An Open Letter to the Jewish Citizens of Israel

 

Shalom Chaverim שלום חברים,

 

      Like most Jews here in the United States, my heart was broken by the horrific crimes of October 7, and my thoughts have been with you ever since.

      I have been a proud Zionist all my life. I know that in the wake of the Holocaust all Jews, whether in Israel or Diaspora, gain security from the existence of a Jewish-majority state. I am mindful of the sacrifice that those of you who live and serve in Israel make on behalf of Jews throughout the world.

      It is in that spirit of respect and gratitude that I tell you what many of you already know: the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is hurting all of us. The scope of “all of us” could be as broad as you like. It includes the people of Israel, the hostages being held by Hamas, and the people of Gaza, to be sure, but given the international implications of his government’s cynical malice, it extends to the entire world. Yet, given the rhetoric that Bibi routinely employs, it is particularly ironic that among the people his government is hurting most are Jews. Jews everywhere.

     I am not a soldier, but I am a historian, and the lessons of history are very clear. The war in Gaza is a typical asymmetrical war. In China, Algeria, Kenya, Cuba, Vietnam, and a hundred other killing grounds, the world learned, in fire and blood, that in an asymmetrical war, political factors are vastly more important than military firepower. Benjamin Netanyahu has the lesson backward. He is acting as if the war in Gaza can be won with bullets and bombs alone, and as if Gaza and the Palestinian people have no political life or identity at all. He is terribly, tragically wrong, and his willful error is leading Israel and the world to disaster.  

        Hamas must be defeated, but it cannot be defeated tactically. As Bibi kills members of Hamas, more rise up to take their place. This is especially true because Hamas, in their cynical malice, make sure that for every Hamas terrorist the IDF kills, it must kill or injure many innocent men, women and children, thus stoking hatred and rage. This is a cycle without end. The only hope of victory is to enlist allies from within the Palestinian community itself.

         Israel’s natural ally in this fight is the Palestinian Authority. It retains the allegiance of large parts of the Palestinian community and has proven its willingness to cooperate with Israel. A fight to simply “destroy Hamas” will go on forever, will kill thousands more innocent people, and will eventually lead to the complete moral and political bankruptcy of Israel in the court of world opinion. By contrast, a fight to restore the control of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza stands a chance of success. It is the best and only strategy that can redress the crimes of 10/7 and make Israel secure.

        Will this lead to the creation of a Palestinian state? Yes, it almost certainly will. But that is a necessity long overdue. The absurd statelessness of Gaza (and the other Occupied Territories) created the obscenity of Hamas in the first place, and ending that injustice is the only way that Hamas can be permanently defeated. This war can only really end with citizenship for the people of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem in a fully sovereign state. That state can be the existing nation of Israel, or a new nation of Palestine. But a return to the stateless limbo post-1967 will only keep the wheel of horror and destruction spinning full tilt, or faster.

         I write you out of a heartfelt concern for my fellow Jews, but for selfish reasons as well. Here in the United States, the Gaza War is having a tragic effect on our domestic politics. Young people are abandoning our President, Joe Biden, because of his staunch support of Israel. I do not blame Joe Biden for this. His support of Israel is correct, it is what any responsible American president would do. But I blame Benjamin Netanyahu. His cynical refusal to partner with the Palestinian Authority and his insistence on using purely military means in the prosecution of the Gaza War has made him a monster in the eyes of America’s youth, and thus made Joe Biden a monster-by-proxy as well. 

        The problem has become so severe that if it is not redressed soon, it may result in the re-election of Donald Trump this fall. Make no mistake, the election of Trump will be a disaster for Israel and for Jews everywhere. Trump is the leader of a fascist movement that depends on Christian nationalists, white supremacists, and Neo-Nazis for support. His second term will bring American democracy to an end. His fascist regime might, in the best-case scenario, be no more ideological than that of Vladimir Putin’s cleptocracy in Russia. But given the toxic forces that form his coalition, his new America could easily come to resemble Hitler’s Germany. If Trump is re-elected my family and I do not plan to stick around to find out which scenario pans out. We will flee.

        Whatever the case may be, Trump’s America will leave Israel more isolated and endangered. He is utterly faithless and will give his friendship to the highest bidder. Moreover, he will destroy the alliances in Europe and across the globe upon which presidents like Joe Biden have depended in supporting Israel.

         Benjamin Netanyahu has surpassed virtually any other Israeli public figure in doing damage to the Zionist cause.  His political malpractice was difficult to overestimate even before 10/7, but the criminally malignant policies he has pursued since then are utterly irredeemable. Every hour that he remains Prime Minister he is doing material damage to Israel and to Jews everywhere. As a citizen of the nation who once elected Donald Trump, I have little standing to scold you about your choice of leadership. But as a Jew and a citizen of the world I beg you, please send Benjamin Netanyahu packing.

         I know this letter was an exercise in presumption. If you have read this far, I hope this message finds you well, despite all the pain and horror that has transpired since 10/7. I thank you for your attention, I thank you for your sacrifice, and hope that you will allow me to wish you again

 

                       Shalom,

 

                        Andy Meyer