Well, look: though pocked with imperfections, some no cosmetics can mask, the record’s hardly one of unrelieved bungling. There are grace notes galore and much to admire: freedom of speech, the rule of law, distinguished science, and an ongoing effort to balance the twin imperatives of the Jewish understanding—on the one hand, the claims of the tribe; on the other the claims of the whole world; on the one hand, the particular; on the other, the universal.
Fein's position is not altogether bleak. It's an article worth reading. Nuanced, if not altogether accurate. "We" are not all doves. We are sometimes misunderstood hawks. We can still be in favor of a strong Israeli military and also against the continued settlements and the extremists in Israel. We can be pro-Israel and anti-Israeli-extremist and still be in favor of a strong defense against the radical Palestinian and other Arab elements (and Iran).
And what of the liberal Zionists?...We do what we can to promote a genuine two-state solution and to reverse those policies of the Israeli government—settlements especially though not exclusively—that stand in its way, thereby evoking rebuke and sometimes condemnation from the mainstream. We insist that “pro-Israel” has many shades of meaning and cannot be a term reserved for the most hawkish of Israel’s supporters.
This is a good point--though again, I bristle somewhat to think that one must be a dove to be a liberal. That one can be for universal human rights, fairness in society and the economy, a peaceful two-state solution and still be insistent on strong defense is quite possible. I am quite sympathetic to the Palestinian plight, but I fear their worst enemy is the terrorist. Settlers may exacerbate the problem, but the terrorist is still the most substantial roadblock to peace.
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