Israel’s military response to Hamas’ eight-year bombing of Sderot and southern Israel, which began last weekend, has provoked strong reactions nationally and internationally.
But local responses in Milwaukee and Madison have been much quieter, according to community relations professionals, Paula Simon and Steven H. Morrison.
Simon, executive director of the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations said she has received numerous media inquiries, some specifically seeking Israeli responses to the current crises and others looking for community responses.
Two television stations told her they wanted to include both the Israeli and the Palestinian perspectives, Simon said.
Though the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had not made any editorial comment as of Monday, several interviews and op-ed pieces reflecting Jewish opinion have appeared in the paper and on local television news programs, she said.
“The news coverage has been sound bites with limited context, reflecting the purely personal and emotional angles" of events happening in Gaza, said Simon.
Simon has received little comment either from members of the Jewish or the general community, whether positive or negative.
“As the Israelis move forward, questions about the length of time of the operation will arise,” she said, but for now, she perceives broad community consensus in support of Israel.
“Many progressive Jewish organizations have made statements indicating that they fundamentally understand that Israel has a right, a responsibility and an obligation to protect its citizens.”
A community-wide event is being planned, but the details were unavailable by press time.
Steven H. Morrison, executive director of the Madison Jewish Community Council, said that Madison is also very quiet.
“The [members of the community] who have raised [the subject with him] have expressed tremendous concern” as is usual whenever there is military action in and around Israel.
“There are more than a few people in Madison who have family and friends in Israel and we had a Birthright Israel trip depart a week ago,” he said.
Morrison has not received any calls from non-Jewish individuals or groups and only one from a television station inquiring whether the Jewish community had any activities planned.
There had also not been much media coverage either in the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison’s lone remaining daily newspaper, or the online Capital Times. Morrison said he had counted three letters to the editor as of Monday — two critical and one supporting Israel’s action.
Morrison noted that two of the three congregational rabbis were away from their pulpits last week and the University of Wisconsin-Madison will not be in session until mid-January.
But he does not anticipate any lessening of support among Madison’s Jews, who he described as unflagging in their love and commitment to Israel.
“We always worry about the loss of life of anybody,” Morrison said. And he noted that in this situation Israel is waging a defensive action after eight years of steady attacks.
Pro-Palestinian rallies were planned in both cities for Tuesday, Jan. 6.
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