Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on December 26, 2021

William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Organizations, joins the podcast to talk about what it means for Diaspora Jews to be barred from Israel for nearly two years. He sits down with host Allison Kaplan Sommer on the day Israel officially declared the United States a red country in its ongoing battle against COVID and the omicron variant, barring travel between the two countries.

LISTEN: Why Israels decision to shut out Diaspora Jews will rankle for years

The frustration of the repeated border closures and ever-changing rules, Daroff predicts, will have a long-lasting effect on Israels foreign relations. He also says he doesnt have a problem with Israel showing a preference for admitting Jews over other visitors, since it totally makes sense to me that, as I have a right of return, and as all Jews have a refuge here in Israel, that the standards would be different for Jews than for non-Jews.

In addition, Daroff reacts strongly to the newly released Trump tapes in which the former president said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had shown more desire for a Middle East peace deal than then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Daroff calls Trumps assertion outrageous, saying it is clear that Abu Mazen is not a partner for peace, that he is not someone who is engaged in a legitimate effort to bring about any sort of peace or solution.

At the same time, Trump, in his description and criticism of U.S. Jews, was fueling dangerous stereotypes and radioactive tropes.

Also discussed: Daroffs staunch belief that anti-Zionism is equivalent to antisemitism; his message to young progressive American Jews fighting for Palestinian human rights who feel alienated from the U.S. Jewish establishment; and whether there is still a role for an umbrella organization that professes to speak in one voice for the entire organized American Jewish community, in an age of such deep partisan divides.

Later in the episode (at25:00), Haaretz Opinion Editor Esther Solomon explains why it is imperative that Jews and Israel speak out over growing incitement against Muslims in Bosnia by the Serbs.

Jews, she says, cannot let genocide deniers win or allow the world to forget the atrocities that took place in the 1990s which included the creation of concentration camps, mass rape, deportations, destruction and systemic murder.

Want to get an email every time a new episode is available? Click "Follow" on top of this article, or "Register" with one of the podcast providers and you'll never miss out.

View post:

LISTEN: Why Israel's decision to shut out Diaspora Jews will rankle for years - Haaretz

Category: Diaspora
Tags: