“As the only Jewish voice in the organization, I was speaking for all Jewish people — an impossible task — or to defend my perspective and why it did not align with that of Jewish Voices for Peace, a group that purports to represent Jews but rejects the basic premise of a Jewish homeland, or similar entities.” — Allison Tombros Korman, Tablet Magazine, April 10, 2024
In a few hours, I am meeting my old friend Dan for coffee at Stone Brewery in San Diego. Dan and I are both overextended and busy dinosaur lawyers. Dan and I We align well together and are comfortable with our similarities and differences. Dan is one of the few people in this world for whom I can just kick back and relax. Once upon a time, we both lived in the general vicinity of North Park/South Park. We are graying members of the Harvard Law School Class of 1986, although we did not know each other until a chance encounter at a UC San Diego event in the early 1990s.
I cannot recall the last time we got together in person. This may be the first time since the pandemic.
The issue on the table is the alleged Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip and a solution to the conflict, a heavy topic for a light coffee conversation. Dan is very impassioned about the matter and has worked hard in his way to draw attention to proceedings at the Hague and a larger resolution:
The worldwide protests calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza represent one of the great moral movements of our time. Their effectiveness in reversing American support for grotesque Israeli misconduct remains limited, however. This is primarily because they have failed to move American politicians who harbor concerns about Israel and the powerful Israel lobby.
A comprehensive peace plan is essential to resolve this impasse—a plan that balances the needs of both Palestinians and Israelis. Such a plan would ensure peace, recovery, dignity, and self-determination for Palestinians while safeguarding Israel’s security. By promising to achieve these objectives, it will neutralize the influence of the fanatics who constitute the Israel lobby, inspire Americans who sympathize with Israel but dislike what it is doing, and empower American politicians to advocate for change.
When Dan speaks, I listen as I trust and respect his thinking. I also trust and respect the work of my friend, Izabella Tabarovsky, a leading authority on the use of Soviet propaganda to demonize Zionists. In my humble opinion, Izabella penned one of the top 100 essays this decade about the creep of a Soviet mentality into American culture and consciousness. The American Soviet Mentality Tabarovsky perceives the genocide proceedings against Israel as political in nature. Izabella sees the issue from a different frame.
No surprise, there are only 653 search results on Google for Izabella’s inspired essay on Tablet Magazine. Google prefers the search query palestinian liberation which generated 14,300,000 search results. Marketing and branding of the proper narrative.
No one is an avatar for a race or ethnic group. We are all unique individuals.
Conclusion: No one speaks for all Jewish people. I am looking forward to talking about the alleged genocide question with Dan, his brilliant interpretation of Izabella’s framing from the standpoint of a Soviet Jewish immigrant perspective and his proposed plan for Gaza peace. I will be generous with my attention and listen to Dan as an old pal, not as a caricature for any people.
If we misperceive individuals as faceless memes for identity groups, we will become deaf, dumb and blind to humanity. Soviet Life Creates Dumb People Dehumanization of Jewish People in Progressive Movement
San Diego Harbor