The character of the relationship between American Jews and Israel has shifted enormously over the decades. Pivotal moments, like the Six-Day War in 1967, have literally altered the course of this evolution. This war changed the way Israelis were perceived in the U.S. It deepened and narrowed the conversation within a broader American Jewish community trying to figure out their own identity in relationship to this Jewish state. This occasionally tumultuous relationship dates back to the establishment of Israel itself. We want to better understand Early Zionist leaders had dreams and aspirations that profoundly impacted the world.
A broad and convincing argument for American Jewish engagement was laid out by David Ben Gurion, then Israel’s first Prime Minister, in 1949. He invited American parents to send their children to Israel for permanent settlement. He insisted that American Zionist organizations had a categorical duty to “support the Jewish state” come hell or high water. His speech struck a profound and important chord with the complicated, diasporic Jewish responsibility toward Israel.
The founding of Israel in 1948 again kicked that sense of purpose into overdrive for many American Jews. This became even more pertinent in the wake of the Holocaust. As sociologist Marshall Sklare notes, the lasting effects of World War II were enormous. In fact, he contends that the birth of Israel was dispositive in determining what American Jewry would become. In 1950, the country’s demographic landscape looked completely different. At the time, the U.S. Jewish population was four times that of Israel’s. New York City had almost twice that by itself. At the time of Israel’s birth, most American Jews failed to mobilize in its support. They considered America to be their real home.
During the 1950s, antisemitism was still a major issue for Jews in America, often linked with Nazism and racial hatred. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) sought to combat these sentiments, while organizations like the American Jewish Committee (AJC) opposed the formation of international Jewish bodies that implied allegiance to a foreign power. Jacob Blaustein, a prominent AJC leader, described such calls as “an unheard-of request for allegiance to a foreign power.”
Although she has some leaders doubting Zionism’s prospects, she’s got others who recognize in it the means to unify American Jewry. Ben Gurion and William Zukerman thought that founding Israel could stop all anti-Zionism. They believed that it would even challenge the very premise of Zionism itself. As Sklare emphasized, it was only after the Six-Day War that the average American Jew started to develop an emotional bond with Israel.
This war was a watershed. It lit a fire under American Jews, creating a greater sense of pride in their identity that in many cases furthered their connection to Israel. The direction of that war victory further enhanced Israel’s luster and pride among the American Jewish community. Slideshare Sklare noticed that although at first people may have been a little reluctant, many Jews wanted to make this connection.
“We appeal to the parents to help us bring their children here,” – Ben Gurion
As time progressed, attitudes shifted significantly. The Six-Day War led to a surge in support for Israel among American Jews, fostering a new understanding of Zionism that emphasized solidarity and kinship with the Jewish state. This transformation represented a huge shift from just a few decades ago, when many Jews considered themselves to be unsupportive of or indifferent to the Israeli struggle.
Sklare pointed out that even though they had not wanted to do so before, many Jews found themselves realizing their fates were inextricably linked to Israel. “Like it or not,” he quipped, “we tried not to see any tension in this relationship. The war was the impetus for this change, making the average American Jew feel empowered by their connection to Israel.