Reflections on Atonement and Israel

In my Shul at Kol Nidre service, my Rabbi gave a lengthy sermon about sins, the Jewish people, and Israel that got me quite engaged, and not in a good way.  His sermon went something like this:

President Obama, in a recent speech, made the point that all of us in this reflective time of the year need to think about our sins and what we can do to contribute to the Peace Process.  So I was thinking about the "sins" of the Jewish People:
The "sin" of being different.  The "sin" of refusing to assimilate and be like everybody else.  The "sin" of being successful.  The "sin" of creating the wondrous state of Israel.

The Rabbi went on to describe the many great things Israel has done, the many ways in which Palestinians and Arabs have harmed the peace process, the Palestinian Authority's statements that Jews will not be welcome in a future Palestinian state even while Muslims are a key part of the Jewish state, etc.

It was an angry and defiant sermon, reflecting the bitterness of his perception that Israel is being unfairly targeted at the UN and that the Obama administration is insufficiently supportive of her positions.

As I've said before, I yield to nobody in my love and support for Israel.  I've spent time there, and I've sent money there.  But this angry response to the President continues to rankle me.  Under President Obama, the US has continued to support Israel militarily and through intelligence operations just as much as ever.  The US is set to veto the Palestinian bid for statehood, and is using all its diplomatic pull to try to stop the issue from coming to a vote.  Yes, Obama has put more pressure on Israel to stop expanding settlements in the West Bank- but I would argue that that still qualifies as a "pro Israel" position, and of course many Israelis (on the Left) completely agree and have urged the President to keep making the case.  My Rabbi and many others in the American Jewish community put too much emphasis on supporting Likud's positions as equaling support for Israel.  Obama hasn't done a great job in the Middle East- it's certainly not a signature issue for him- but to say that he doesn't support Israel is a slander.

But all that is parenthetical to my main reaction to the sermon, which is this: Yom Kippur is a time of self-reflection, a time to look inward and to question whether our own actions have lived up to the standards we set for ourselves.  It's not a time to put "sin" in scare quotes and angrily denounce the transgressions of others.  Our clergy can use every other Shabbat and holiday of the year to denounce Palestinians and take pride in the singular and spectacular accomplishment that is Israel.  On the Day of Atonement, we shouldn't be thinking about how we've been wronged. 

So in that spirit, I forgive my Rabbi this lapse, if for no other reason then because I know it comes from the part of him that loves Israel like I do.  And I beg forgiveness if I've misunderstood and slandered him by publishing this post.  As for Israel, I vow to support its existence and continued prosperity, even if that means criticizing its policies.