Magical thinking — the Liberal Zionist
I’m a Liberal Zionist — there, I said it.
So what does that mean exactly?
Liberal Zionism is having a Jewish homeland with equal rights and protections for all its citizens. Now, such qualifies as magical thinking on a grand scale.
This past week was a tsunami of bad news for liberal Zionists and those hoping Israel won’t follow its basest instincts. For most Israelis, the new laws will have few impacts on daily life. Consider:
· The Knesset blocked critical groups such as “Breaking the Silence” from speaking in schools;
· Palestinians are no longer granted access to the Supreme Court in land disputes;
· Gay couples are now barred from having children through surrogacy;
· And the kicker — the Nation-State Law. More on this below.
The Nation-State Law is a “basic law,” taking the weight of a constitutional amendment. It promotes the development of Jewish-only communities, having squishy language advancing those who would promote discriminatory land-allocation policies. “The development of Jewish settlement as a national value” is now enshrined by law.
The law states Hebrew is the official language, while Arabic is downgraded to one with “special status.” For the 20% of Israelis whose first language is Arabic, this is not a positive development.
It’s hard to see this new law in any light other than a harsh one, that Israel is moving from its tacit racism of occupation, to a more formal policy written into law.
The Israel I support had a Declaration of Independence which advocated for equality of social and political rights for all its inhabitants, no matter their religion, race or gender.
In Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Israel, ultra-nationalists, much like in other places in the world, are emboldened. Their agenda is to erode the authority of the supreme court, curb the activities of left-wing advocacy groups, advance the annexation of the West Bank, and minimize or abrogate corruption investigations of the prime minister.
Israel has always struggled with the tensions between democracy and its Jewish character. The new law now favors Jewishness over democracy.
I worry that this is a turning point, the break where diaspora Jewry just gives up. Israel, now with unchecked freedom from the Trump administration to do as it will, is the alcoholic at the bar. I hope she sobers up before it’s too late.
