Detail from an ad run by Jewish Voices for Peace and Avaaz.org. See the full ad here. (Public domain)
The End of Liberal Zionism
LONDON -- Liberal Zionists are at a crossroads.
Aug 24, 2014
LONDON -- Liberal Zionists are at a crossroads. The original tradition of combining Zionism and liberalism -- which meant ending the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, supporting a Palestinian state as well as a Jewish state with a permanent Jewish majority, and standing behind Israel when it was threatened -- was well intentioned. But everything liberal Zionists stand for is now in doubt.
The decision of Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to launch a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has cost the lives, to date, of 64 soldiers and three civilians on the Israeli side, and nearly 2,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians.
"Never do liberal Zionists feel more torn than when Israel is at war," wrote Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian's opinion editor and a leading British liberal Zionist, for The New York Review of Books last month. He's not alone. Columnists like Jonathan Chait, Roger Cohen and Thomas L. Friedman have all riffed in recent weeks on the theme that what Israel is doing can't be reconciled with their humanism.
Read the full article at the New York Times
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
© 2023 The New York Times Company
Antony Lerman
Antony Lerman, a former director of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, is the author of "The Making and Unmaking of a Zionist."
LONDON -- Liberal Zionists are at a crossroads. The original tradition of combining Zionism and liberalism -- which meant ending the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, supporting a Palestinian state as well as a Jewish state with a permanent Jewish majority, and standing behind Israel when it was threatened -- was well intentioned. But everything liberal Zionists stand for is now in doubt.
The decision of Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to launch a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has cost the lives, to date, of 64 soldiers and three civilians on the Israeli side, and nearly 2,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians.
"Never do liberal Zionists feel more torn than when Israel is at war," wrote Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian's opinion editor and a leading British liberal Zionist, for The New York Review of Books last month. He's not alone. Columnists like Jonathan Chait, Roger Cohen and Thomas L. Friedman have all riffed in recent weeks on the theme that what Israel is doing can't be reconciled with their humanism.
Read the full article at the New York Times
Antony Lerman
Antony Lerman, a former director of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, is the author of "The Making and Unmaking of a Zionist."
LONDON -- Liberal Zionists are at a crossroads. The original tradition of combining Zionism and liberalism -- which meant ending the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, supporting a Palestinian state as well as a Jewish state with a permanent Jewish majority, and standing behind Israel when it was threatened -- was well intentioned. But everything liberal Zionists stand for is now in doubt.
The decision of Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to launch a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has cost the lives, to date, of 64 soldiers and three civilians on the Israeli side, and nearly 2,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians.
"Never do liberal Zionists feel more torn than when Israel is at war," wrote Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian's opinion editor and a leading British liberal Zionist, for The New York Review of Books last month. He's not alone. Columnists like Jonathan Chait, Roger Cohen and Thomas L. Friedman have all riffed in recent weeks on the theme that what Israel is doing can't be reconciled with their humanism.
Read the full article at the New York Times
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.