Lee Diamond – “Negation of the Diaspora” Revisited
It was once considered
politicly incorrect
To negate the diaspora
Each should support the other
Two independent communities
Israel and the Diaspora!
Some considered the concept
Of a wheel in which there was a center
And spokes! Israel was the center and each Diaspora community was a spoke!
The Diaspora fed the center
And Israel fed the spokes.
A nice symbiotic relationship!
Problematic but workable.
But the spokes began to wither
and lost focus
And as such began to consider
Themselves as centers of their own
And the center began to strengthen
And become independent
Of the spokes
In quantity and in quality!
The wheel was no longer a wheel
Babylon and Jerusalem
Each functioned with its own velocity
The roads travelled
Were no longer the same!
Separate roads for separate needs
And communities!
Each respectful
And hopefully supportive of the other
As much as possible.
You know
“Different strokes for different spokes”
But the dwindling and withering
Diaspora communities began to
See themselves only in their own image
And maintained their issues as Holy
The were the holy temples
And the center lost its urgency
In their world view.
More than that
The center became embarrassing
To their quest for acceptance.
To be like the others
to be Jews by faith only.
The center was sovereign
A sovereign state
Deciding its fate in a Jewish democracy
The Diaspora fragile
And needing acceptance
Amongst their host nations
Felt the need to criticize
The Jewish nation state.
because it
WAS A NATION STATE
And not a state of Faith
Or A belief or a religious tradition
Or spiritually
As the diaspora was.
Israel is sovereign
Israel speaks its own language
Israel defends
Israel votes
For good and bad
Israel selects its own government
For good and for bad
Israel decides for good and bad.
So Israel embarrasses
The JFA –the Jew for Acceptance.
So the “JFA” needs to try to form
The sovereign state of Israel
In its own image
Jews Begging to be accepted!
Jews Bowing before correctness
Jews Genuflecting as necessary
When Israel turns right
The diaspora cringes
When israel turns left
The diaspora cringes
When Israel fights its wars
Of survival
When Israel determines
It’s direction
The spokes are threatened
because they too are Jews
But Jews who
want to be accepted among
The nations of their dwelling.
And the gap increases
And the negation
Of Israel
Emerges.
Yes
The negation of the diaspora
Is politically incorrect
But the Negation of Israel
Is politically Correct!
Israel holds its tongue
And remains loyal to the
Diaspora
Despite its failures and weaknesses
Because we are the Jewish State
—Of all Jews—-
Even when rejected!
Negation of the Diaspora Part I
