Courageous young Jews disrupt Netanyahu speech at Jewish Federations General Assembly

Young Jews Disrupt Netanyahu at Jewish General Assembly from stefanie fox on Vimeo.

I'm sure that some critics will try to brand the heroic activists who carried out this widely covered action as "self-hating Jews." Indeed, Netanyahu implied that in his response to them. As one who applauds such actions, and as a new member of Jewish Voice for Peace, my response is that we Jews who oppose Israeli policies--especially the theft and occupation of Palestinian lands--don't hate ourselves. Rather, we detest those Jewish leaders who have betrayed Judaic values of tolerance and social justice by using the Holocaust as an excuse for the oppression of other peoples.

PS--Due to a heavy teaching and writing schedule in New York this fall, this blog has been largely dormant. I am hoping that will change in the weeks and months ahead.

Update: A detailed explanation of this action, by Rae Abileah of CODEPINK and Jewish Voice for Peace, can be found here; and one of these brave activists explains, in the face of criticism, why he participated in it.

More update: Another of the five young Jewish protestors against Netanyahu and his policies, Matthew Taylor, explains his views in an op-ed in Haaretz.