PrintAugust 2, 2009
Z street
There is a chilling scene in the 2002 movie "The Pianist." In it the train was already chugging along on the path to insanity and destruction, but before all was destroyed. The family of the protagonist has been moved into the Warsaw Ghetto and the head of the family is sitting at a table, reading a newspaper. He looks up and says, "I blame the American Jews."
He was talking to me.
At least, that's how I heard it. I resolved then not to be our time's analog of a World War II American Jew -- you know, the ones who read the newspapers, see what is happening to Israel, mutter "tsk, tsk" and turn the page.
Others have had similar epiphanies, but the light from our bulbs going off is obscured by the clouds of appeasement and apologies, dressed up as tolerance and even-handedness.
For several years we have agonized over the gathering storm of hostility towards Israel, and the organizational human shields which eagerly validate those positions. Finally we decided that action - an immediate, decisive, in-your-face facts war, was imperative. Allyson Rowen Taylor and I spent a few hours on the phone and created Z (Zionist) Street.
Z STREET is based on these ironclad positions:
The right of the Jewish people to a state, and the right of Jews to live freely anywhere, including inhaling oxygen in areas the world insists are reserved for Arab Palestinians;Relishing the terms "Jewish State" and "Zionism" - ones currently derided as shameful instead of sources of pride;Circulation of facts -- not deceptive "Palestinian" narratives -- about the Middle East, Israel and terrorism;Condemnation of those who revile Israel for actions they ignore when taken by Israel's enemies and virtually all states throughout history;Categorical rejection of agreements with, or concessions to, terrorists (or their supporters) who are dedicated to Israel's destruction.
Unlike other organizations that claim to be pro-Israel, Z STREET will not pander to politicians who invite us to their offices and pay attention to our pocketbooks but ignore our positions. For those who do not embrace our principles, there are plenty of other organizations to join. This catalyzing organization seeks to change the way discussions about Israel are crafted and viewed.
A fuel source previously untapped has been released: within days of the launch thousands clamored to our site, asking how to join and how they can help. Z STREET already includes members from five continents and more than twenty states. News articles are being written about Z STREET from the far right and the center, and we have been viciously denigrated and cartooned from the far left - all of which is gratifying.
The rising groundswell is in part a response to organizations whispering into the ear of this US administration that pervert the meaning of "pro-Israel." Their ultimate loyalty is to left-wing principles including a secular Israel and tolerance of terrorism only when directed at Jews. They are ashamed of an avowedly Jewish State, yet completely comfortable with 22 Muslim ones, and are actively seeking the creation of a 23rd, based in Jerusalem, whose governing documents call for the destruction of Israel.
The idea that weakening Israel, either because of ideological conviction, animosity towards a strong Jewish State, cowardice, or the grossly misguided belief that compromise or dialoging with committed terrorists will lead to Middle East or global peace, is obscene.
A very few World War II Jews acted as catalysts for those who refused to be cowed. They adamantly, sometimes theatrically, demanded action to prevent the incineration of millions of Europeans Jews, along with millions of members of other minority and political groups.
This band of warriors, led by Peter Bergson and Ben Hecht, staged marches, rallies and theater events. They refused to mimic the Jewish leaders who shrank from their moral duty to demand the US government face the irrefutable facts of the plans, and then the execution of those plans, to murder millions. It would be an honor for Z STREET to be compared to the Bergson Group. Others should join so that the present horrors, and worse, are prevented. The policy implications are profound and the time is now.
I sleep better knowing that when my grandchildren ask me what I did to help prevent the destruction of Israel, I can tell them about Z STREET with a clear conscience and a sense of pride. What will you say?
Lori Lowenthal Marcus is a Z Street co-founder.
