August 4, 2006
By Daniel Levisohn

Diverse opinions amid display of unity On July 23, a sweltering summer Sunday, members of the greater Seattle-area Jewish community trickled into Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island for a rally in support of Israel.

The rally was organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and sponsored by over 40 organizations in response to the escalating crisis between Israel and Hezbollah, which erupted after the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah guerrillas.

“It takes a vibrant and caring community to put aside differences in the interest of common hope and aspiration,” said Robin Boehler, board chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, commending the crowd in her opening remarks. “Despite a variety of perspectives, the vast majority of us do share a visceral connection to Israel and the Israeli people.”

Throughout the day, speakers and attendees alike heavily emphasized the value of coming together as a community, while acknowledging the range of political beliefs represented at the rally.

Among these was Jeremy Miller, who rode his bike from Seattle to Luther Burbank Park to attend the event.

“While many of us may have different ideas about what Israel should do in the Middle East in its offensive against Lebanon,” he said, “I think it’s important for the public to see that there are a lot of Jews who support Israel defending itself.

“And it’s always nice to be in a crowd of Jews in a nice summer days and see your friends,” he added.

Throughout the nearly two-hour long rally, the crowd continued to grow, even as speakers took the podium at the foot of a grassy amphitheater to address rows of Israel supporters waving signs. In all, approximately 1,000 people attended Sunday’s rally, said Nancy Woo, Special Events Coordinator for Mercer Island Parks and Recreation.

Though organizers and speakers were careful to stick to the overall message of the rally — namely, that Israel has a right to protect its citizens — attendees expressed a variety of opinions about the clashes on Israel’s northern border.

Max Singer, a strong supporter of Israel’s military action, framed the conflict as part of a larger battle. “I think the world is becoming aware slowly that we are fighting the same war now against Islamic extremism,” he said, adding that Hezbollah was also the organization that “killed 240 non-Jewish marines,” referring to the bombing of an American military barracks in Beirut in 1983.

“Hezbollah is like a cancer,” said Singer’s wife, Rose, board president of the National Council of Jewish Women’s Seattle Section. “So if you just cut off a tiny bit, it’s going to grow again.”

Other rally-goers expressed concern over the mounting civilian deaths, the vast majority of which have been sustained by Lebanese citizens, but supported Israel’s military offensive nevertheless. That includes Joseph Goldberg, an Israeli who grew up in Haifa and now lives in Seattle.

“It’s very unfortunate the civilians are getting hurt on both sides,” he told JTNews, “but I don’t think Israel has a choice reacting in the way that it did.”

Hezbollah, he explained, has the capability to strike far into Israeli territory. “There is a concern that they could even reach Tel Aviv where the majority of the civilian population lives,” he said.

Standing on a knoll by the entrance to the rally were two small groups of protesters, one comprised of Jews from the organization “The Jewish Voice for Peace.”

One of the protesters criticized Israel for inflicting heavy civilians causalities in Lebanon and explained, “I have family in Jerusalem, and I grew up with a family that was very supportive of Israel, and I think what Israel is doing right now is counter to its future security.”

The only elected representative to attend the rally was Congressman Dave Reichert of Washington’s 8th district, who also delivered one of the day’s addresses.

“I think the focus right now has to be on this 2004 resolution that was agreed to internationally,” Reichert told JTNews. “But there needs to be strength behind those words and disarm Hezbollah. The Syrians haven’t stepped up the plate and done what they promised to do, and the international community hasn’t stepped up and done what it needs to do. So then you see Israeli soldiers captured and kidnapped.”

Darcy Burns, who is challenging Reichert in November’s midterm Congressional elections, also attended the rally.

“We need the international community, including the United States, to stand up and say that we will not allow anybody to advocate for the destruction of another country, that we will not allow anybody to advocate genocide,” she said. “Israel should not have to stand alone against all of the forces that united against it.”

Burns also criticized the Bush administration, saying she thinks the administration has “unfortunately squandered a huge number of the opportunities it has had to make real change in how we approach this problem.”

Rainer Waldman Adkins, who chairs the local chapter of Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, The Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, said his organization has called for an immediate ceasefire that would include the release of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers.

“What we are afraid of is that this conflict will spiral out of the control,” Adkins told JTNews. “We remember what happened in 1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon. Israel pushed the PLO out, but the vacuum was filled by Hezbollah.”

Looking around at the crowd, Adkins said, “I think it’s really important that we think carefully to the diversity of responses. We are all united in our concern for Israel, but it’s a very difficult situation with no easy answers.”