Are Zionist Jews hurting the cause for Zionism? (Guest post) ~ Elder Of Ziyon

Monday, February 17, 2025

Are Zionist Jews hurting the cause for Zionism? (Guest post)

Guest post

Jewish education is at a crossroad. It is being challenged, like never before, by college professors, grade-school teachers, hostile journalists, biased historians, unhinged social media influencers, human rights organizations, and other wealthy domestic and foreign Non-Governmental Organizations. Making matters worse (if you can imagine such a thing) there is, at best, a chaotic conversation within the Jewish community about defining a Jewish curriculum. There was a time when the curriculum was exclusively taught in yeshivas, based upon classical texts. That is no longer the dominant model. Most Jewish congregations create ad hoc curricula that reflect the political views of the local community and are influenced by news media and other non-Jewish sources.

Further muddying the waters, there are several websites that try to shape the Jewish curriculum from a highly politicized perspective. One such website is Jewish Unpacked. It is tailored to a high school/college target audience. It addresses the challenges of being a Jewish minority in a hostile environment. On a superficial level, it seems to provide counter-narratives that Jewish students can use in their own defense. It fails for several reasons. The website seems to endlessly repeat, and thus promote, the worst stereotypes about Jews and Israel, all while making muddled and weak efforts to counter those stereotypes. The counter arguments rely too heavily upon survey data, which is easily manipulated and misinterpreted. They sometimes include harmful subliminal messaging, which contradicts the purpose of the counter arguments.

As just one example, consider the UnPacked podcast "Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam"

As Spotify describes it:

"Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman are two of the most dynamic, interesting, and thought-provoking Jewish leaders today. Two seasoned educators who love to talk, listen, laugh, challenge, and grow, Mijal and Noam are the Wondering Jews, leading us through thought-provoking discussions that are as serious as they are entertaining.

Whether you're a seasoned scholar or just curious about Jewish culture, this show offers a refreshing perspective that's both enlightening and enjoyable. It's not just a podcast; it's a thoughtful conversation that invites everyone to wonder about the rich tapestry of Jewish ideas in the context of our daily lives. Brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media."

Dr. Noam Weissman has sterling credentials. He is the Founder and Director of LaHaV, as well as the Senior Vice President of Education for "Jerusalem U," an online content creator. Prior to that, Noam was the Principal of Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles. Jerusalem U was created by Raphael Shore, and has been renamed OpenDor Media, based in Hollywood, Florida. Dr. Weissman is currently Executive Vice President at OpenDor Media. Dr. Weissman is also the Executive Vice President and Head of Education at ConnectED. He is a Civil Society Fellow at the Aspen Institute. From his biography at Tikvah.org, we learn that his doctoral "dissertation, entitled 'Approaching Israel Education,' argues for a new vision in learning about the modern State of

Israel, focusing on Zionist identity development, narrative formation, and the ability to have a mature and loving relationship with Israel without sacrificing empathy." With a biography like that, why should anyone criticize Dr. Weissman?

Let's jump to the latest episode, S3, E1, "Is 'Zionism' dead?: Redefining identity in 2025."

The podcasters spend 44 minutes essentially making the point that the label "Zionist" means different things to different people. They also drive home the warning that identifying as a Zionist will make one unpopular. I could have said the same in 10 seconds, but I would not broadcast such a warning in the first place. The question should be "What can we do about it?" Instead, the podcasters just wallow in the mud of anti-Zionism, and apparently soak in some of the negativity. The final result borders on anti-Zionist gaslighting.

Here are a few quotes that illustrate the anti-Zionist biases in this supposedly Jewish podcast:

"Are we past Zionism? Did Zionism happen? It came, it went, it conquered..."

This is a direct slur against the very foundation of Zionism. Early Zionists never spoke of conquering land. The League of Nations Mandate For Palestine said nothing about conquering land. It was the Ottoman Empire that conquered Palestine along with the entire Levant and more, and occupied this empire for 400 years. The British liberated the land in World War One, with the help of the Egyptian army and other Arab legions. The League of Nations mandates assigned the liberated land to the natives of the region, which included both Jews and Arabs. The Arabs never complained about taking control of Ottoman colonies. The mandates had the full support of local Arabs. Prince Faisal, who led the Arab delegation to the Paris Peace Conference, had also agreed to the creation of a Jewish country. He signed an agreement with Chaim Weizmann. The Arab League only complained about recognizing a small sliver of Jewish land as a neighbor after the mandates had been assigned. The mandates were never defined as colonies, but rather, as trusteeships. There were also mandates proposed for the creation of Kurdish and Armenian states, but Turkey refused to sign the Treaty of Sevres. Apparently, Turkey did not reject the creation of the Jewish state.

"Zionism happened, and it’s a term, it’s a term, by the way, that’s been utilized and viewed negatively by so many people who don’t identify as Zionists across the spectrum, meaning if you’re an ultra-orthodox Jew, the term Zionist has been a negative. In the late 19th, early 20th century, to be called a Zionist was in some ways to be called an insult, from religious Jewry. And now to be called a Zionist is in many contexts is viewed as a pejorative."

