Ways to Talk About Israel

While it is possible, and common, to hear people describe themselves as pro-democracy or pro-human rights or pro-any other cause, it is unusual to hear someone say he or she is "pro" a specific country People are from a country, people support a country, people can be "pro" or &q...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Jewish exponent Vol. 236; no. 23
Main Author Greenberg, Sara
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Philadelphia Jewish Exponent 28.08.2014
Subjects
Arab Israeli relations
Democracy
Jewish Islamic relations
War
Israel
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Summary:While it is possible, and common, to hear people describe themselves as pro-democracy or pro-human rights or pro-any other cause, it is unusual to hear someone say he or she is "pro" a specific country People are from a country, people support a country, people can be "pro" or "anti" the current government of a country. However, once a nation state exists, it is almost unheard of to be "pro" or "anti" that state's existence. Last year I spoke at a "pro-Israel" event on the University of Pennsylvania campus and a student asked: "Is it possible, on today's campus, to be pro-Israel and also support the Palestinian people?" The "pro-Israel" label had misled her. Being "pro-Israel" does not mean that you are anti-Palestinian. The majority of Israelis continue to favor a twostate solution, and Israel's goal remains, after ensuring security for its people, to live peacefully with its neighbors. The "pro-Palestine" label has become a euphemism for "antiIsrael," and thus "anti-peace" activity. Golda Meir, the late former prime minister of Israel, once said, "We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us." Perhaps peace will only be possible when the "pro-Palestine" movement loves Palestine as much as it hates Israel.
ISSN:0021-6437