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Abramovich claimed that Dermer simply “isn’t Israeli deep down.” On the “Ulpan Shishi” program, Abramovich based his claims on the fact that Dermer didn’t serve in the Israel Defense Forces upon his aliyah (they weren’t taking people of his age at that time) and that he didn’t have a strong background in Israeli pop-culture from the 1970s and 1980s because he wasn’t born here.
Amnon Abramovich, analyst for @N12News :
“Ron Dermer is a cultured, well-mannered and pleasant man, but he is not Israeli at all.
He arrived at the age of 26.
Why didn’t he join the army?
Dana, his basic experience is not Israeli. I don’t think he knows the difference between… pic.twitter.com/dy7yL1s3Ax— ענבל רץ גילמור (@Inbalgilmore) November 17, 2024
His accolades include spending years maintaining a positive relationship between Israel and its closest ally, the United States. In addition, he is wholly or in part, responsible for securing the largest aid package in Israeli history at $38 billion, getting the United States to move its embassy to Jerusalem, gaining U.S. recognition for the Golan Heights as part of Israel, getting the United States to withdraw from the nuclear pact with Iran, and the list continues. Let’s not forget that Dermer also played a key role in the 2020 Abraham Accords. It is safe to say that he has more Israeli street cred than any political pundit, regardless of who was born here and who wasn’t. Israel was a country founded on aliyah. Immigrants made this country what it is. Immigrants from Bessarabia (current-day Moldova), France and Argentina were the ones who founded Abramovich’s kibbutz of Nir Am. Were they “not Israeli deep down” because they didn’t grow up in Israel?
Immigrants, including many Aish alumni, have been making an impact on Israel for years; some are even current Knesset members and members of the current government. We’ve seen immigrants take up major roles in defining this country and building its future from the high-tech sector, which is filled with immigrants, to positions in the government and more.
Diaspora Jews, of which Dermer was one for a very long time, have also made a significant impact in Israel. Many Diaspora Jews volunteer for the IDF and serve as lone soldiers, laying their lives on the line for the country. They lobby for Israel in foreign countries and use their votes to bring to power politicians who are pro-Israel. Most recently, U.S. Jews donated more than $1 billion following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, most of which went to purchasing vital military and medical equipment to help Israelis in the aftermath of Hamas’s attack and the ongoing war with Hezbollah.
To belittle Dermer and others who contribute to the continuity of the existence of the State of Israel and say that they are not “Israeli deep down” is an incredible affront. World Jewry right now is taking a big hit for Israel, and Israeli pundits such as Abramovich need to decide just how much they want to antagonize their own brothers and sisters. However, if Abramovich or any others are going to choose that path, then they better do it for the right reasons, not based on knowledge of antiquated pop culture. The greatest thing a Jew from the Diaspora can do is to immigrate to Israel and throw in their lot with the Jewish state, which is what Dermer, the founders of Kibbutz Nir Am and so many others have done.
Abramovich needs to look no further than the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections next spring to see just how interested world Jewry is in the survival and continuity of Israel. The WZC was built to include the Jews of the Diaspora whose lot is tied to Israel, and vice versa, whether Abramovich likes it or not. Or was Theodor Herzl “not deeply Israeli enough” for him either? After all, Herzl also grew up in the Diaspora and didn’t know Israeli pop culture.
The point of Israel is to be a home for all Jews. When Jews from the Diaspora come home—and they should do so sooner rather than later—Abramovich will have a very rude awakening. When they return, the population will shift, and those who were born here and who can differentiate between antiquated pop-culture icons may even become a minority.
Since Abramovich’s birth in 1951, some 2,957,606 people have immigrated to Israel. Out of the current 10 million people that make up this country, that is nearly one-third who are immigrants. So, if one in three people wasn’t here for their birth or early life, what exactly does being “deeply Israeli” mean to Abramovich?
Perhaps the barometer shouldn’t be whether one knows the difference between singers Arik Einstein and Zohar Argov, as Abramovich said. Perhaps the barometer should be whether one is willing to accept the constant Israeli truth that there will always be immigrants who come and help build this country. If Abramovich cannot accept that, if he cannot accept one-third of Israel’s population as being Israeli, then perhaps he is the one who is not deeply Israeli.
If we continue to bring the best and the brightest of world Jewry to Israel—even if, like Dermer, they didn’t grow up here—then we will continue to build Israel and make it a better place. There is nothing more “deeply Israeli” than that.
