The New York Times is cool on Israel, that's for sure, so it is not surprising that the nation's leading metro daily would run an article, as it did today, suggesting that ordinary Jewish Americans hold less enthusiastic views toward Israel than do the leaders of national Jewish organizations.
There is no awareness in the article that Israel is being pressured by the Obama Administration on one issue after another and that Israelis at all levels of society increasingly and justifiably fear for their safety. Almost across the political spectrum they are disillusioned with Barack Obama. Roughly 90 percent reportedly disapprove of him. These details are not well covered in the U.S. media, however.
On the other hand, it is not clear that the top Jewish organizations in America have done enough to make such matters known. They are running full page ads in the Times, the Wall Street Journal and other publications in support of Israel, but these ads (the ones I have seen) don't criticize Mr. Obama directly.
It may be that Jewish leaders in this country are hesitant to get too far out in front of their constituents, 55 percent of whom still support Mr. Obama. What will it take for these leaders to explain the reality more boldly? When will the leaders lead?
To find out how much the United States depends for its own security and economic well being on Israel, citizens of all backgrounds could start by reading George Gilder's, The Israel Test.
It makes me think of a 1960s ad campaign in New York that followed the theme, "You don't have to be Jewish to Love Levy's Bread."
You don't have to be Jewish to figure out why Israel is both important and truly threatened right now.
But it wouldn't hurt.
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