Does Israel have a problem with American Jews?
Benjamin Netanyahu's government unveils an ad campaign urging expats to come home, and some Jews in the U.S. find the message insulting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has launched an advertising campaign in five U.S. cities aiming to persuade Israelis living abroad to return home. In one commercial, an elderly couple in Israel with a menorah behind them asks their granddaughter in America, via Skype, what holiday she is celebrating. Instead of Hanukkah, the little girl giddily declares, "Christmas!" The grandparents respond with a concerned look. (Watch the clip, in Hebrew, below.) In another ad, the American boyfriend of an Israeli woman fails to understand her sadness on Israel's version of Memorial Day. Is this a perfectly reasonable appeal to expats' patriotism, or a slap in the face to American Jews?
The Netanyahu government is insulting Americans: "I don't think I have ever seen a demonstration of Israeli contempt for American Jews as obvious as these ads," says Jeffrey Goldberg at The Atlantic. "The message is: Dear American Jews, thank you for lobbying for American defense aid ... but, please, stay away from our sons and daughters." Apparently, Netanyahu's government thinks that "America is no place for a proper Jew." That's appalling.
"Netanyahu government suggests Israelis avoid marrying American Jews"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But Israeli identity is different: "This ad is not about Jews, it's about Israelis," says Joel Braunold in Israel's Haaretz. The real message is that "you will always remain Israeli and your partner might not be able to understand what is important to you." In Israel, "the national identity and that of the Jewish people" are fused into one, and reminding expats of that is one way to get them to come home at a time when their country needs them.
"Embracing a hyphenated Jewish identity: in Israel and the Diaspora"
C'mon. There has to be a less offensive way to say this: "It's one thing for Israel to try and convince expats to come home lest they assimilate into a foreign culture," says Jonathan S. Tobin at Commentary. But it's quite another to imply that "hooking up with an American Jew will cause them to lose their secular Israeli identity." This strategy reinforces "the divide between Israelis and Americans rather than bridging it."
"Israel ad campaign targeting expats raises troubling questions of identity"
Watch one of the commercials, and judge for yourself:
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The UK's nuclear waste problem
Under The Radar Safety concerns as 'highly radioactive' material could be buried in the English countryside
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?
In Depth It's not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - September 16, 2024
Monday's cartoons - a second assassination attempt, eating pets, and more
By The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPB
Speed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published