The decision to feature Seven Jewish Children at Theater J should be judged not on the basis of the play's content but, rather, on its value in sparking a difficult but necessary conversation within our community. To preclude even the possibility of such a discussion does a disservice not only to public discourse, but also to the very values of rigorous intellectual engagement and civil debate on which our community prides itself.

As Jeff Goldberg noted, J-Street should, on the same logic, stage a reading of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Let's be clear: This is not about "criticism of Israel." The play is about Jewish parents. Not Israeli parents. All Jewish parents. It represents Jews according to timeworn anti-Semitic canards. David Hirsh of Engage, who is a supporter of the Palestinian cause and cannot be labeled a part of the "Israel lobby," noted:

But J Street says that it “takes no position” on the content of the play. It would appear then that it has taken a position, at least insofar as to affirm its belief that the play is not antisemitic.

Isn't that a polite way of saying that J-Street has endorsed anti-Semitic propaganda as legitimate art and social commentary?

This is not about "Freedom of speech." The KKK, the Nashrab Dam al Yahood organization or Al-Awda can put on plays about the "martyrdom" of St Simon of Trent, the anti-Semitic Arab drama, "Knight without a horse" or any other racist trash they like. But Jewish and "pro-Israel" groups should not be spreading anti-Semitic propaganda. Ari Roth of Theater J tried to excuse staging of the play, comparing it to his staging of the Prioress's Tale of Chaucer, which relates the blood libel of Hugh of Lincoln. But Churchill is not Chaucer. This bit of third rate trash is not classical literature that has to be discussed as part of western culture. It is just the ravings of a bigot that should be ignored rather than legitimized.

The play perpetuates the vicious myth that Jews insist that being a "chosen" people gives us the right to murder others with impunity.

"The world hates us, tell her we're better haters, tell her we're chosen people, tell her I look at one of their children covered in blood and what do I feel? Tell her all I feel is happy it's not her."

There doesn't seem to be very much to discuss about the thesis of this play. If you believe it, then the correct thing to do may be to plan on getting rid of all the Jews. Start with the ones close at hand in Washington DC. What else is there to do, if "the Jews" are so evil? It is frankly frightening that the Washington Post and other respectable journals are willing to legitimize this vile sort of propaganda as well. Even in National Socialist Germany, blood libel accusations were at first generally confined to extremist journals. But our concern must firstly be with the J-Street organization that has endorsed the staging of this play, supposedly in its capacity as a "pro-Israel" "pro-Peace" organization. J-Street has also endorsed Israeli recognition of Hamas, presumably on the basis of accepting as legitimate Hamas's declared goals of destroying the Jewish state and physical annihilation of the Jewish people.

The BBC does not have a good record regarding neutrality in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and has spent a fortune to bury a report that shows its consistent pro-Palestinian bias. Nonetheless, even the BBC wisely and justifiably refused to air this play.. What can we say about a supposedly "pro-Israel" organization that is is more anti-Israel than the BBC?

There is no chance that J-Street or the Theater J would endorse, "for purposes of discussion," an anti-Islam documentary even if it were totally factual rather than based on crude stereotyping. Would they support the showing of the movie Obsession? Would they, for the sake of "equal time" insist on allowing presentation of the play Seven Other Children, proposed as a reply to Seven Jewish Children, or any of several versions of Seven Muslim Children. Here is an excerpt of one version of Seven Muslim Children. Will J-Street endorse it, and will Ari Roth stage it "for purposes of discussion??

6 (2002)
Tell him to put on the bomb belt
Tell him he will have 72 virgins
Don’t tell him that he must die
Don’t tell him that he must kill children
Tell him the Jews aren’t human
Tell him they’re the sons of apes and pigs
Tell him they are infidels in Dar al-Islam
Tell him they let their women be free
Tell him their gays are free
Don’t tell him their gays are free (just in case…)
Tell him Allah will bless him
Tell him we will call him a hero
Don’t tell him how they will die
Don’t tell him how they will be scarred
Don’t tell him they have parents too
Don’t tell him they offered us a country again
Tell him they have no right to a country
Tell him it’s better to die than to admit it
Tell him how we danced in the streets on 9/11
Don’t tell him we danced in the streets on 9/11
Tell him it’s better to kill them than live with them

7 (2008)
Tell him to launch the rockets
Tell him to use the school yard
Don’t tell him to use the school yard
Tell him they’re afraid to fire back because the world will hate them
Don’t tell him they might fire back anyway
Tell him they must all die
Don’t tell him they might attack
Tell him we’re living in the Warsaw Ghetto
Tell him what the Warsaw Ghetto was
Don’t tell him what really happened in the Warsaw Ghetto
Don’t tell him about Auschwitz and Treblinka
Tell him they’re afraid of us and won’t attack us
Tell him we can shoot off rockets forever.
Tell him if he’s lucky the rocket will hit a kindergarten
Tell him “itbach-al-Yahud”
Tell him “Filastin hi arduna, Wa al-Yahud kilabuna”
Tell him we will go back to al-Andalus
In the Name of the Prophet

It is not likely J-Street would endorse, or J Theater would show, such a play. Do you think it is unfair to Muslims? Why? Let's have a discussion to see if all Muslims believe what is stated in the play. Why shouldn't this play be staged in order to generate discussion, and why shouldn't J-Street endorse it?

J-Street is entitled to its opinion, and Theater J is entitled to stage whatever it pleases. Nobody is trying to "Shut people up." But anti-Semites should not ask Jews to support their cause, even if they happen to be Jewish anti-Semites. J-Street should not be be asking Jews or "pro-Israel" people for money and endorsements, and the Jewish Community of DC likewise, for the purpose of spreading anti-Semitic propaganda.

Let the donor beware.

Ami Isseroff

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