By Mark David Blum, Esq.

In my opinion, it is OK to be a Jew, support the idea of a Jewish State of Israel and still be appalled and offended at the antics of the government of the State of Israel. Just as one can be an American and oppose American policy. Right now, I am a Jew who does not support the policies of the government of the State of Israel.

Israel gives us a prime example as to why we should NOT be following President Bush in his policies in the Middle East. For 50 years, Israelis have answered their neighbors with bombs, bullets, and civil oppression. Nobody says Israel is totally to blame. They chose the wrong path to resolution. If theirs was the proper path, then Israel would be the safest, most peaceful nation on earth. It is not and the situation has become more grave over the years.

The nature of the conflict and the standard Israeli response has changed that society. They have become a paranoid people who traded away most of their freedoms and civil rights for safety. Yet, despite all their efforts, Israelis are not protected and instead the situation is worse than ever. Being a Jew is synonymous with being an Israeli and anger toward Israel is now directed at Jews. This is an intolerable situation.

We know that Israelis fed the United States false information which helped shape our policy and invasion of Iraq. We also remember the days of Entebbe and at are very tempted at times to see Israel above reproach.

Americans are becoming victims by our government following the misguided policies of the Israeli response to terrorists and Islamic fundamentalists. Daily, the fearful Republicans and Theocons trade away our freedoms and civil rights for what they call “security”. Both the United States and Israel are building walls around their nations to keep others out. Both nations stand isolated in the world.

Israel was founded because it was time to give Jews a safe haven from racists who can no longer bring them harm. The problem is that in the process of isolating themselves and dealing with opposition with violence and anger, the nation has changed. Israel is becoming the very devil from which its founders ran. So too are we.

To see a vision of the United States in 30 yrs if we continue the path we are taking, take a hard look at Israel. We are already getting there with the murders of innocents, Abu Ghraib, torture at Guantanamo, and the near total worldwide isolation.

I am a Jew. I will not support the Israeli government just as I will not support the reactionary right wing in this nation as they take us down the path toward destruction and evil.

Most importantly, President Bush is not defending Israel because of Jewish influence in Washington. Rather, as the current commercial on Faux News shows: It is the messianic Christian movement that is pushing the pro-Israel agenda.

They live for the last of days and in doing so, are taking the rest of this nation down with them.

I will not go silently into that good night. Nor should you.