Daniel Goldschmidt – Former Israel Amb MK Michael Oren Speaks
Former Israel Ambassador MK Michael Oren’s Speech at The New Synagogue (McDonalds), Netanya.
Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States, MK (Kulanu) Michael Oren, recently spoke on “Crossing the American-Israeli Divide: A diplomatic and personal perspective. The speech was based largely on his recent book, “Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli divide”.
Oren told us about his childhood in a small heavily Catholic community in New Jersey and the anti-Semitism he experienced. He also talked about his membership in a Zionist youth organization and his experience on working for two weeks in a kibbutz in Israel. He recalled being very impressed when attending a speech given by Yitzhak Rabin, who was then Israeli Ambassador to the US, and deciding at the time that that was what he wanted to do with his life. He also covered his career as an academic historian and mentioned writing his books, including “America in the Middle East: 1776 to Present”, “Six Days of War”, and “The Second Arab War”.
Oren turned to his topic by stating that the United States and Israel are fundamentally the closest in affinity of any two nations but have a very complex relationship. They are both strongly religiously based and yet democratic, and share a Western attitude. Early American settlers often viewed the US as a new Israel: many towns have biblical and historic names based on Holy Land geography. An American group even established a settlement in what is now Tel Aviv in 1886. Both countries were formed out of a form bondage and fought for their independence. Logically, no two nations on earth should be closer together. John Adams the 2nd President of The US wished the Jews a state of their own. President Abraham Lincoln during the US civil war pledged to help the Jews to get a homeland. President Woodrow Wilson who founded the League of Nations that was the predecessor for the United Nations supported the principle of a Jewish homeland. President Harry Truman was the first national leader to recognize the State of Israel despite the opposition of his Secretary of State and the US Congress.
Ambassador Oren further stated that 70% of Americans are pro Israel. Congressmen from districts that don’t even have large Jewish populations feel that Israel is blessed and just ask how much, not whether, aid is needed for the Iron Dome. However, Israel has not always had the support of the US government. Israel’s 67 war was fought with all French armament. It is a point of contention that Israel recognizes Washington DC as the capitol of the US but the US does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capitol. Johnson in 1973 was the first US President to supply non-defensive arms to Israel.
He stressed that Israel is overwhelming supported both by Democrats and Republicans.
Regarding the leaders of the two nations, he spoke about Prime Minister Netanyahu very favorably. He described President Obama as believing that the US should not be a leading power in the world. He told the story that, when both men became leaders of their countries, each had a bust of Winston Churchill poised behind their desks. Obama had his removed while the bust remains in place in Bibi’s office. Obama promised that between Israel and the US there would be no daylight and no surprises. However, Israel was threatened by Iran. The US pictured Iran as a rational, legitimate regime and one that could be negotiated with, whereas Israel considered them a definite threat. Part of the difference in perception is geographical: Obama looks out and sees a big country surrounded by oceans and friendly nations, while Netanyahu sees tiny Israel surrounded by hundreds of millions of people who do not like the Jewish presence.
Oren said that there was a gap in US between Israel and most of the US Jewish population. Jews in the US were very assimilated and most have never even visited Israel. He added that the recent Israeli governmental decision on mixed-gender and non-Orthodox prayer at Robinson’s Arch was a positive and important one in this area.
He stated that he felt Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was a real threat to Israel.
In the question and answer period Oren was asked whether he thought President Obama would veto the next UN Security Council proposal on peace between Israel and Palestine. Without answering directly, he said that Israel must energetically attempt to get face-to-face negotiations going with the PA.
When asked whether US Jews feel as secure as they pretend to and whether they really are that secure, he answered that whereas some of the older generation may sleep with a suitcase under their beds, most, and particularly those under 35, consider themselves Americans and that the idea that they are not fully American never occurs to them.
He considers BDS a serious problem: it is organized on 78 of the most famous and important college and university campuses out of the total of 7,000 such institutions.
His current focus, he told his audience, as an MK with the centrist Kulanu party, is on domestic issues, especially housing.
