An Attorney Who Chose His Client: Alan Dershowitz Writes about Defending Israel

Jan 25, 2020 by Alex Grobman

By Dr. Alex Grobman, Hebrew University-trained historian, senior resident scholar at the John C. Danforth Society, member of the Council of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East

Few experts are as controversial as attorney, jurist, writer, and political commentator Alan M. Dershowitz, but even his strongest critics should find his most recent book, Defending Israel: The Story of My Relationship with My Most Challenging Client (All Points Books/St Martin’s Publishing Group), of great interest.

In this memoir of his experiences as a lifelong defender of the Jewish state, Dershowitz, one of the most liberal Zionists and spirited champions of Israel and the Jewish people, shows how fearless he has been in attacking those who malign the country through demonization and delegitimization. Small wonder he takes pride in claiming Israel as his “client.”

As a Democrat, Dershowitz argues that the recent shift away from bipartisan support for Israel in the US presents a genuine danger for the Jewish state. He knows support for Israel among “progressives” and young Democrats, in particular, is declining. These future leaders did not live through the period of the Shoah and know nothing about the arduous difficulties in establishing Israel or the wars in which the Jewish state’s very survival was threatened. They certainly do not have a clear understanding of the differences between American and Israeli democracy.

Israel’s Declaration of Independence stipulates Israel’s character as a Jewish democratic state and sovereign homeland for all Jews. It also espouses the country’s core values, including, but not limited to, liberty, justice, and equality for all citizens (Jewish and non-Jewish); as well as freedom of religious, political, and social expression.

The American Declaration of Independence makes clear that the United States’ citizens are its “people.” They are “all men” who “are created equal” and “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Later, in the Constitution, they got around to the particulars of the democracy they had established.

Looking for Bipartisan Support

Dershowitz is well aware that, at this point, Israel is in a position to defend herself from external dangers without direct American assistance. Nevertheless, a future antagonistic American administration could pose a plethora of significant problems for the Jewish state. One of Dershowitz’s prime objectives in this book is to attempt to stem the shift away from bipartisan support for America’s most dependable and consistent ally in the Middle East. The special urgency to achieve this goal is embodied in the existential threat from Iran, which has vowed to wipe Israel off the map.

Even those who have not made such menacing warnings have presented anti-Israel counsel and advice. For example, Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa descended to rank antisemitism when he expressed the problem Israel and Jews in general face in that they are judged by a double standard and disproportionate criticism.

“Whether Jews like it or not, they are a peculiar people. They can’t ever hope to be judged by the same standards which are used for other people,” he said, adding that Israel has “oppressed more than the apartheid ideologues could ever dream about in South Africa.”

No Illusions

Given the reality of the hostility his “client” faces, Dershowitz has no illusions as to the formidable nature of his self-imposed mission, but he believes it is vital to secure Israel’s future.

As one of Israel’s most renowned public defenders, Dershowitz has engaged in many private conversations and debates with American presidents, Israeli prime ministers, and political and academic leaders throughout the world. In the new book, he shares many of these engrossing encounters. Not everyone will agree with his analysis or criticism of some of Israel’s policies. For example, his ongoing support for the Oslo process which opposes the establishment of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and promotes the two-state solution has led to his condemnation by some members of the Israeli Right and their supporters.

He dedicates his book to “an endangered species: liberal supporters of Israel—ken yirbu (thus should they multiply).”

All lovers of Israel should respond, “amen.”