Zionism perverted

Morris Talansky's tearful testimony about how "foolish" he felt when he realized that Ehud Olmert had exploited his "love" - yes, Talansky used those words - exposes the Israel-Diaspora relationship at its worst. It represents the Zionist dream perverted, conjuring a comic book universe where swaggering Israeli sharpies acting like superheroes manipulate the Zionist guilt, Galut (exilebased) insecurity, and Jewish idealism of Diaspora saps. If the mafia supposedly demands omerta, silence, reducing innocent citizens to cowed sheep, the Israeli political Mafiosi now lives by Olmerta - "magiya li [I deserve it] - bullying normally tough Jewish businessmen into becoming easily-conned pushovers.

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When deciding Jerusalem's future, Zionist solidarity is not Israeli citizenship

Despite yielding no agreement yet, the latest round of peace processing has triggered a struggle regarding Diaspora Jews' role in shaping Jerusalem's future. The World Jewish Congress president, Ronald Lauder, recently told Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that no "changes in the status of our Holy City" should be implemented "without giving the Jewish people, as a whole, a voice in the decision." The political scientist Shlomo Avineri objected to world Jewry meddling in Israel's decision-making, as did the head of the World Jewish Congress's Israel branch, Shai Hermesh. Natan Sharanky then countered with a powerful plea in Sunday's Jerusalem Post headlined "Israel Must Not Decide Alone." Yet much as I venerate Natan Sharansky, and much as I believe in the Jewish people's spiritual and political unity, ultimately, the headline is wrong: Israelis must decide Jerusalem's fate. 

In some ways, the gap between the combatants is exaggerated. Lauder only requested a "voice in the decision." Sharansky endorsed some kind of consultative process which would build a constructive consensus on such a key issue as the future of the Jewish people's eternal capital. But underlying this argument is the question whether membership in the Jewish people is sufficient to vote on life and death matters for Israel, or is Israeli citizenship required?

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