For America's Official Jews, It's "Sha Shtil" All Over Again

Jerusalem Post opiner Isi Leibler blames the failure of America's Official Jews to condemn Obama's disgusting treatment of Israel on Americans' "galut (exile/disapora) mentality"; it's the same mentality that, in another era, resulted in American O.J.s not wanting to make waves (characterized as "sha shtil," literally, stay still/quiet in Yiddish) with FDR re the horror then engulfing the Jews of Europe. Today's "sha shtil" can be seen in American O.J.'s reaction--or, more accurately, non-reaction--to the spectacle of their beloved POTUS continually shafting Israel and embracing its enemies, an M.O. Michael Oren describes in his new book:

The failure of the Jewish leadership to cautiously condemn the flow of distorted and biased anti-Israeli statements by the president was heightened last week with the interviews and articles relating to former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren’s forthcoming book Ally: My Journey Across the American Israeli Divide. They provide a chilling insight into the bullying and aggressive role Obama adopted against Israel and his championing of the Palestinian cause. Even the most hardened Obama supporters who retain any pro-Israel sentiments will be stunned to read of his calculated abandonment of the Jewish state on the political level “which would have put him at odds with any Israeli leader.” 

Oren wrote that from his first inauguration, “Obama put daylight between Israel and America,” publicly disagreeing with and condemning the Jewish state. Oren added that “by endorsing the Palestinian position on the 1967 lines, the White House overnight altered more than 40 years of American policy.” Repeatedly, the administration accused Israel of lack of progress on the peace process “while making no substantive demands of the Palestinians.” 

Oren, certainly not a political right-winger, even makes analogies (especially in relation to the Iranian nuclear threat) between American Jewish leaders today and their counterparts in 1944, headed by Rabbi Stephen Wise. He states: “Remember that American Jewry once had a chance to save 6 million Jews. And there are 6 million today [in Israel]. So think very hard and understand that this is about our survival as a people. It’s about our children and grandchildren.” 

Jewish leaders defend their position by arguing that silent diplomacy is more effective than pouring oil on the fire by publicly condemning the president. They also claim that the policy of bipartisanship will backfire if they criticize Obama. They conveniently ignore that if such a policy becomes an end goal in itself, the Jewish community, in order not to ruffle feathers, will become politically impotent and will simply cease to speak out on central issues.

Like I said, it's "sha shtil," the sequel.