Zionism Should Not Be a Conservative Sine Qua Non
I urge you to read the entire piece, but here are some of the excepts that made me nod my head and even inspired a rueful laugh. Those who know me well will get it.
For many decades, I’ve argued against making Zionist nationalism a centerpiece of American conservatism. I came to this view after having unintentionally offended high-placed Zionists in the American conservative establishment. In 1987, I discovered to my shock that several of these people called the dean of humanities at Catholic University of America to warn against giving me a graduate professorship in political theory. The reason for this admonition, as I later learned, was that I was “not quite reliable in the matter of Israel.”
This accusation was ridiculous for two reasons. One, it had nothing to do with my ability to teach classical political thought. I’ve no idea why explaining Aristotle or Hobbes to university students would require me to take a stand on contemporary Middle Eastern politics. Two, at the time this accusation was made, which had the effect of disqualifying me from the desired academic post, I strongly supported the Israeli right-wing and I held the same positions on the question of Israeli security as did the editors of the most pro-Israel American conservative magazine, Commentary.
This incident points to a problem that has not gone away, and which may be inherent in the American conservative movement....To be a conservative in good standing, it seems that one must be an unqualified Israeli nationalist.....
Conservatives should be free to praise and defend as well as castigate Israel and its government. They should also be free to cheer any endorsement of Israel.... I am not in any sense an enemy of the Israeli state and, in fact, I admire many of its accomplishments. Moreover, I think Israelis had every right to react furiously against Hamas after what its agents did to hapless Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023. Countries do have a right to defend themselves against vicious, sadistic enemies....
Absolutely! Terrorists are fair game! But there are limits on the methods used to fight them.
Conservatives and others should have the right to criticize how the Israelis wage war without being denounced by Conservative Inc. [and others] as anti-Semites [or be accused of "hating Israel]. Would that our conservative gatekeepers reacted with the same fury against gay marriage, the deep state discrimination against white males, or the tearing down of America’s historical monuments!
Gottfried raises another objection and one that many of us have experienced personally!
An obsession with Israel has, among other things, caused members of the right to fight bitterly among themselves. Right now, I’m reading about longtime friends at the Ludwig von Mises Institute who have gone after each other with hammer and tongs over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict....
Middle Eastern politics should not be a hill on which those who are members of the independent right should have to die on. Nor should this contentious subject tear apart long-term friendships. We should be able to agree to disagree on Middle Eastern politics.
The loss of friendship applies to many other situations as well. Think of those who won't talk to you if you (take your pick): support Donald Trump, wouldn't mask or take the COVID shot, go to SSPX Masses, etc. My way or the highway is apparently their motto.
And finally:
In any case, it’s time for the right to rid itself of its unseemly obsession with Israel loyalty tests. There is a difference between hating Israel and sounding like a cheering gallery on steroids.
Amen! Gottfried's position reflects the philosophy of a grown up. Jesus reached out to everyone. With those of good will, he was gentle. With hypocrites and plotters he was severe. But even when His friends betrayed Him, He never cut them off. We would do well to follow his example. Obviously if someone is an occasion of sin, you need to avoid them. And you can't be bosom buddies with everyone. We all need to practice prudence and discernment. But as Sirach says, "Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter; whoever finds one finds a treasure."
I welcome respectful disagreement. You don't need to be my clone for us to be friends. In fact, that would be pretty boring. By the way... I'll happily share my back issues of Chronicles. But I urge you to subscribe. It's a magazine well worth reading!
I read Chronicles online. I find their articles interesting because they often choose topics no one is really writing about. I don't always agree with their authors but it's good to be given something to think about.
ReplyDeleteI really wish we could get rid of this attachment to the state of Israel. But it seems to me a lot of Christians have been brainwashed into believing they shore up their Christian bonafides by supporting Israel.
To all interested in the Zion subject.
ReplyDeleteThe “Martyrmade” podcast released many of his series freely on most platforms (ITunes and others) - listen to the >20hrs of the podcast “Fear and loathing in New Jeruseluem”. It analyzes the Zionist movement from its start to about 1948.
It looks at many sides of the story, not making friends with any side, but just presenting truths, and a bit of his (Darryl Cooper) emotional perspective….