Natalie Portman is just a symptom of US Jewry’s changing attitude towards Israel
Op-ed: It would be very dangerous to see Jewish actress’s defiant move as a passing episode or meaningless provocation. She is a symbol of dramatic changes taking place within the family, a sign of US Jews’ profound disapproval of what they see as a very problematic direction the Jewish state is headed in.
This move may have been the result of her own personal feelings. That’s possible. But Portman, in her boycott of Netanyahu and his policy, stands firm on stable ground (which is expanding, unfortunately)—fertile ground of a deep ideological dispute from which US Jewry is growing these days.
The figures are familiar and have been rehashed numerous times: About 80 percent of US Jews voted for Hillary Clinton in the last presidential election. In other words, they voted for the Democratic Party. In other words, they voted for the complete opposite of everything represented by Donald Trump, Netanyahu's soul mate and the person many US Jews despise.
Portman is part of this Jewry—enlightened, progressive, self-confident, well-established, humane and engaged—a Jewry which doesn’t turn a blind eye to human rights, Jewish morals and universal values, in America or in Israel.
This Jewry isn’t ignoring Israel and its policy, as it is portrayed in recent years, but has no trouble criticizing it. It isn’t ignoring it, because Israel is still part of the DNA of most of America's Jews.
But even a DNA changes through the generations. Indeed, US Jewry has undergone a considerable change in the past two decades. Israel may still cause vibrations among some people, but many people see it as annoying and divisive.
Ideological detachment
American Jewry’s ideological detachment in 2018 from what the only democracy in the Middle East represents is a fait accompli. We can be moved to tears by the prime minister’s reception at the recent AIPAC conference, and we can also remember that the 20,000 attendees are exactly what they are: 20,000 people out of almost 7 million, or a bit less.
And those who didn’t applaud enthusiastically slightly outnumber those who stood there and cheered as if they were at a rock concert.
We can rely on the Pew studies and polls to feel good about ourselves concerning Americans’ love for Israel. On the other hand, we can also remember that the Democrats haven’t really forgotten about the brawl between Netanyahu and former president Barack Obama and are still looking into its impact in an era of rapid changes in American demography.
Back to Natalie Portman: It would be very dangerous to see her defiant move as a passing episode or a meaningless provocation.
She is much more than that: She is a symbol of dramatic changes taking place in the interfamilial relations, a sign of US Jews’ profound disapproval of what they see as a very problematic direction the Jewish state is headed in. At the end of the day, it’s their state too.
