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INTERVIEW:
Matthew E. Berger
May 30, 2003 Episode no. 639
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Read R & E's e-interview with Matthew E. Berger, staff writer in the Washington bureau of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), about American Jewish groups and the road map to Middle East peace:
Q: Could you map out a description of the divides among American Jews -- Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, secular -- in their attitudes toward President Bush's road map to peace in the Middle East?
A: The Jewish community is split in its support of the road map and American engagement in the Middle East, and while it is not totally driven by divisions within the different denominations of the religion, there are some significant differences.
The Reform community and many of the more liberal social-action Jewish groups strongly back the road map. They believe that President Bush should have been more engaged in the process from his first days in office and feel that Israel should make concessions for peace. They also believe predominantly in an end to settlement development in the West Bank and Gaza and are concerned about the hardships of the Palestinian people.
The more conservative groups, including the Orthodox community, take a more nuanced view. Many of them outwardly support American engagement and the road map for Middle East peace, but -- and this is a significant "but" -- they believe that the process should only begin after a complete cessation of violence from the Palestinians. These groups are more concerned about the international partners participating in the road map process [Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations] and largely do not support a settlement freeze. These groups include the biggest player in Israeli advocacy, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. Some other groups, which are more hawkish, do not believe there should be any negotiations with the Palestinians and have led campaigns to undermine the new Palestinian prime minister.
Q: What do you make of the strengthening alliance between conservative evangelical Christians and some Jews, especially the recent letter to President Bush from conservative Christian leaders criticizing the road map?
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A: Christian support for Israel has an interesting history, mostly because it was essentially ignored by the American Jewish community until the beginning of the intifada in 2000. Many were skeptical of the "true motives" of Christian supporters of Israel, and others felt they could not align with groups on one issue when there were such staunch differences of opinion on domestic policy. But since violence broke out in 2000, sensing the need to embrace friends and allies wherever they could find them, the American Jewish community has embraced Christian support of Israel and has used the significant political clout of Christian conservatives to advance its agenda.
The interesting dynamic of Christian support for Israel is that Christians tend to be stronger supporters of Israel than of Jews. They predominantly do not support any Israeli concessions of land for peace, and it remains to be seen how they will react if Israel makes concessions.
Q: You've said that the recent public divisions among American Jewish philanthropists over the road map are "a battle for the upper hand in American Jewish opinion." What is the significance of this divide, and what will its effect be on the American role in the peace process?
A: I think what we are seeing now is a battle to represent the viewpoints of the mainstream American Jewish community. For a long time, AIPAC has stood as the prominent voice of American Jewry on Israel, and it has amassed tremendous political clout. But there is a growing concern among more liberal Jews, including the ones who signed the philanthropists' letter [to Democratic presidential candidates urging them not to oppose the road map], that AIPAC does not represent them and that AIPAC's efforts to make Middle East peacemaking conditional on a cessation of violence are not in Israel's best interest. This group's goal is to make clear to the media and the politicians that there is another voice out there, and to try to encourage Jewish support for Bush's peacemaking efforts.
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