American chutzpah - The Jewish Standard

Last week, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu withdrew an advertising campaign aimed at Israeli expatriates in the United States. Its goal was to entice them back home, a worthy undertaking. U.S. Jewish groups, however, demanded that the campaign be retracted, because it implied that the diaspora is not the ideal place in which to create a Jewish future, especially for children. The ADL’s Abe Foxman, for example, called the ads “crude,” “demeaning,” and “offensive.” The statistics tell the tale: The diaspora is not the best place to secure the Jewish future (although Israel does need to deal with why people leave it in the first place; it would be more helpful, we believe, for Israel to spend its money in that direction). The U.S. groups showed great chutzpah in demanding that the campaign be withdrawn. By caving in, Israel’s prime minister showed poor judgment.

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