Etienne Gentin, a graduate of Emory Law School and former participant in the Sar-El Volunteer for Israel program, works as an environmental consultant in Atlanta, Georgia.
	The Jewish question revisited Yishai Fleisher

The American Jewish community is a significant reason Israel exists and the continued service of AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups will prove vital in maintaining American support when the rest of the world continues to be opposed to Israel's existence or at the very least is indifferent to her suffering at the hands of Arab terrorists.

Obviously Israelis' sending their children to the army is a far greater personal sacrifice than American Jews supporting Israel financially and in other ways. However, giving financial support to Israel should not be seen as a whitewash of responsibility or as an act of guilt, but rather as an act of support and love at a time when the Jewish people should be active and open in our solidarity with Israel and vocally opposing Arafat's war.

If "American Jewry's support is smothering and suffocating Israel because Israel is inextricably shackled to the whims of the U.S.," can you imagine if America had a more pro-Arab agenda like the Europeans or the UN? Or, if the U.S. did not supply Israel with weapons!

Importantly, making Aliyah and leaving ones family is a deeply personal decision. The American Jewish community is not monolithic - we are reform, conservative and orthodox. Some of us are very involved in Israel and Jewish causes, others have sympathies and interests elsewhere. I feel a deep commitment to the U.S. America provided my family with an opportunity to leave South Africa and build a life. I have been educated here, I love the land, and I love the people. I am proud to be an American and proud to be Jewish and an advocate for Israel. That doesn't mean that by not making Aliyah I "do not mourn the death of our brethren" or worse, I am "too comfortable, too content, too fat, to realize that (I am) contributing to their (Israeli's and Israel's) death every day."

I do not believe I am "encouraging the Palestinians by providing a convenient differentiation between Zionists and Jews." I believe the Arab world is violently anti-Semitic and paraphrasing MLK Jr., one who is anti-Zionist is anti-Semitic. I don't play semantics and most of the Jews I know don't either (except the extreme left-wingers). I think it an unfair indictment to say, "We American Jews have become cold, weak, and heartless, and we are not moved to tears, we do not take up arms."

However, I do think we should be more involved in supporting Israel - because Israel is the country most committed to doing away with Islamic and Arab sponsored terror. After Sept 11th, no one can deny that America must face the awful challenge that Israel has for so long - fighting terror. Our heritage and commitment to democracy and freedom makes it easy to be advocates for Israel.

Perhaps educating our Christian American friends about Israel's struggle against Arab terror (when the media is so unbalanced), and by helping and encouraging American Jews to have a greater connection to our religion, heritage and the State of Israel, we can create a stronger and more effective community (this might even result in more Aliyahs) - rather than making people feel that unless they choose to make Aliyah (which most won't do) they are not committed to Israel.

Views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.

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