hannah Rosenthal, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, recently told a conference on combating anti-Semitism: “Opposition to a policy [of] the State of Israel morphs into anti-Semitism easily and often.”

A resolution such as this would, first and foremost, ensure that these funders — who are avowedly anti-boycott — not unwittingly fund organizations that do not share their values. Second, Jewish organizations have an opportunity to educate and inform the general public, as well as well-meaning, non-enemies of Israel, of the unintended destructiveness of boycotts in fueling the Delegitimization Network. 

A resolution, such as the one proposed, would not be unprecedented for federations or foundations. Today, many impose upon their grantees various obligations, which range from practicing and promoting ethical business practices to maintaining an open and diverse workplace. Some go further and require grantees to commit to principles of pluralism, and some even fund only organizations that express a positive attitude toward the State of Israel.

What can individual Jews do? First, you should inquire of the federations and organizations that you support what they are doing to combat delegitimization and demonization of Israel, and suggest that they institute an anti-boycott measure, such as the one outlined above. Second, individuals who patronize the arts and culture should educate themselves about artists and institutions that support international boycotts.

Think twice before going to a performance or supporting the work of artists like Daniel Barenboim, Stephen Sondheim, Tony Kushner, Harold Prince and Julianne Moore; think twice before you patronize any number of organizations that have allowed their boycotting staff to associate their organizations’ names with the boycott movement: Playwrights Horizons theater, New York Theatre Workshop, the Public Theater and even the New York Foundation for the Arts. At a minimum, do what you can to educate these individuals and organizations — and the hundreds of others like them — about how their actions violate other artists’ rights to free expression and play so perfectly into the hands of Israel’s biggest enemies.

David Eisner is CEO of a financial data company and an active philanthropist from New York. He previously lived in Westwood.

A version of this article appeared in print.

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The author proposes:

“Jewish communal money should never be used to provide artists or academics with a platform (i.e., funding, honor or visibility) for their art, scholarship or political views, if such a platform would be denied to another Jew or Israeli — anywhere in the world.”

Such a policy, if logically followed two decades ago, would have penalized any Jewish artist participating in the erstwhile boycott of South Africa, on grounds that at least one Jew lives in South Africa.

Comment by Peter on 1/05/11 at 6:06 pm

I was a zionist for decades before I became observant but I have a little problem with this article’s seeming respect for free expression as long as it expresses an approved opinion. That is a very un-Jewish idea as I see it.

Comment by Israel_B on 1/06/11 at 2:01 am

I am an Israeli.I am Center - Left in my views and I don’t agree with our right wing government policy.

But, I agree with the auther of this article. Jews should not join international criticism because it contributes to the demonization and de legitimation of the Jewish state

Comment by DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak on 1/06/11 at 3:15 am

It’s sad—if sadly typical—that someone as seemingly smart as David Eisner insists on conflating criticism of Israel with “delegitimization.”  I’m no fan of any boycott that imposes restrictions on artists and academics.  But I am equally not a fan of the implied loyalty oath in Eisner’s proposal, or the degree to which is clearly affects free speech on a challenging topic.

In the end, proposals like Eisner’s just reflect the weakness of the AIPAC-centered American-Jewish view of Israel, evident in the inability to tolerate any kind of criticism of Israeli policy.

Comment by ADF on 1/06/11 at 9:18 am

The mechanism of projection needs to be understood. The brain has a collection of images stored in memory, which it keeps checking against sense data, to form a worldview. This type of algorithm was selected by evolution because it is highly efficient for purposes of survival at the animal level, but can give rise to misperceptions. Sense data and descriptions of the world for which no match is found in memory tend to be discarded. To those not trained in formal logic, the world as they perceive it tends to be believed to be real, rather than projection. Also, since the worldview has such great survival value, it tends to be ferociously defended, even when it is wrong.

Comment by algorithmic analyst on 1/06/11 at 9:30 am

adolf hitler boycotted ‘bei mir bist du schoen’ when he found out it was written by jews. we look at him as an all time schmuck. people can boycott anything until they want it, like in jackie mason’s statement about jews boycotting mercedes cars until they can afford them. nobody boycotts polio vaccine, no matter how much they may hate jews, etc ad infinitum. i personally think ‘they’ would have created israel out of a chunk of germany and poland, except stalin and churchill and roosevelt didn’t want jews in europe. nobody boycotts anything they need. it is just another power ploy.

Comment by david weinstock on 1/06/11 at 5:24 pm

I love “West Side Story,” “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney Todd,” and “Sunday in the Park With George”.  I am awestruck by the power of “Angels in America” and “Caroline, or Change.”  I loved “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Company,” and “Follies.”  I’ve never cared for “Phantom of the Opera” - okay, I’ll boycott “Phantom of the Opera.”  Sheesh!

Comment by feiden on 1/06/11 at 5:27 pm

Oh, and my daughter LOVES “Freckleface Strawberry” - and my wife and I enjoyed “The Hours” and “The Kids Are Alright.”

Comment by feiden on 1/06/11 at 5:31 pm

PUT ALL THESE SO-CALLED ARTISTS IN THE SAME BAG WITH MEL GIBSON! THAT SHOULD HELP TO LOCATE YOUR MORAL COMPASS.

