While there are no easy answers here, I will tackle the ad's and the article on three levels. Also, having had direct experience working with Israeli's on just these issues, I think there is great understanding to be had. This is NOT just another example of Israel being bad. There are real, heartfelt issues going on here that Israeli's care deeply about. And when they care that much, we have to take it for what it is and understand that they do not express themselves - especially to each other - worrying about how we feel about the very self evident facts they are pointing out. Its called brutal honesty and instead of looking for the insult, maybe we should be looking at the kernels of truth.
In response to my progressive Jewish educator friends who asked how to frame this for their students, I asked them to think about three things:
1) How, in general do progressive Jews promote Israel while knowing the whole time more progressive rabbis are not considered Rabbi's in Israel? Do we bring it up as the first thing we mention about Israel on Yom Haatzmaut ? No. It is one of those very difficult and nuanced conversations we have to handle very delicately. Yet, we do go on, every day, supporting Israel and teaching Israel to our kids.
There is gender discrimination at the holiest place in Judaism, yet we all do careful programming around inter-denominational Judaism to help our kids understand and respect the differences between orthodox Judaism and progressive Judaism. We also tell all our girls to wear long skirts or pants and cover their shoulders at the Kotel. We disagree, respect, and educate. This should be no different - despite the fact hat we don't get the same understanding in Israel. This is also despite the fact that we are most likely looked down upon by many religious Israelis, would get yelled at for not following protocol at the Kotel and probably arrested if women went to the men's section there. If we have avoided all these issues with our kids then we have made our own bed. If we have confronted them somehow - we would use the same approach on this issue.
2) The issue of Yom Hazicharon and Yom Hashoah are different issues altogether. Americans are held in wide contempt in Israel in MANY segments of society for our lack of widespread awareness of, or observance of Yom Hazicharon and Yom Hashoah. As many of you know, on both days Israel comes to a complete halt - literally. The programs I was working on for the past two years showed me how much Israeli's really are angry with us for such a lame recognition of both days of remembrance. In fact, the main reason the government ministry I worked with contributed so much money to the project was precisely because our Israeli partners felt so strongly about the idea of educating Americans about Yom Hashoah and Yom Hazicharon. There is no question that despite our wonderful Yom Hashoah commemorations - we do not come together as a Jewish community around that day like they do in Israel and certainly not around Yom Hazicharon. And they just cannot understand it. In fact, one of my lay leaders broke down in tears at our final reception having finally gotten it - that these young, beautiful soldiers risk their lives every day for ALL of us and we don't do nearly enough to recognize them. One cannot deny that if you leave Israel - you leave that widespread appreciation for those who risk their lives for Israel. That is what I see this particular video saying. It is a cold hard truth. But it is the truth. As for the Channukah video - again - a lotof things to unpack here, but I know I knew about Christmas before I knew about Channukah simply because it was everywhere. Again - it is a cold hard truth that they video creators are playing upon for their own purposes of retaining Israel's population.
3) Also keep in mind that the ministries OFTEN do things on their own. There is no real accountable hierarchy over there and they OFTEN embarrass the prime minister's office and the image of Israel (in our minds) with poor timing, poor tact (a western concept not an Israeli one) and a hard hand. Just remember the building demolitions that took place when Biden was in Israel. In our minds it was embarrassing and rude. But it was not done by Netanyahu's office and that ministry might actually have been trying to show Bibi and the US that they don't take orders from the US - no matter who is in town.
There are clearly many issues lying beneath the surface of all of this. I just wanted to respond with these three initial ideas.
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