What @nberlat took issue with is the statement that "Israel is the core of Judaism, 'unlike your 'Tikkun Olam'..." I want to give a short *thread* on why this is offensive, beyond just a group named for a white Evangelical lecturing a Jew on what "the core" of Judaism is. https://twitter.com/ReaganBattalion/status/1283507797389434880

Firstly, the statement that "Israel is the core of Judaism" is utter bullsh*t. Jews don't agree on anything, much less what the core of Judaism is. For someone to presume there's a clear and homogeneous core indicates that they don't understand modern Jewish communities at all.

The group that *does* think that Israel is the core of Judaism are white, Evanglical Zionists, a group that instrumentalizes Jewishness in their eschatology, and that reduces Jewishness to Israel with no care for Jews in the diaspora. This is what @ReaganBattalion is doing.

Now, this has been picked up by some Jewish advocacy groups, alongside CUFI, folks like Mike Pence, etc. But the reduction of Jewish identity (especially in the context of the diaspora) is most prominent among anti-Zionist anti-Semites...

Given that Reagan Battalion's whole shtick when it comes to anti-Semitism is the politicization of "left anti-Semitism" (or anti-Zionist anti-Semitism), one might hope they'd be a little more aware of the foundations. But they've been drinking their own KoolAid.

Second, the fact that a phrase doesn't appear in Torah is not especially relevant to its role in Judaism. Obviously, the Torah is the whole book. Tikkun Olam is a key concept in Mishnah and Jewish ethics for centuries. It's like saying the Trinity isn't important to Christianity.

There's lots of reasonable disagreement about what Tikkun olam means, about what the duty to "repair the world" entails. But both politically left Jews (who regard it as a call to social justice) and politically right employ the concept. Because it's central to Jewish ethics.

One could even reasonably disagree about whether Tikkun olam *should* be at the core of contemporary Jewish ethical thought. (I think it should; I've met folks who disagree.) But pretending like Tikkun olam doesn't play a huge role in contemporary Jewish life is ridiculous.

Frankly, the Reagan Battalion should be embarrassed. They're a group that doesn't actually have a substantive interest in addressing anti-Semitism on the American political right, because to do so would make non-Jewish supporters uncomfortable. That's embarrassing.

They should be embarrassed that these posts broadly encourage the right wing reduction of American Jewish identity to Israel, when they should know the danger this poses to American Jews who are broadly viewed as "accountable" for whatever allegations are made against Israel.

They should be embarrassed for painting Jewish identity as homogeneous when a staple understanding of American Jewish culture is variation and disagreement, because that reduction also serves the dangerous narratives about "good Jews" and "bad Jews," legitimating hate.

And, frankly, they should be embarrassed for directly advocating that "good Jew"/"bad Jew" distinction explicitly in criticizing Berlatsky's view. Even if I disagree with folks about what Jewishness is, how we ought to conduct ourselves, I take care to avoid that dangerous crap.

In summary: The Reagan Battalion is a shanda.