The Delusions of Caroline Glick

Caroline Glick, the far-right columnist for my former employer, the Jerusalem Post, wrote earlier this week that my Atlantic cover story on Israel's future was evidence of my "anti-Zionism," its writer "a disillusioned Zionist who abandoned Israel and moved back to America." My argument in the piece, she wrote, is that the Jewish state is "doomed because it has sinfully deviated from Jewish history by being powerful."
I have to believe that she didn't actually read the story (She also spelled my name wrong, which is never a sign of attentiveness.) I assert nothing of what she alleges. I don't believe that Israel is doomed because it is powerful. I don't even believe that it is necessarily doomed at all. I believe, simply put, that the occupation of the West Bank undermines Israel demographically, strategically, and morally. Demographically, because there will eventually be under Israel's control more Arabs than Jews. Strategically because the occupation undermines Israel's international legitimacy, which it needs in order to wage the coming war of national defense against Iran and its proxy armies. And morally, because -- well, I served in the occupation, and I saw what such service did to my fellow soldiers, not to mention the Palestinians who were our captives. In fact, I wrote a whole book about this, which Caroline Glick could surely read, if she even reads book written by people with whom she disagrees.
Glick is representative of a certain strain of mainly-American Jewish thinking: She believes that all criticism of Israel is illegitimate; she believes Jews who disagree with her are traitors to her cause; and she conflates the settlement movement with the entire Zionist project. I believe that it is possible to stand against the settlements and stand for Israel at the same time. This is actually the position of millions of Israelis, including the "far-left" -- in Glick's estimation -- David Grossman. Grossman has given a great deal to his country. I would hazard a guess that he's given more to Israel than Caroline Glick has. Caroline Glick can take shots at me all she wants, but she's on much shakier ground when she goes after Grossman.