Misreading the Jewish Narrative

President Obama's speech in Cairo on June 4, 2009 was an important opportunity to advance the cause of peace. The entire world was in suspense, expecting to hear the wisdom of a very popular president dedicated to the principle of dialogue and mutual understanding. The American president was keenly aware of the historic outlook of the Arabic-speaking and Islamic world, and he gave credence to its narrative. He stated as a fact that between the West and Islam "tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims". Moreover, he mentioned the fear that "the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam".

There was another narrative that Mr. Obama wished to present to his audience - the Jewish narrative. Obviously, in an attempt to bridge the gap of hostility, it is essential to clarify all points of view, and hopefully some understanding may be reached. However, while the president was eager to demonstrate his knowledge of the narrative of the Islamic world - trying to present it as Muslims themselves understand it - he did not present the Jewish narrative as we ourselves perceive it. The actual point of reference of the Jewish historic drama, "if I forget thee, O Jerusalem", was undeserving of mention. Instead, we learned that the focus of Jewish history is the Holocaust, only reinforcing the oft-repeated anti-Israel perception that the Arabs are paying the price of European anti-Semitic hatred. Of course, Mr. Obama only had the best of intentions. He felt the need to explain America's strong connection with Israel, one of the assumed sources of animosity between the United States and the Islamic world: "It is based upon cultural and historical ties and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied". Although the president felt that it would be proper to present some aspects of the Arab narrative in their words, he did not feel it proper to do so with our narrative.

We also deserve to have our story told as we tell it. We are not a persecuted nation in search of some haven and in need of compassion. In our narrative, we are an exiled people aspiring to return to its native soil. "Zion" is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. "Zionism", therefore, is a political movement the name of which is meant to evoke the strongest of ancient Jewish memories and collective aspirations. The revival of the Hebrew language is the very symbol of the drama of modern Jewish history. The renaissance of the language that the Jews spoke in their ancient country took place in that very same country. It was a renaissance of a national and cultural identity. It was not the story of refugees fleeing persecutions in search of "a homeland". It was the return to "the homeland" of dreamers of dreams who wished to continue the future Hebrew creativity in this land of ancient Hebrew creativity.

President Obama condemned the phenomenon of Holocaust-denial: "Six million Jews were killed - more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, ignorant, and hateful". It is good that this simple and important fact was expressed clearly to an attentive Islamic audience. However, the real question is: Why is Holocaust-denial even an issue in the Arab world? The answer is very simple: the Holocaust is perceived as the justification for the founding of the State of Israel; hence, challenging Holocaust historicity is a tool in challenging the very legitimacy of Israel. Ironically, the president has only strengthened this incorrect perception of history. By stating that our legitimacy is founded "in a tragic history that cannot be denied", he has done an injustice to the age-old aspirations of the collective Jewish identity – and he has adopted the Arab position that the Jews are mere foreigners who have fled to someone else's country. Instead of calling upon the Arabs to recognize our roots and history in the Land of Israel – to make peace with returning brothers – he called upon them to have sympathy with the plight of outsiders.

The State of Israel was not founded because of the Holocaust; rather, it was founded despite the Holocaust. The very population that had always been seen as the future citizenry of the Jewish state, the masses of Eastern European Jewry, was decimated. The youth movements, the Hebrew schools, the summer training camps for pioneers - together with a whole Jewish world living in its own language and culture – all was utterly lost. Only remnants made their way to the Land of Israel. Israel was born out of an historic vision of return and redemption. The dedication and self-sacrifice of those who built the yishuv and its Hebrew culture enabled this renewal of Jewish national life. The Holocaust could have brought the whole dream to its end.

President Obama has called upon the Islamic world to accept the legitimacy of Israel. However, just as he has demonstrated awareness of their narrative, so too should he have expressed an awareness of ours. We are an ancient nation that has very deep roots in this land, and here we have claimed the universal right to self-determination. This is the source of legitimacy.