Monday, December 05, 2011

More Judeofascist than thou: Israeli government innuendo that American Jews aren't the real deal has Diaspora loyalists to Zion bristling

From:
Israel government scores own goal with US Jewish organisations

(By The Telegraph) --

The Israeli government is facing an unusual backlash from major US Jewish organisations after launching an advertising campaign essentially urging Israeli expats not to marry clueless American Jews or raise their children in the United States.

The first ad shows a young Israeli woman wincing after her boyfriend mistakes candles and music marking Yom Hazikaron, Israel's memorial day, for a romantic night in.

The words "They will always remain Israelis. Their partners won't always understand what that means. Help them return to Israel" are read by a sombre narrator and scrolled across the screen.

The second ad strikes at an even more sensitive fear – disappointing your parents. It shows a little girl sitting on her parent's lap during a video chat with her grandparents in Israel. The girl speaks good Hebrew, but when her grandmother asks what holiday it is the girl shouts "Christmas" in English despite the Hanukkah menorah in the background.

The Jewish Federations of North America sent a letter of protest to the Israeli Ministry of Immigrant Absorption calling the campaign's "messages that American Jews do not understand Israel deeply insulting and simply outrageous."

"We fear this campaign will only backfire, and rather than simply bringing Israelis back, will alienate and divide Diaspora Jews from Israel," wrote the umbrella group which represents 157 Jewish federations and over 300 network communities.

"Rather than playing Israeli Jews against American Jews, we should be seeking to reinforce our shared love of Zion and to build the bonds of Jewish peoplehood worldwide."

The campaign also drew the ire of the Anti-Defamation League, another prominent Jewish organisation.

"We find these videos heavy-handed, and even demeaning," national director Abraham Foxman said in a statement...MORE...LINK

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