It is one of our policies to present a wide variety of (non-offending) perspectives on subjects pertinent to groups such as this one. Rabbi Mark S. Golub provides one of those opinions in a box in this thread.

It's all about "whose ox is being gored."

I remember growing up proud of the liberal idealism of my parents - and listening to the way they associated entire with the Democratic Party. I remember when we stood for principle -- such as "we are a nation of laws, not of men" -- a principle we used to drive a crooked President from office. But if a "law" works against us, rather than protesting (as all did in protesting the Jim Crow laws of the South during the Civil Rights struggle) so many are content to simply disregard the law - and to find rationalizations for why that disregard is appropriate. The hypocrisy is rampant - everywhere. Politicians display a total lack of character and principle; it's all partisan in ways that exceed those of the past. In the Jewish world, there is virtually no tolerance for different perspectives, different beliefs, different styles.

And what is most upsetting to me is the way people have lost all ability to "listen" to someone with whom they disagree. Just to "listen" is no longer possible.

I grew up thinking that if one could offer a rationale argument -- bring facts to bear to support an argument -- one would be taken seriously -- and one's opinion would be taken serious; one might have a different perspective -- a different read of the facts.

But today, facts don't seem to matter at all.

People have no interest in listening to the other.

People have made up their minds and the old cliche, "don't confuse me with the facts," is in evidence everywhere.

In the Jewish community, the hysteria over the decision of the Israeli Cabinet to renege on the plan to construct an egalitarian section at the Western Wall -- a terribly disappointing decision that has set the movement toward Jewish pluralism in Israel a serious step backward -- is being used, even by Jewish leaders, as a reason for Jews to withdraw from Israel, to demonize the entire State -- and thereby, the entire Israeli population; and there is a growing tolerance by Jewish leaders to accept a critique of Israel which Jews are using to stop their financial and political support of Israel.

American Jewry is destroying itself.

Orthodox Jews have every right to their beliefs about God and the Revelation at Mt. Sinai. They have every right to believe that the Torah comes from God and requires Jewish prayer, Jewish conversion, and Jewish marriage to be conducted in a certain manner. I believe they are, simply, wrong in their understanding of the spirit of the Rabbinic Tradition -- and of what happened at "Sinai." But I don't refuse to let them have their beliefs -- or to do everything they can to turn their beliefs into styles of Israeli life.

Again, I believe they are wrong. I believe every movement of Judaism is an expression of "Sinai." There is truth and wisdom in every major movement of Judaism -- and in many less than major. I will continue to argue for Jewish pluralism and for the authenticity of a non-Orthodox approach.

But to suggest Israel is giving American Jewry "the finger," as the Forward suggests, is to misunderstand the Israeli people and the heart of the issue: that Israelis don't care enough about "the issue" (it has nothing to do with how much they do or don't care about American Jewry -- what an arrogant position for American Jews to espouse.

Nor would any politician relinquish power if he/she didn't have to. Of course Netanyahu would protect his government from falling. Every leader in the world would make the same decision.

As Jerry Silverman and Alan Dershowitz each said on JBS, Netanyahu is not the "bad guy" in this story. And shame on any American Jewish leader who would let his membership think he believes Netanyahu is the "bad guy."

It is unconscionable for a Jewish leader to suggest a Jew take back his financial support of Israel. It is a travesty for any Jew to even suggest that the Jewish community would not be politically supportive of Israel to punish Israel for the ills of its parliamentary system.

Shame on all who do not say loud and clear: Israel is a free and democratic state that has duly elected a government. And whether we abhor policies of the government -- and while we may work to convince Israelis to become more assertive in certain domestic religious and social issues; we may never use a disagreement or disappointment to weaken our commitment to the People of Israel.

Mark S. Golub created the first Russian language television channel produced in America, RTN (The Russian Television Network of America) and the first "PBS-Style" Jewish Television Channel, Shalom TV (now the Jewish Broadcasting Service). He is the rabbi of two small congregations in Connecticut, Chavurah Aytz Chayim (Stamford, CT) and Chavurah Deevray Torah (Greenwich, CT), but he is most well known as the host of L'Chayim, an interview talk show created in 1979 to discuss "issues of importance to the Jewish community" with prominent Jewish figures. Below is the most recent episode of that program:

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This is ridiculous. If you're all so committed to Israel regardless of the shit the government does all the time, make aliyah. Otherwise, yes, go ahead and get offended at this. It's a fucking outrage, and trying to slide it away biglal "support for the whole country" elides the fact that many Israelis are outraged too.

In fact, preferably, make aliyah while also outraged. More of that is necessary.