We Are Not Monsters!

Last week, at a campaign appearance, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani referred to AIPAC as monsters and accused the Israel advocacy organization of spending millions in dark money.  And last month, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, called JStreet, a left-wing Israel advocacy group, a cancer within the Jewish community. 

The demonization of one’s political opponents is not befitting of our leaders.  Moreover, Mamdani only appears in public with those Jews with whom he agrees.  He is pictured with either those on the progressive left or those on the ultra-Orthodox right, who for very different reasons shun the Zionism the majority of New York’s Jews embrace.  He is entitled to his views about Israel, but Mamdani is the mayor now and has a duty to stand with all New Yorkers even those with whom he passionately disagrees. 

Given the dangerous rise of antisemitism the mayor has a profound responsibility to turn the temperature down and not provide any fuel to antisemites.  There have been two instances in the past weeks in which gunmen were apprehended planning mass shootings against AIPAC affiliated legislators and the organization’s offices.   When we use language that dehumanizes our political opponents it opens the door to violence against them and their associates. 

I expect more from our leaders. 

Although Yechiel Leiter’s first duty is to represent Israel’s current government in the United States, he need not disparage the growing number of Jews, and Americans for that matter, who believe that Israel is best served by some political accommodation with Palestinians and that Palestinians’ humanity is deserving of the same concern as Israelis’.  To dismiss such views as cancerous rather than engaging with them is not how leaders are supposed to lead. 

This is what populists do.  They argue that there are sinister forces arrayed against us.  They captivate their followers by saying the only answer is to band together under their banner and eradicate these menacing forces.  True leadership is about bringing people together, not in opposition to a mythic bogeyman but instead around efforts to do the laborious work of fashioning something better.

There are legitimate criticisms of AIPAC and JStreet.  There are reasoned debates to be had about AIPAC’s tactics and its views.  There are likewise debates we should have about JStreet’s methods and opinions.  We must not resort to the demonization of these organizations and the dehumanization of the people who support them.  People are increasingly avoiding doing the hard work of debating with those with whom they disagree, and even with those who they believe hold abhorrent views.

There is a growing movement to fashion circles of like-mindedness and expel differing opinions from our midst.  Last week Brooklyn’s Poetica coffee shop refunded Representative Dan Goldman’s $9.82 and posted, “We don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers.  Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away.  We don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways).”  How are we going to ever solve the world’s problems if we refuse to engage with those with whom we passionately disagree?

We must not boycott people.  We must not expel our neighbors.  The way our system is supposed to work is people can vote for Goldman’s opponent—as the majority did—or even work on Brad Lander’s campaign, if they so passionately disagree with Goldman.  Stay in the discussion.  Invite opponents over for coffee.  Engage in the debate. 

There is a famous Talmudic story about a rabbinic debate that was similar.  The rabbis were arguing about whether a specific oven could be rendered unkosher.  The majority ruled it could.  Rabbi Eliezer vehemently disagreed.  He would not accept the majority’s ruling and so he brought miracles to prove his point.  The rabbis were so aghast at his methods that they excommunicated him.  This reminds us that we must adhere to the will of the majority even when we think they are misguided.

The story does not end there, however.  The Talmud goes on to say that after Rabbi Eliezer was excommunicated the entire world suffered.  It reports that a third of the world’s olives, wheat and barley were destroyed.  (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 59b) Everyone suffers when we ostracize someone and banish their ideas.  Even the earth feels the pain of the community’s divisions.  The world’s well-being hinges on including everyone at the table.

I understand people’s passion.  I hear how many are captivated by Palestinian suffering.  I appreciate Mamdani’s anger that organizations such as AIPAC appear indifferent to this pain.  I also understand Leiter’s anger.   JStreet advocates against the very government he supports.  But Mamdani should be mindful of the pain, and fears, of all his constituents.  And Leiter should be more sensitive to the terrible fracturing American Jews are experiencing over Israel’s actions.

Leaders can unite us or they can divide us. 

This week Moses also fails a leadership test.  The people are again complaining.  This time they complain that there is not enough water.  This seems like an understandable and legitimate complaint.  They are wandering in the desert.  We can be sympathetic to their words.  And yet Moses loses his temper with the people and strikes a rock in anger, saying, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” (Numbers 20) Because of this Moses is punished.  He is not allowed to enter the land and lead the people into the Promised Land.

Commentators struggle with this passage and wonder why Moses is punished so severely.  Why is he denied the promise after forty years of faithful leadership?  Most rabbis believe it is because he did not follow God’s instructions to the letter.  Moses Maimonides, however, suggests that it is because more is expected of leaders.  They are role models.  They prod us to do better.  They do not get angry with their followers.  They do not sow division and label us as rebels.  This is why Moses is punished.  He failed as a leader.  Maimonides writes, “The greater the person, the more exacting the standards God sets.”  (Shemoneh Perakim, Chapter 4)

Leaders are meant to unite us.

Read “An Open Letter from American Rabbis: Mayor Mamdani Must Apologize” that I signed, along with over 700 of my rabbinic colleagues.