I don't know quite what to make of the Max Blumenthal and Joseph Dana video Adam discusses below. In the video, American Jewish teenagers in Jerusalem spout casual racism in response to President Obama's Cairo speech, asserting that Obama deserves to be shot, is Muslim and "a terrorist," and that Israel "is ours." Let's be clear. The views in this video are representative neither of the Israeli public -- a majority of which is prepared to dismantle the settlements -- nor of American Jews, 78 percent of whom voted for Obama. Along with African Americans, Jews consistently poll as one of the most liberal demographic groups in the country. And yet. The adolescents depicted in the video, which is unfortunately bereft of context, were likely raised in a movement -- the Modern Orthodox (see update below) small but vocal Jewish right -- that does hold political power, and that deeply contributes to the shaping of the American debate around Israel. There has been a reluctance among American Jews, even progressive ones, to confront the ways in which our narrative of overcoming oppression has contributed to a culture in which we fail to grapple with our own privilege, with the moral implications of Israeli occupation, and with the suffering of Palestinians. Why is that failure significant? Because in our political context, we need a great many committed, strong Jewish voices calling for a change in the United States' Mideast policy. American Jews led the way, and rightfully so, in garnering American support for a Jewish homeland. Now we should be leading the way toward becoming, as the president has phrased it, the kind of honest, tough-minded friend Israel really needs at this crucial political moment. One step is calling out -- and engaging with -- the bigots and hard-liners within our own community. So back to these foolish, ignorant, offensive kids. Their words pain me. But what hurts even more is the idea that they will be transmitting this ideology, in due time, to their own children. As the video's co-creator, Joseph Dana, puts it, "These people and their families are the core of the opposition to meaningful peace between Israel and her neighbors. This is what Obama is up against." Update: Adam points out there's little evidence the kids in the video are Orthodox, and indeed, some are not wearing kippot (head coverings). These kids may have been raised totally secular, and their views ought not to be associated with any particular sect of Judaism. --Dana Goldstein
