The impotence of the Jews
By Yehezkel Dror

(April 6) - Never in its history has the Jewish people been 
stronger in real political terms. In political power, mass 
media influence, economic resources, occupational structure, 
knowledge bases and more, the Jewish Diaspora, especially in 
the US, surpasses by far the strength of the Jewish people 
throughout its history. 

When the military might, political pull and science and hi-tech 
levels of Israel are added, then indeed the Jewish people is 
well equipped to shape its future, though in demographic terms 
it is contracting as a proportion of humanity. 

True, the Jewish people is at a nadir in terms of global 
civilizational significance, but - however serious this 
weakness is for the future of Judaism and for fulfilling 
the mission of "mending the world" - this does not yet 
distract from the power of the Jews. 

One would expect from a powerful people to use its potent might 
to deter attacks and confront adversaries, while acting together 
to weave its future. Indeed, the Jewish people in the main stood 
up well against the Soviet Union. But, to judge by present 
realities, this may well have been a passing episode rather 
than a sign of emerging Jewish statecraft. 

Israel is under attack. Even if this were a result of Israeli 
errors, still the Jewish people should arise in solidarity 
combined with frank and sharp critique. 

However, the present confrontation is a result of the 
intransigence of the Palestinians in not accepting the 
Clinton-Barak proposals. Nevertheless, the Palestinians have 
the full support, at least in declarations, by Arab leaders, 
including those who should know better. All the more so, 
the nearly non-action of the Jewish people is a serious symptom. 

A vital Jewish people would mobilize its power to support 
Israel and bear down upon its attackers and their supporters. 
Mass solidarity visits, demonstrations at Palestinian facilities 
and legations of their supporters, mobilization of political and 
mass media influence, diversion of large resources to meet 
Israeli defense needs - these are among the elementary steps to 
be expected. 

Instead, all that happens are a few newspaper advertisements and 
visits by single delegations, as a small aside to the trivia of 
"business as usual," such as conflicts between the Joint and the 
Jewish Agency in Russia, disagreements over attending a lunch 
for Hosni Mubarak, etc. 

Let me redefine "impotence" as "lack of ability to activate and 
use one's powers" (in contrast to most dictionary definitions, 
which confuse lack of power with absence of capacity to activate 
and use it). Given this meaning, the correct diagnosis of the 
behavior of the Jewish people in the context of the Israeli 
predicament, with some distinguished but very limited exceptions, 
is one of "impotence." 

To move from diagnosis to therapy, the causes of impotence have 
to be mapped. These include, among others: preoccupation with 
local affairs, such as community building; fatigue with the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict; non-cooption by Israel of Jewish 
leaders in its decision-making processes; fragmentation of 
Jewish organizations. And, most fundamental of all, glaring 
lack of overall Jewish people thinking and action, with some 
segmented exceptions such as demanding restitution and 
reparation. 

This diagnosis is well grounded also in an examination of 
institutional structures. There exists no full-scale think 
tank for planning in terms of a "Jewish people Policy," not any 
effective body for overall Jewish people action initiation, 
coordination and implementation. 

If the only consequence of these deficits were lack of adequate 
support of Israel in its crisis, this would be a pity but not 
too serious an omission, as Israel is sure to overcome its 
current problems. 

But the impotence signifies a deep malaise of collective 
weakness of will power and action capacity. Unless this 
debility is overcome, all its power will not prevent the 
decline of the Jewish people and of Judaism, together with 
dissipation of the nature of Israel as a Jewish-Zionist 
state. This would be a historic tragedy for which future 
historians will blame us and only us. 

(The writer is a professor of political science and Wolfson 
Chair professor of public administration, emeritus, at the 
Hebrew University.)