Jewish
Frontier

June 2002

Dear Chevre,

There is nothing like a second issue to test an editor's mettle, and personally, I feel pretty well tested after the last few months.

At Jewish Frontier, we continue to turn new corners, adding fresh voices and points of view to our pages. Many of this issue's contributions reflect the latest events, which have no doubt troubled us all. New questions have been raised. Is there a viable Palestinian partner in the peace process? Why has Europe turned so vehemently on the Jewish state? Do Arab states truly seek peace between Israel and the Palestinians? Are secure borders with a Palestinian state a fading vision? Why has the United States shown such staunch support for Israel?

In at least two of the pieces presented here, "Double Talk" and "True Colors," I and Jay Eidelman take many of these matters head on. Our other contributors offer insights from different angles of vision. Michael Landsberg explores the new and perhaps more virulent anti-Semitism that has taken root among Arab states; M.J. Rosenberg debunks one of the most commonly circulated arguments among right-wing opponents to the peace process; Ariel Jankelson, a voice from Australia, rightly argues that even among combatants there must always remain the possibility of dialogue; and Rabbi Elliot Gertel entices us to look more closely at the Koran, if but to note its emphasis on the continuity between Judeo-Christian and Islamic scripture.

And yet there is so much more to say. A great deal has come to the fore during the last few months that calls out for more extensive analysis and commentary. One such is the international response to Operation Defensive Shield, which threatened to unbalance Arab nations and compelled Saudi Arabia, of all nations, to take the lead in proposing a peace arrangement (regardless of its shortcomings). Often we hear about the threat of destabilization — from the American intervention in Afghanistan to India and Pakistan's mass mobilizations along the line of control. But is destabilization always a bad thing? Can it be a political strategy for achieving results? Some of the consequences of Operation Defensive Shield beg for such an analysis.

Another political reality in dire need of examination is the abject failure of the political left in Europe, which has adopted positions that fly in the face of good judgment and fair dealing, and show a disturbing disregard for human life. In short, despite legitimate criticism that we may all have of Israel's continued occupation and heavy-handed administration of the territories, nearly all of the European left has accepted violence against noncombatants as a legitimate form of resistance. (This is except, of course, when it affects themselves in Northern Ireland, the Spanish Basque region, or Corsica.) Moreover, the European left has for some reason placed the the pursuit of autonomy before, rather than side-by-side with, that of democracy. This no doubt explains why Palestinian independence continues to be a cause celebre while millions in Zimbabwe defrauded of their right to free elections have been blessed with a deafening silence.

Finally, a more detailed look is surely needed at the strange reality I describe in this issue of the separate tracks that seem to be evolving in Israels future relationship with the Palestinians. The mass movement in Israel to fence off the territories and the Palestinian clamor for internal reform raise questions about how each is bound to affect the other. Will the first stall the second or accelerate it? Such an important set of developments demands an analysis that treats them in relation to one another.

These are some of the issues calling out for further exploration. Perhaps you, dear reader, might consider making such a contribution or offer one of your own choosing that speaks to the important issues that concern each of us today. Whatever form your response, we welcome it.

Hoping for Peace,

Bennett Lovett-Graff
Managing Editor