Why do Young American Jews Support Israel?
Psychological Reasoning
It is important to note that the Jewish people have a long history of persecution, and as a result, there are significant psychological factors that contribute to many Jews’ support for Israel. “Israel has physically provided and emotionally symbolized a haven of safety and protection for the Jews wherever they reside. This refuge represented salvation for Jewish relatives and nonrelatives displaced and traumatized by the anti-Semitic practices (eg, Nazism, Communism) of foreign governments” (Kanofsky and Wood 416).
In fact, this role of Israel as a symbol of refuge and safety for the Jewish people has allowed the state to take on a sort of “parental function for Jews throughout the world on conscious as well as unconscious levels” (Kanofsky and Wood 416). More specifically, “when one’s reference group or family is threatened, everyone within that group feels threatened. Indeed, given their dependence on parents for physical and emotional safety, children realize that if their parents are in danger they are also threatened” (Kanofsky and Wood 416). Understanding this can help to put “the denial, minimization, or even glorification” by some American Jews “regarding oppressive actions of the Israeli government and military” in context (Kanofsky and Wood 417).
This desire for safety and protection stems from a background of discrimination and oppression, and the fear from this history is exacerbated by current threats to Israel’s safety and existence (regardless of whether or not those threats are justified). “With feelings of fear, vulnerability and loyalty toward Israel and its citizens competing with feelings of compassion toward Palestinians for their suffering…Palestinians and criticism of Israel are likely to become either consciously suppressed or unconsciously repressed” (Kanofsky and Wood 419). This be understood as a reason (although not necessarily a justification) for American Jewish support of and identification with Israel.
Trips to Israel
While there is not significant literature focusing on the role of Hebrew Schools in Jewish American opinion on the Israel-Palestine conflict, there has been research done on the impact of similar programs on Jewish American views on this situation. Birthright Israel, for instance, is a free, ten-day trip to Israel offered to American Jews between the ages of 18-32, which “aims to strengthen Jewish identity, Jewish communities, and connection with Israel and its people” (Birthright Israel 2). While this trip is for an older set of participants than Hebrew School, which caters to elementary, middle, and (less frequently) high school students, the programs are similar in that they act as a space for young Jews to explore their religion more deeply.
American Jews who participate in Birthright Israel tend to gain more exposure to the Israel-Palestine conflict during their trip, and when they return, are more likely than they were before the trip to endorse “the Jewish root narrative on the Israeli– Palestinian conflict (Jewish people want to live in peace but must defend themselves), [disavow] the Palestinian narrative and understanding of the conflict, [gain] a sense of collective victimhood, and [understand] of the conflict as a zero-sum game” (Hagai 1). Even on alternative trips, which aim to be a direct contrast to trips like Birthright and bring American Jews “to sites in Israel/Palestine that challenge dominant Zionist narratives...orientalist tropes still seep into participants’ interpretations of Palestinian sites and narratives. As a result, even participants with newfound sympathy toward Palestinians will often continue to understand Palestinian resistance as a disruption of Israel’s legitimate power” (Schneider 1). Although trips such as Birthright are clear instigators of strong support for Israel and Zionism, the fact that these ideas are even present in programs with the opposite aims makes it clear that Zionism stems from other areas of Jewish life that are not necessarily discussed in the available research.