Breira (full name "Breira: A Project of Concern in Diaspora-Israel Relations") was an organization founded to express a left-wing position on Israel. Formed in 1973, it lasted until 1977.

History

Breira dissented from what it saw as the hard line Jewish organizational perspective that said there is no alternative in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War. The group took the Hebrew name Breira—meaning "alternative"—in response to the cry of ''ein breira'', or "there is no alternative." In 1973, Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf served as founding chair of the movement. In its first public statement, Breira called for Israel to make territorial concessions and recognize the legitimacy of the national aspirations of the Palestinian people in order to achieve lasting peace. David Tulin was the vice-president, Inge Gibel was the treasurer. Rabbi Gerald Serotta was an active member. As its national chairman, Wolf stated that the name signified, "our desire for an alternative to the intransigence of both the PLO and the several governments of Israel." The group proposed a two state solution. That year, Breira became a national membership organization of over one hundred Reform and Conservative rabbis and a number of important American Jewish writers and intellectuals, including

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, Paul Cowan, Arthur Green, Irving Howe, Paula Hyman,

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, and

Milton Viorst Milton Viorst (February 18, 1930 – December 9, 2022) was an American journalist who wrote and reported on the Middle East, writing in a series of publications, most notably ''The New Yorker''. He wrote ten books over the course of his career. ...

. Jewish counter-culture youths also helped to found Breira. Michael E. Staub states, "Breira survived four tumultuous years. Its proposals on Israeli-Diaspora Jewish relations and Palestinian nationalism generated fierce international debate over the limits of public dissent and conflict in Jewish communal life, and virtually every major American Jewish organization took a public stand on the group and what it advocated." There was an overlap of leadership with Americans for Progressive Israel. A full list of members was published in ''The National Jewish Post & Opinion'', August 9, 1974. They published a journal called ''Interchange''.

Controversy

In July 1976, Spiro Agnew's organization, Education for Democracy, labeled them dangerous and "anti-Israel", even as Agnew himself was being accused of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment. In December 1976, they agreed to meet with the PLO. Wolf stipulated that they meet as private individuals and that it be understood that they were not involved in any political negotiations. The initiative was supported by Jewish intellectuals Nathan Glazer and Irving Howe. Meeting representatives included Rabbi Max Ticktin and Arthur Waskow representing Breira, and the

American Jewish Congress The American Jewish Congress (AJCongress or AJC) is an association of American Jews organized to defend Jewish interests at home and abroad through public policy advocacy, using diplomacy, legislation, and the courts. History The AJCongress was ...

, B'nai B'rith, and the National Council of Jewish Women. Waskow wrote a widely circulated opinion piece about speaking to the PLO. Also in December 1976, '' The Jerusalem Post'' ran a story portraying the organization as supporting terrorists, whereupon many members left the group. On February 20, 1977, when Breira held its first national membership conference in Chevy Chase, Maryland, the convention was attacked by Jewish Defense League members. In May 1977, the Rabbinical Assembly of

Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generatio ...

blocked two members of Breira, Wolf and Rabbi

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, from membership in the organization's executive council. The RA felt that the organization was giving aid to Israel's enemies. At that time, according to ''The New York Times'' article, Breira had 1500 members. Isaiah L. Kenen, the former

American Israel Public Affairs Committee The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC ) is a lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies to the legislative and executive branches of the United States. One of several pro-Israel lobbying organizations in the United Stat ...

executive director, while still serving as the editor of its ''Near East Report'', helped to label the group as "anti-Israel", "pro-PLO", and "

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". Kenen charged that Breira "undermined U.S. support for Israel". Rabbi Alexander Schindler, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, was the only major leader of a Jewish organization to defend Breira. He called the attack on Breira a "witch hunt". In his book, ''The Lobby: Jewish Political Power and American Foreign Policy'', Edward Tivnan observed, "By attacking Breira, Jewish leaders had turned over much of their power to AIPAC, Israel's most loyal agent in the U.S. and a proved enemy of dissent from Israeli policies, among Jews as well as gentiles."

References

Additional sources

* ''Torn at the Roots: The Crisis of Jewish Liberalism in Postwar America'' by Michael E. Staub * ''The Road To Middle East Peace'' by Carolyn Toll Oppenheim * ''Divided We Stand: American Jews, Israel, and the Peace Process'' by Ofira Seliktar * "Washington Report on Middle East Affairs" (July 1992), pages 7–8, 89-91

External links

Breira Records (I-250)
at the American Jewish Historical Society, New York, NY {{DEFAULTSORT:Breira (Organization) Non-governmental organizations involved in the Israeli–Palestinian peace process Peace organizations based in the United States Israeli–Palestinian peace process Jewish political organizations Jewish organizations established in 1973 Organizations disestablished in 1977

History

Controversy

See also

References

Additional sources

Further reading

External links