Haters can’t see good in Israel, but we should

On Sunday, March 17, CBC Radio broadcast an interview I did on The Sunday Edition with Michael Enright discussing my new book, Moynihan’s Moment: America’s Fight Against Zionism as Racism.

The interview, entitled “Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s Defence of Zionism,” was classic Enright, who is a national treasure. He was well prepared. He asked intelligent questions. He set a warm, thoughtful tone. The conversation flowed, and the time flew. Afterward, one of the Montreal studio hosts told me the interview triggered many discussions among CBC reporters and technicians, who appreciated my distinction between criticizing Israel, which is a legitimate, democratic act, and demonizing Zionism, which is usually a totalitarian and destructive act. But, inevitably, because we mentioned the Z-word, Zionism, in a positive context, the brickbats flew.

Two weeks later, Enright wrote on his website: “My conversation with Prof. Troy touched a nerve with many of our listeners, and we received a lot of mail about it.” He then excerpted six letters, all hostile. “While Zionism might not be racism it is exclusionary and elitist… One might say ‘ethnicist,’” wrote a Vancouverite, claiming that had we been discussing apartheid-era South Africa, “Dr. Troy might well have been an apologist for that whites-only regime.”

“I’m a Jew and I am ashamed by Israel’s war crimes and inhumanity,” wrote another Vancouverite. Nationalism is a form of racism in this day and age.” And someone from Toronto, self-describing as “Israeli-born” – but not Israeli! – called me an “apologist,” saying : “Jewish nationalism – if that is Zionism – is untenable as it has proven that it cannot accommodate the first principles of a ‘liberal democracy’: protect the rights of, and give voice to, the minorities that live amongst you.”

Reading these comments, I’m struck once again by Israel’s critics’ hatred and lack of nuance. They cannot accept any conversation that doesn’t demonize Israel. They never attack Palestinian nationalism, but cannot abide Jewish nationalism. They ignore Israel’s complex security situation as well the many strides Israeli Arabs have made, while Jews in Arab states were oppressed and expelled. Their disdain is essentialist – overwhelming, all-encompassing and unabating. Whether or not they’re Jewish or Israeli is irrelevant – Jews and Israelis can be just as wrong as Canadians.

But what also struck me was the CBC sample’s one-sidedness. My guess is that by now some readers have decided that this was typical media bias, trying to correct for the fact that the CBC, for once, broadcast something positive about Israel. I actually assumed something else: that this sample reflected the letters that came in, which is symptomatic of a broader Jewish community problem. As a community, we all too often are expert at complaining, but far less adept at thanking. My guess is that Enright received few positive letters or emails, and that he, being an extraordinarily fair-minded radio host, revealed that in his choice.

I can take care of myself, but I shouldn’t have to. We should learn to applaud straight shooters such as Michael Enright as frequently and as heartily as we denounce the haters. Hakarat Hatov, recognition of the good, is a core Jewish concept. It emphasizes the importance of emphasizing the positive. It’s also a key media tactic. Thanking heroes and appreciating good people who simply do their jobs well builds goodwill.

More broadly, it reflects the kind of worldview we should embrace. Yes, I’m well aware of the haters out there, the York University fools who want to boycott Israel, the liars who smear the Jewish state, the demonizers who repudiate only one form of nationalism – Zionism.

But I refuse to spend my whole life fighting them. I want to delight in Zionism’s success. I want to toast Israel’s achievements. I want to rejoice in our good fortune to be living in the era of the third Jewish commonwealth.

As we celebrate the state of Israel’s 65th birthday, knowing that Zionism, Judaism and the Jewish national link to the homeland are so much older, let’s commit ourselves to learning about the good not just the bad, to accentuating the positive as much as possible, and to starting to show gratitude even more frequently than we complain.

It will not only improve our standing in the big wide world out there, it will make us all happier with ourselves.