American Jewish groups must rethink policy their West Bank policy - opinion

Judea and Samaria is called the heartland of the Jewish homeland. Any survey of the Tanach demonstrates that most of the Jewish people’s history in the land of Israel took place in the region the world erroneously calls the “West Bank.”

From Abraham’s purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron to the establishment of the Tabernacle in Shiloh for over 350 years, Jewish history is inseparable from Judea and Samaria. Thousands of years later, the Jewish return to the heartland of its homeland is a rejuvenation of biblical proportions.

Mainstream American Jewish organizations have made invaluable contributions to Zionism, the establishment of the Jewish state, and its wondrous success. American Jewish organizations have lent their talents in areas like diplomacy and community building, all of which have helped today’s Israel. Their policy stances on Israeli issues, far from being “out-of-sight-out-of-mind” suggestions, have historically influenced global perceptions of Israel and Israeli domestic and foreign policy.

American Jewish organizations whose positions favor a two-state solution, restricting Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, and emphasizing reports of settler violence, while well-intentioned, do not fully reflect current Israeli realities.

It is time for American Jewish leadership to pivot toward supporting settlement expansion in Judea and Samaria, rejecting a Palestinian state, and framing settler incidents within the context of pervasive Palestinian terrorism. To ensure they continue to have their great impact on Israeli society, these organizations and their leadership would serve their constituencies better by aligning themselves with today’s mainstream Israeli positions.

The rationale for pushing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is clear. It has its roots in international resolutions and frameworks, and it aims to achieve mutual coexistence between the Israeli and Palestinian people.

A Palestinian state will exacerbate threats and violence without delivering peace. There are many alternatives to the two-state solution, like extended autonomy under Israeli security oversight or frameworks similar to America’s governance of Puerto Rico and American Samoa.

Recent polling data shows minimal Israeli and Palestinian support for the two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria. Israelis lost faith in the Palestinian claims of desiring peace long before the massacre of October 7.

Jewish organisations need to read the tea leaves of where the Israeli electorate is headed. Being lone holdouts of policies that haven’t been popular since before the Second Intifada and the 1990s erases all influence these organizations might hope to retain in Israel. Most Israelis are bewildered when hearing American Jewish organizations push for a Palestinian state and the two-state solution. They wonder how a community so strong and successful could misjudge a situation so disastrously.

There are some “peace-processors” and Jewish organizations that are stuck in the old mindset that Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria complicate peace efforts. They are often viewed as barriers to dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. These viewpoints undervalue the profound Jewish connections to these lands, going back to biblical times. They overlook how limiting Jewish settlement of the heartland erodes strategic advantages that can deny territorial disputes.

American Jewish organizations would be better positioned to proactively endorse Jewish settlement of Judea and Samaria, including advocating for greater infrastructure development, legal protections, and community growth as a way to affirm Jewish heritage and ensure long-term viability.

Israel’s continuous and increasing development initiatives in Judea and Samaria, such as housing and economic projects, are evidence of an irreversible momentum. American Jewish organizations should join the “winning team” of growth in Judea and Samaria by aligning with the mainstream Israeli electorate, which views settlements as essential to national resilience. The settlements are the clear, unstoppable future of the Jewish state and people.

American Jewish organizations address settler violence reports as a commitment to moral accountability. It is a commendable policy that demonstrates the consistency of these organizations in promoting human rights and countering violence. While transparency is crucial, disproportionate focus on inflated or uncontextualized claims can overshadow the reality and lend credence to unbalanced narratives.

These organizations and their constituencies would be better served with proportionate analysis that juxtaposes any settler actions against the far greater scale of Palestinian terrorism, including attacks on civilians and Palestinian incitement to violence.

Organizations shouldn’t follow sensationalized headlines focused on clicks but rather use verified data to highlight disparities, like the thousands of annual Palestinian terror attacks vs the mostly isolated cases of settler violence. This balanced perspective strengthens advocacy by grounding it in facts, better representing Israel’s defensive posture.

The American and Israeli Zionist communities will be more effective at strengthening Israel and developing its future when they align on important issues like Jewish growth in Judea and Samaria, the need to prevent a Palestinian state from being established on historical Jewish land in Eretz Yisrael, and discussing Palestinian violence more than settler violence, which aligns with its proportions in reality.