The statement won the endorsement of the American Jewish Congress, but a number of other Jewish organizations rejected the idea of a boycott. These included Agudath Israel of America, Bnai Brith International, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the National Council of Young Israel and the Orthodox Union.
Certainly the boycott call emanated from an inherent Jewish sense of promoting social justice. By rising up in opposition, we show our grave displeasure of the needless, excessive suffering of innocent people at the hands of a ruthless government.
The call was surely also motivated by the deep sense of compassion that is distinctively Jewish. “[The Jewish people] are distinguished by three characteristics: They are merciful, bashful and benevolent” (Yevamos 79a).
And the signatories were driven by a strong sense of missed opportunity, knowing full well how the world had allowed the Berlin Games to go on with nary a peep of protest.
If we can assume that noble considerations went into the call for a boycott, why were so many groups across the Jewish spectrum so quick to oppose it?
It would appear the opposition stemmed from a number of primary concerns. One concerned the validity of the comparison between Berlin 1936 and Beijing 2008.
Consider this, from the American Jewish Committee:
The American Jewish Committee does not support the efforts of some members of the Jewish community to boycott the Beijing Olympics. Whatever concerns have been expressed as a rationale, we do not believe that a boycott is justified, much less would produce the desired results. Moreover, the references to the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany are unwarranted.
While the OU concurred, it added a sense of caution that wrongly-placed advocacy would possibly do “more harm than good”:
The Orthodox Union respectfully disagrees with those who have called upon Jews to boycott the Olympics in Beijing, China. While we share deep concern over China’s record of disrespect for human rights, we do not concur with the selection of this tactic to attempt to protest or influence China’s behavior.
Jewish law indeed teaches that the preservation and saving of human lives is of paramount value. But Jewish law cautions that we must act with exceptional care lest we cause more harm than good.
Agudath Israel voiced an additional concern, namely that statements of protest by a group of rabbinical leaders could lead to anger and perhaps acts of revenge against Jews throughout the world.
As the above-mentioned groups predicted, the Chinese government reacted angrily to the rabbis’ boycott call, particularly the comparison they drew between China and Nazi Germany.
“The Chinese people and the Jewish people shared similar suffering during World War II, and China provided refuge for many Jews from Nazi Germany’s persecution during that miserable time,” said Wang Baodong, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington. “It’s really an offense for the Chinese people as they learn that these rabbis were comparing the Beijing Olympics to the Nazi’s Berlin games.”
And while that statement seems to represent the full extent of Chinese response to the “offense” of the boycott call, we cannot know how this negative sentiment may play out down the road, particularly for the Jews of Israel, who in one way or another are likely to feel the impact of the emerging Chinese superpower’s increased political, economic and military muscle.
Without question, it is our obligation to feel the pain of suffering people and to do whatever possible to alleviate that pain. There is no group in the world who knows better than Jews how it feels to be subjected to ongoing brutality and suffering and to know the world is sitting by idly, even lending its stamp of approval to the torment. It is both right and proper for Jews to encourage those in power to do everything possible to stop the persecution.
We must, however, always think long and hard before protesting as Jews in the name of Judaism. By choosing that approach, we open ourselves not only to criticism but to a potential backlash against the larger Jewish community, and that’s something we can ill afford.