West Bank terrorism is endangering Judaism

(RNS) — Around the eighth century B.C.E., a time of great inequality in Israel and Judah, the prophet Amos wrote:

Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,

And confident on the hill of Samaria,

You notables of the leading nation,

On whom the House of Israel pin their hopes.

I recently spent several weeks in Israel, and if you are among my regular readers, you know that I love Israel.

But I must now count myself among those who are not at ease in Zion.

Some of you are about to throw up your hands and say: Et tu, Jeff? Are you also going to join the malignant chorus of those who pile on and criticize Israel incessantly?

So let me be clear.

Israel has real enemies. Some of them have recently won significant elections. They hate Israel — not because of what Israel does , but because Israel is . They want no Israel.

They have no use for Israel — not because of what Israel does, but because Israel is. They want no Israel — at least, not as a Jewish democratic state.

But I and most of my friends and colleagues see something different. We refuse to participate in the centuries-old ongoing trial of the Jewish people.

We want a better Israel — and we are willing to…