As an officer in the United States Army, I sometimes faced suspicion that, as a Jew, my loyalty was necessarily divided. As an American who had chosen to serve my country in wartime, I resented this deeply. Part of the reason this suspicion existed is because so many American Jews do in fact demonstrate an embarrassingly deep level of commitment to a foreign state. Rep. Andy Josephson’s recent vote in favor of HB2 — a bill that seeks to punish Alaska businesses for declining to do business with the State of Israel — brought back unpleasant reminders of the embarrassment I felt as a Jewish-American officer.
When otherwise-liberal Jewish politicians cross the aisle to vote alongside Christian nationalists on matters concerning Israel (and only Israel), they legitimize and give cover to the Christian-nationalist agenda. When they loosen their moral and ethical standards to defend Israel (and only Israel), it is embarrassing to Jews everywhere who believe in the call of our faith to pursue justice. And when they privilege the welfare of the Israeli state (and only the Israeli state) over the rights of Americans, it is insulting to patriotic American Jews like me, who have only ever been loyal to one country.
— Ivan Hodes
Anchorage
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