Norman Geras: “There are people who seem to think that if a certain kind of view is held by a Jew, this gives it special authority. Hence the practice of some non-Jewish writers, when criticizing Israel, of citing in support of their criticism someone else who is Jewish and holds a similar view to their own. […] Yet, affirmations of this kind, whether from Jews or from non-Jews, are extremely odd once you take a moment to think about it. The fact that someone happens to think something as a Jew, or to hold the same opinion as a Jew, is neither here nor there in establishing its cogency.”
Just a nitpick on the subject line:
The debate is about progressive Jews, but it’s about politically progressive Jews (with respect to Israel), not about progressive Judaism.
“Such questions are raised continually by a broad range of commentators. Read Yossi Klein Halevi, Michael B. Oren, Dennis Ross, Hillel Halkin, and Michael Walzer, to name only a few of the best informed commentators, and you will find such discussion taking place in thoughtful and clarifying ways.”
These are Rosenfeld’s examples of reasoned dissent? Talk about trying to narrow the range of acceptable debate.
I’m too busy to really write a response, but I would hardly call Rosenfeld’s response “progress”.
Just a nitpick on the subject line:
The debate is about progressive Jews, but it’s about politically progressive Jews (with respect to Israel), not about progressive Judaism.
“Such questions are raised continually by a broad range of commentators. Read Yossi Klein Halevi, Michael B. Oren, Dennis Ross, Hillel Halkin, and Michael Walzer, to name only a few of the best informed commentators, and you will find such discussion taking place in thoughtful and clarifying ways.”
These are Rosenfeld’s examples of reasoned dissent? Talk about trying to narrow the range of acceptable debate.
My interview with Rosenfeld is now available, if you want to link that:
http://campusj.com/2007/03/02/campusj-interview-with-alvin-rosenfeld/
See also comment in the Jewish press at
http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/030107/edcolFreeSpeech.html
http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/021507/edcolTheAJCAndTheLeft.html
Alvin Rosenfeld is not a Nazi Stalinist McCarthyist dissent stifling thought police right wing freak.
(hoping this shows up in Google somehow…)