Last evening I attended a conversation, hosted by Temple Emanuel, between Jeremy Burton, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston (JCRC), and Congressman Jake Auchincloss, focused on Congressman Auchincloss’s recent vote of “yes” for the Massie Amendment to eliminate $3.3 billion in U.S. military financing for Israel.

At the opening of the evening, Mr. Burton spoke about the importance of being able to hold a conversation across a diversity of opinions and despite strong emotions. Yet, throughout the evening, what I observed was a narrow definition of the acceptable range of opinions. Of the very few people who spoke critically of Israel, the one person who uttered the word “Palestinians” was loudly hissed by many in the large crowd. I really wanted to ask a question during the Q&A, which was lengthy and allowed many people to speak, yet I was never called upon.

One Israeli woman did get to express her opinion. I think that, for the sake of truly embracing a diversity of opinions, it is important that other perspectives among Israeli Jews also be recognized. For that reason, I would like to share here what I would have liked to ask Congressman Auchincloss:

My name is Noam and I am Israeli. I am also a Jew, an American citizen, and a resident of Newton for more than 20 years.

First of all, I would like to thank you, Congressman Auchincloss, for your vote on the Massie Amendment, as a taxpayer who does not want to fund a bad and illegal war, but mostly as someone who thinks that the only thing that can save Israeli society—my society, my mother, my sister, my niece and nephew—the only thing that can save Israeli society from itself is pressure from the United States.

It is important to add that although Netanyahu and the recent acts of Jewish terrorism in the West Bank are extreme, they are not an aberration, but unfortunately an inevitable consequence of decades of dehumanization of Palestinians. For years, Israelis have killed innocent Palestinians with impunity; thousands of Palestinians have been imprisoned or detained for extended periods without trial or even charges, many subjected to horrific torture; and the settlements have continued to expand. These and other violations of basic human rights and international law have been going on for many years, under Israeli governments of both the left and the right.

My question to you is this: Do you think that the United States has a moral responsibility to hold Israel accountable for these violations of human rights and international law? And if so, by what means do you think such pressure could be made effective?

Thank you,

Noam Shoresh
West Newton
Member of Sawa: Newton Area Alliance for Peace and Justice