Comment by WM GOLDSTEIN on 1/06/11 at 8:57 pm

These people go beyond criticizing Israel, they join others whose agenda is the destruction and delegitimization of Israel’s existence. As a people we have to be able to distinguish between criticism and complicity with our enemies. Free speech is not hate speech, Jewish values do not include self destruction. Free speech when judging and attacking the side of democracy and moral values while giving a pass to a repressive and violent enemy is allying with that enemy.

Comment by LA on 1/07/11 at 8:17 am

There are those that will be for free expression all the way to genocide and it will not be the first time Jews have gone down this path. Some Jews apparently believe dangerous one sided speech is more important than the survival of the Jewish people.
When anyone, Jewish or not, has a history of one sided attacks on Israel outside the context of Israel’s situation, we had better start being concerned.

Comment by LA on 1/07/11 at 8:18 am

Then counter their words and their ideas - not their art.  Or instead, like you, we can call Theodore Bikel the new Hitler!  How closed-minded and short-sighted you people are.

Comment by feiden on 1/07/11 at 10:32 am

“end the occupation” is not the same as “negate Israel’s right to exist.”  just as opposition to a policy of Israel’s is not the same as anti-semitism.

your argument would be more compelling if you spoke directly to the actual criticisms of the boycotters and not some trumped up hyperbolic allegation of reut.  Israel’s delegitimizing itself and it is the occupation that is most threatening to Israel’s existence. fixing the problem might be a better investment. end the occupation.

Comment by ar on 1/09/11 at 6:29 am

Answer to AR:
I dO NOT SUPPORT OUR RIGHT WING GOVERNMENT, BUT YOU NEET 2 FOR TANGO:THE PA does not want to make peace with Israel.Abu Mazen’s plan is to get a state from the UN, thus avoiding making peace with Israel and give up the “right of return” which is a troian horse to put an end to the Jewish state.
Palesrinians had 6 opportunities to get a state besides Israel:1936/7Peel Commission, 1947 UN resolution, 1948 - 67, under Arab rule, 1967- THEY rejected Isrel’s proposal:“land for peace, 2000- camp david, 2008/9 Ulmert proposal.
They prefer occupation on compromise hopping to demonize and de legitimate Israel and bring into its elimination.
That is the problem

Comment by rivka shpak lissak on 1/09/11 at 8:01 am

University campuses have become a battleground in the campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel. Often this spills over into direct intimidation of Jewish students: there have been attempts to ban Jewish societies altogether, protests against invitations to Israeli speakers, at other times, a palpable hostility to Jews. Boycotts, refusing to let one side of the argument present its case, demonizing those with whom you disagree: all these things are a betrayal of the mission of the university. It’s bad news for the universities themselves, worse news for the Jewish community.  Anyone with concern for the future of Jewish life should realize the wisdom of Eisner’s proposal.

Comment by Dov Greenberg on 1/09/11 at 5:19 pm

excuses rivka. quit blaming everything on the palestinians while israel is gobbling up more land. just get out of the west bank, end the occupation. israel’s got over 600 checkpoints there. those are not providing security for israel, but forsettlers and continued growth.  you don’t need two to tango to end the occupation . get out, secure borders, from ISRAEL’S SIDE. quit making excuses, the world is sick of this mess the excuse that it’s all the other guys fault gets no one anywhere. EVERYONE knows israel is still stealing more land. it’s transparently obvious and equally as obvious land theft is not a function of security.

Comment by ar on 1/10/11 at 8:48 pm

First, there are less than 40chekpoints.
Second,if Israel leaves the Western Bank without agreement on water, security what do you think will be the result?Israel left Gaza and the rockets keep falling every day.You are uninformed. The PA survives only because the Israeli army orevent Hamas from taking over.Iran and Hizballah will enter.
Third, the PA does not want talks:they want a state from the UN, thus avoiding peace agreement with Israel. The propaganda against Israel and the incitement will continue.
Fourth,the goal is the elimination of the Jewish state by the demand to settle the refugees in Israel .
all the pressure on Israel?

Comment by rivka shpak lissak on 1/10/11 at 11:31 pm

“Illegally Occupied Territories”?  Judah, Samaria, Jerusalem are all our land, both historically and militarily. 

Jordan is the land created explicitly to be the home of the Palestinians.

Israel’s opponents don’t care a fig about Palestinians (just as they don’t care about Tibetans, Kurds or dozens of other peoples worldwide).  Jew-hatred is the difference - Israel’s opponents (and their self-hating Jew allies) use Palestinians as a cudgel to beat the Jews. 

Where are their boycotts against China, Sudan, Russia or the US for their conquests?  When will they insist that the US return Texas to Mexico, or that Kashmir and Tibet become independent states?

Comment by BAT on 1/20/11 at 3:16 pm

David Eisner should do his homework. My festival, the OtherIsrael Film festival was indeed the TARGET of the boycott whereby PACBI email all of our palestinian israeli guests not to participate. They had more sense than Mister Eisner.
Mr Eisner would be well advised to turn his attention to Avigdor Lieberman who spends his waking hours trying to deligitimizing the state of Israel.
We love Israel and refuse to see it into a state that promotes bigotry and racism.

Comment by carole zabar on 1/27/11 at 6:59 pm

http://rslissak.com/content/truth-israeli-palestinian-conflict-drrivka-shpak-lissak

6 times Palestinians rejected a state besides Israel. Ulmert published his Peace Plan in Yediot Ahronot and told how Abu Mazen refused to continue talks althogh he admitted the plan was fair.

Comment by Rivka Shpak Lissak on 1/29/11 at 1:10 am

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