Zionism is not simply "a term," nor is it a pejorative. It is the political movement that created the country of my birth. In an underhanded way, Noam Weissman is erasing my identity. Sorry Noam, but you deserve a little push-back for that dig. As for the orthodox Jewish view of Zionism, it is not monolithic. Noam is himself a graduate of Yeshiva University, so he should know better. The overwhelming majority of Orthodox Jews support Israel. The religious argument stems from the predictions of the messianic age, when a Jewish Kingdom will emerge. So-called "Ultra-Orthodox Jews" (there is no such branch of Judaism) are not opposed to a Jewish state, they only distinguish it from the biblical kingdom of prophesy. They are also citizens of the current State of Israel. Real anti-Zionists, such as the SJP activists with the megaphones who shout their hateful screed on college campuses, seek to violently dismantle the existing Jewish state, and never let it reorganize, ever again. Noam Weissman is being intellectually dishonest by conflating two distinctly different narratives.

"...the term Zionism actually has like a really, really bad, I would say like a PR or marketing problem that it’s just come to mean some like really, really bad things for different people."

The marketing of anti-Zionism is funded by some of the wealthiest oil exporting nations in the world. That is the reason we find ourselves in a defensive position. We are being attacked by dishonest libel, and it is not due to anything we have done. The answer is not to throw up our hands, or distance ourselves from Zionism. We should not fall for the gaslighting of false narratives. Noam and Mijal seem to argue that we should just go with the flow.

"...a Gallup poll that came out a few years ago that said that 95% of American Jews have favorable views of Israel. And based on that, they said 95% of American Jews are Zionists"

That is not what they said.

"...according to Pew, the one that came out in 2021, reflecting attitudes from 2020, eight out of 10, so roughly 80% of American Jews feel somewhat or very connected to Israel"

"...a study that the Cohen Center ran in Los Angeles in 2021, only 42% of respondents described themselves as Zionist"

Comparing two different surveys that use differently worded questions in different sample populations is dishonest. The only conclusion one could make is that the wording of the questions can make a dramatic difference in the results. A properly designed survey would ask identical questions to a stable population over time, in order to measure trends in opinions.

Why the obsession with surveys? As the podcasters admit, labels mean different things to different people. A poorly worded survey question has little value in measuring attitudes. Imagine if a survey was conducted asking people if they identified as "egalitarian." Some might think it refers to fans of the Philadelphia Eagles. Swifties would respond "I used to be, but I converted to being a "Chieftain." Others who don't understand the question would likely respond "no." Few would be assertive enough to ask for the definition. If the positive response rate was low, can the survey conclude that most people reject egalitarianism? It would be dishonest to do so.

Another problem with relying on surveys is that they accomplish nothing. They do not teach, nor change opinions. They do not offer meaningful information about the shortcomings of the educational system, the one we all assume teaches the importance of Zionism.

"...so I’m gonna just share fact number one, or at least data point number one, is that there’s often a gap between those who say they are connected to Israel and those who self-identify as Zionists."

The point Mijal Bitton is driving home is that not all "survey Jews" identify strongly as Jewish defenders. If someone is merely connected to Israel, that might mean they have a relative in Israel, or just a friend who lives there. One would not expect such a tangential connection to Israel to translate into a devotion to the IDF. Ms Bitton's point is moot, and only serves to weaken the defense of Israel. Furthermore, the surveys Mijal quotes do not ask the general public about their support of Israel's defense. That is the central US policy question that has any practical meaning. The American public does not need to declare devotion to "Zionism" in order to continue selling weapons to Israel. The simple fact that Israel is a liberal democracy surrounded by anarchy and violent despots should be reason enough for most Americans to continue supporting the country.

"So Matt decided to do a cognitive test of these questions. So he wanted to test four things. So the four questions that he tested was: (1) How emotionally attached are you to Israel? Then he wanted to test questions around (2) criticizing Israel’s government, (3) describing oneself as a Zionist, and (4) Israel as an apartheid state, okay?"

Did you catch the subliminal messaging there? Mijal Bitton uses a supposedly scientific study to challenge the emotional attachment to Israel, to validate criticism of the Israeli government (for what purpose?), to stigmatize the Zionist identity, and to validate the "apartheid state" slander and libel.

As for the title of the podcast, "Is 'Zionism' dead?: Redefining identity in 2025," it is implied from the transcript that the podcasters are projecting their desires. They apparently want Zionism to die. They certainly don't make any effort to defend it. They want to redefine Jewish identity, so that Zionism no longer has a role. In effect, they are comfortable with stateless Jews, who simply assimilate into their host countries. Is this their solution to a "PR or marketing problem?" Is that what Yeshiva University teaches these days? How would Natan Sharansky describe Jewish life in the Soviet Union? I believe the best PR is based on telling the truth.

In an interview with Anouk Lorie, on her "RAW" podcast at Reichman University, Dr. Weissman states

"Young people have been saying for a long time 'stop asking us to close our eyes. We're not going to listen to you. Don't do the Myths And Facts thing about Israel. It's not real, it's not real.'"

I disagree with Dr. Weissman. Having read Mitchell Bard's "Myths And Facts," I have gained a confident educational foundation, which has strengthened my ability to defend my country's creation and legitimacy.

In the same interview, Dr. Weissman says he has no interest in wasting time on "bad faith actors" who criticize Israel. I disagree with Dr. Weissman, once again. I believe these bad faith actors need to exposed, before they recruit even more activists and comrades in arms.

While I share Dr. Weissman's goal of having a loving relationship with Israel without sacrificing empathy, I also refuse to close my eyes. While Dr. Weissman refuses to acknowledge the brutal truth documented by Palestinian Media Watch, MEMRI, UN Watch, and Corrie Gil-Shuster's street interviews, I recognize this part of the truth. Antisemitism is endemic in many Arab cultures. I have no empathy for that, and I certainly won't ignore it. I invite Dr. Weissman to do the same.