intermarriage and "distancing from Israel"

Submitted by Gideon Remez (Israel), Apr 30, 2016 at 00:16

Reservations or worse about the present Israeli government and its policies can actually reflect genuine concern for Israel and its future (Israelis like myself who feel so can hardly be said to "distance themselves" from our country). But if Elliott Abrams identifies the cause for such "distancing" among US Jews in intermarriage, the article goes on to show that it depends on which kind of non-Jews the Jews marry. Arguably, the percentage of unquestioning supporters of present Israeli policy is higher among Gentile Americans than among US Jews -- especially if one excludes Orthodox Jews, who rarely intermarry. So at least statistically, intermarriage should reinforce such support among Jews. Of course, if a Jew is already disposed to be critical of Israeli policy, he/she is likelier to choose a mate with similar opinions.

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