Israel Matzav

The laws of supply and demand

Stephen Richer explains why the Far Left cannot have their own Birthright trip. It's all about supply and demand.

Supply

The current Birthright trip is funded by the State of Israel, individual donors (such as the ones listed above), and Jewish communities in the United States. A Feldman-friendly trip probably couldn't marshal similar support. Start with the State of Israel. The State of Israel contributes to Birthright because Birthright yields future dividends for the Jewish state – economically, demographically, and geo-politically. A Feldman-friendly trip would not produce similar returns. At best, people of Feldman's ilk ("Feldmanites" – people who think Israel is an illiberal, racist occupier), want to reduce U.S. military aid to Israel; they want to shrink Israel to its pre-1967 size; they question the terrorist status of Hamas; etc. Israel generally doesn't see these views as salubrious – Israel even has questions about a group like J Street whose official policies are kinder to Israel than Feldmanites – and, accordingly, the State of Israel will not go out of its way to help setup such a trip.

Regarding private donors: Why haven't people like George Soros and Alan Solomnt gone out of their way to finance a trip to rival the current Birthright? It certainly isn't because of the cost – the $600 million that Birthright has spent since 1999 is only about 4.5 percent of Soros's estimated $14.5 billion net worth. Rather, Soros, Solomnt, etc., are probably less inclined to send young Jews to a country they view as morally mediocre and a bit of a nuisance than are people like Schustermann and Adelson who love Israel and hold it as a top priority. Another likely reason that Feldmanites are hesitant to host a competing trip is that they might not be able to pitch the right message. Yes, the trip could undoubtedly roundup a number of Jewish Israelis, Arab Israelis, and Palestinians to decry Israel's "war crimes," "racism," and "illiberal practices" – or whatever the usual tropes are – but what about when the participants wander off? What if they stay longer in Israel? The truth is that Israel is a thriving and free society that strongly resembles facets of the United States. Additionally, the majority of Israelis feel that the country is right to take strong measures to defend itself – that's why the Likud party is currently in power. And the average voting Israeli is not a foaming-at-the-mouth war hawk, but a fellow Jew in a liberal country – a difficult person to casually dismiss.

Demand

The demand side of the equation would undoubtedly be less problematic. After all, a free trip is a free trip. But if forced to choose between the current Birthright trip and a Feldman-trip, the majority of young American Jews are still going to choose the former. Although Feldman will perhaps claim a bias in major American polling organizations as well, the majority of reputable polls have suggested that sentiment runs along the lines of this poll commissioned by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting (CAMERA):

· 78 percent of American Jews regard it as being "very to 100 percent necessary" for Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

· 77 percent of American Jews believe that Palestinian incitement against Israel – its "culture of hatred" – is a major obstacle to peace.

· 85 percent of American Jews said that Israel is "right to take threats to existence seriously," and that Israel's concerns are not irrational or overstated.

Probably not the results one would expect from half a room of Feldmanites.

Read the whole thing. These spoiled brats like Kiera Feldman (the person to whom Richer is responding) want everything, don't they? If you don't want to hear our narrative, don't come. We're paying to have you here.

Labels: Birthright, Birthright Israel alumni, Leftist Jews

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:53 PM