Panel ponders whether Israel is fulfilling its promise

Karen Mock

TORONTO — Is the idea of Israel as a Jewish state incompatible with it being a contemporary western democracy, or is it simply a nation state the way many European countries are? 

That was one of several tough questions raised at a panel discussion April 20 entitled “My Promised Land – Have We Fulfilled the Promise?” hosted by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and held at the Prosserman JCC.

The talk, moderated by Michael Dobner, a partner at Pricewaterhouse Coopers and an adjunct law professor at the University of Toronto, featured Karen Mock, human rights consultant and spokesperson for JSpace Canada; Berl Nadler, GTA co-chair of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA); and Rabbi Michael Stroh, rabbi emeritus at Temple Har Zion, looking critically at Israel’s democratic, moral and Jewish character.

Dobner posed four questions to the panel, each of which was briefly opened up to the audience of about 100 people.

The first, whether Israel is “a Jewish state or a state for the Jews,” generated a discussion about how Israel compares to other countries, specifically with regard to the treatment of minorities. 

Dobner noted that many Israeli intellectuals consider a Jewish state and a western democratic state to be mutually exclusive concepts. 

Rabbi Stroh countered that Israel shouldn’t be singled out for having a unifying national identity, as there are two kinds of countries: those that, like many European countries, have a national identity and those, like Canada and the United States, that don’t. 

The question, he said, is, “Should Israel be a western democracy like Canada and the U.S. and not have a national identity or be a western democracy that does have one?”

Nadler said that “all western European democracies are nation states,” and all, like Israel, face the challenge of how to deal with minorities.

“I think Israel deals with minorities not perfectly or even optimally, but better than some,” he said. “For example, as a Muslim, wouldn’t you rather live in Israel right now than in the slums of Paris?”

Mock emphasized that the Zionists who created the Jewish State of Israel wanted to ground the country in the values of freedom, justice and peace, and to ensure equality for all inhabitants, regardless of race or religion.

Still, she said that Israel, like other democracies – including Canada – grapples with “the question of insiders and outsiders – those with power and those without” – and those who feel their land was taken.

The second question was what, if anything, are unique Jewish values, given that many that were once seen as Jewish values – such as social justice – are now considered mainstream.

Rabbi Stroh argued that Judaism has a rich tradition and contemporary Jews must decide which values to highlight.

Mock returned to the issue of minority groups, noting, “[On this issue], we Jews might want to hold ourselves to a higher standard – this isn’t the same as the world holding us to a different standard in an anti-Semitic way – just as [consul general of Israel to Toronto] DJ Schneeweiss [has] said, ‘Israel is a work in progress,’” and should continuously strive for better.

An audience member asked how Israel can balance equal rights for minorities with security.

Mock said this is extremely difficult, and Israel must implement systemic changes, through education and policy, to promote understanding and compassion between Israel’s different groups.

The third question was whether Israel still serves as a cultural and spiritual centre for Jews and whether Diaspora Jews are entitled to try to influence Israeli policy.

Mock said for Diaspora Jews to give advice is one thing, but, “if we as Jews really want to influence Israel, we’ve got to vote with our feet – make aliyah,” though she said she doesn’t expect all Jews to do so.

The final question was whether Israel serves as a light unto the nations.

Mock said this idea applies not to Israel the “nation state,” but to “the people of the covenant,” who have made major contributions to the world in terms of civil rights, education, etc.

“Yes, it’s tough to be or lagoyim – a light unto the nations – when your security is threatened and you’re threatened by anti-Semitism, but we must continue to strive for it, and to find a path that ensures peace for everyone,” she said.