Comments on: Israel and America: A Roundtable on Deepening the Dialogue http://www.shma.com/2010/05/israel-and-america-a-roundtable-on-deepening-the-dialogue/ A Journal of Jewish Ideas Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:19:50 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Robin Margolis http://www.shma.com/2010/05/israel-and-america-a-roundtable-on-deepening-the-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-7293 Robin Margolis Mon, 10 May 2010 07:11:04 +0000 http://www.shma.com/?p=2061#comment-7293 Mr. Robbins correctly states that the discussion above ignores Israel's poor treatment of the Palestinians as a distancing factor for American Jews. I also noticed another "missing elephant" in the room as well. I'd like to point out the 'missing' thousands of half-Jewish people in Israel who suffer legal and social discrimination from other Jews because of Israel's negative treatment of interfaith families. Some of those half-Jewish people are the children of intermarried Russian Jewish Israelis. Others are children of Jews married to Palestinians. Many half-Jewish people in the Diaspora are aware of Israel's poor treatment of the half-Jewish people in Israel, and it separates us from Israel. But that is not mentioned in the discussion above, even though it is constantly discussed in the Israeli newspapers. Sincerely, Robin Margolis www.half-jewish.net www.inclusivistjudaism.wordpress.com Mr. Robbins correctly states that the discussion above ignores Israel’s poor treatment of the Palestinians as a distancing factor for American Jews.

I also noticed another “missing elephant” in the room as well.

I’d like to point out the ‘missing’ thousands of half-Jewish people in Israel who suffer legal and social discrimination from other Jews because of Israel’s negative treatment of interfaith families.

Some of those half-Jewish people are the children of intermarried Russian Jewish Israelis. Others are children of Jews married to Palestinians.

Many half-Jewish people in the Diaspora are aware of Israel’s poor treatment of the half-Jewish people in Israel, and it separates us from Israel.

But that is not mentioned in the discussion above, even though it is constantly discussed in the Israeli newspapers.

Sincerely,
Robin Margolis
http://www.half-jewish.net
http://www.inclusivistjudaism.wordpress.com

]]> By: Gene Robbins http://www.shma.com/2010/05/israel-and-america-a-roundtable-on-deepening-the-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-7185 Gene Robbins Fri, 07 May 2010 14:21:11 +0000 http://www.shma.com/?p=2061#comment-7185 This whole conversation is ignoring the elephant in the room. Israel/Palestine is an apartheid state and as Jews we are obligated to support BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) against Israel until they end the Occupation. Our problem is seeing Israel as a Jewish state instead of a state for the people who live there. I don't have to remind any of us that whenever a state aims for ethnic/religious purity it ends up persecuting the "other". This whole conversation is ignoring the elephant in the room. Israel/Palestine is an apartheid state and as Jews we are obligated to support BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) against Israel until they end the Occupation. Our problem is seeing Israel as a Jewish state instead of a state for the people who live there. I don’t have to remind any of us that whenever a state aims for ethnic/religious purity it ends up persecuting the “other”.

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