I think the difference between one state and two state progressives is more than one of degree, so perhaps they're not the natural/potential allies you think. If one thinks Israel per se is a settler colonial state, then aligning with 2 state factions may feel akin to aligning with someone arguing that the creation of a black Zimbabwe alongside a white Rhodesia would have been the best solution to that conflict. There's a large conceptual gap there. That doesn't mean, as you've said before, that alliances can't be forged, especially over short term goals. Toleration is often a virtue. But I'm not convinced that the differences are primarily to do with ideological posturing or virtue signalling. The longer term material objectives, as Taiwo puts it, are quite different.
I completely agree that the difference between one state and two states is more than one of degree. A two-state solution would perpetuate Jewish supremacy in Israel, and it would almost certainly not resolve the right of return for the 750,000 Palestinians displaced in 1948, nor the expropriated land. In a perfect world, the goal would, for me, be one state. But as I wrote in the piece: "in the American left’s hunger for ideological purity, many have adopted a litmus test that places political outcomes—the insistence that Israel become a secular, binational state—ahead of human rights." There are many Palestinians who have also criticized the movement for being overly focused on nationalism rather than the more pressing issue of basic human rights. This, to me, is the opening for coalition-building. The Palestinians I know — if you ask them about one state vs. two states — their response is almost always: "please don't ask me that. Just end the occupation, end apartheid, end the killing." This is precisely what I mean about the abstraction of a lot of American left politics. It's not rooted in lived experience but in ideology and theory...
totally. i actually removed my final sentence from the comment before posting because I thought it was maybe necessary, but it more or less said what's in that quote. first thing: "end the occupation, end apartheid, end the killing." I think that's clear. appreciate you responding!
Two states don't work without major Israeli support for and connections with Palestine. The major hurdle for either "solution" is really the same, ISTM: Israelis and Palestinians, but especially Israelis who hold so much more power, would need to recognize that their destinies are not separable - that a peaceful and democratic future for either requires accommodation of the other.
Thank you for capturing a lot of what I (a Sephardic American Jew with family in Israel) have been feeling. You’re absolutely right that Zionist has become a slur that us Jews on the left are trying to figure out how to relate to. It always tingles the back of my neck to hear it used as an absolutist insult but given its modern definition - and my politics - it’s been hard to articulate why. This piece helps, so again thank you!
Hi Laura! Thank you so much for reading, and for chiming in. I've been wanting to write something on this topic for a while, and it means a lot to me that it resonated with you.
Your writing is always elegant, beautiful, and deeply necessary. Thank you for putting words to thoughts that I haven't been able to so myself, and for, at the same times broadening my perspective.
I agree that it's vital for us to incorporate a compassionate softness in order to avoid the tribalism approaches that, as you say, "make us smaller."
I appreciate your ability to hold the complexity and nuance here (something we are deeply missing these days— as you mention here). The internet loves drama / outrage / absolutist thinking, but that’s not how the world works or how real change is made. Glad to know another neighbor. Maybe that’s where it starts!
You seem to touch on this, and I do think our (i.e., American Jews) failure to identify and strengthen progressive coalitions in Israel and instead tacitly cede power to Adelson and AIPAC has caused far more long-term damage than we maybe even realized as it was happening over the past 20–30 years.
Regarding violence and attacks in America, though, I'll say anecdotally, I'm more afraid and cautious in Long Beach, CA, than I've ever been. I've shared details elsewhere and would share again, but I'll put something new on my list here. Last week, in our neighborhood (where we've had anti-Jewish graffiti), a car stalked chassidim as they left temple on Saturday morning, a driver yelling slurs and cruising back and forth outside temple. What I feared at the start may actually be coming to fruition, which is the true (versus the, forgive the bad pun, trumped up) anti-Jewish groups are using this as cover for a lot of increasingly bad activity. That's going to lead to more questioning and harassment of protestors, more aggressively bad policies, and hardened defensiveness.
Arguably worse (in my opinion, since I'm permanently and fixedly anti-gun) is our community is talking more about concealed carry and arming themselves in case of confrontation. We, all of us everywhere, desperately need a deescalation, of war, of violence, of words, of… all of the above?
Hi Lee. Thank you so much for reading and sharing your perspective. Yeah, I think the left has almost entirely ceded the space around antisemitism because it complicates the narrative w/r/t distinguishing anti-Zionism from antisemitism. It's been frustrating to me to see fellow leftists wave away the issue, which perhaps, too, is about proving left-wing bonafides, inasmuch as the left seems reluctant to acknowledge that antisemitism is on the rise.
I'm so sorry to hear about your experience in your own community. That is truly terrifying, and it would be awful if it led, as you suggest, to Jews feeling the need to arm themselves.
I appreciate all the time and thoughtfulness that went into this, there's a lot here, and I hope everyone who comes across this essay takes the time to read and reflect on it.
The quote by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò is so helpful and resonant. Thank you for framing this: Choosing movement over going viral through "ambiguity, empathy, the willingness to sit in discomfort as we wait for the bonds of interpersonal trust to emerge and deepen." Thank you for taking space and intention to humbly ground this in your experience and to invite us to the heart work, "one of the few things over which we have control in this mad mad world."
I think the difference between one state and two state progressives is more than one of degree, so perhaps they're not the natural/potential allies you think. If one thinks Israel per se is a settler colonial state, then aligning with 2 state factions may feel akin to aligning with someone arguing that the creation of a black Zimbabwe alongside a white Rhodesia would have been the best solution to that conflict. There's a large conceptual gap there. That doesn't mean, as you've said before, that alliances can't be forged, especially over short term goals. Toleration is often a virtue. But I'm not convinced that the differences are primarily to do with ideological posturing or virtue signalling. The longer term material objectives, as Taiwo puts it, are quite different.
I completely agree that the difference between one state and two states is more than one of degree. A two-state solution would perpetuate Jewish supremacy in Israel, and it would almost certainly not resolve the right of return for the 750,000 Palestinians displaced in 1948, nor the expropriated land. In a perfect world, the goal would, for me, be one state. But as I wrote in the piece: "in the American left’s hunger for ideological purity, many have adopted a litmus test that places political outcomes—the insistence that Israel become a secular, binational state—ahead of human rights." There are many Palestinians who have also criticized the movement for being overly focused on nationalism rather than the more pressing issue of basic human rights. This, to me, is the opening for coalition-building. The Palestinians I know — if you ask them about one state vs. two states — their response is almost always: "please don't ask me that. Just end the occupation, end apartheid, end the killing." This is precisely what I mean about the abstraction of a lot of American left politics. It's not rooted in lived experience but in ideology and theory...
totally. i actually removed my final sentence from the comment before posting because I thought it was maybe necessary, but it more or less said what's in that quote. first thing: "end the occupation, end apartheid, end the killing." I think that's clear. appreciate you responding!
Two states don't work without major Israeli support for and connections with Palestine. The major hurdle for either "solution" is really the same, ISTM: Israelis and Palestinians, but especially Israelis who hold so much more power, would need to recognize that their destinies are not separable - that a peaceful and democratic future for either requires accommodation of the other.
Thank you for capturing a lot of what I (a Sephardic American Jew with family in Israel) have been feeling. You’re absolutely right that Zionist has become a slur that us Jews on the left are trying to figure out how to relate to. It always tingles the back of my neck to hear it used as an absolutist insult but given its modern definition - and my politics - it’s been hard to articulate why. This piece helps, so again thank you!
Hi Laura! Thank you so much for reading, and for chiming in. I've been wanting to write something on this topic for a while, and it means a lot to me that it resonated with you.
Your writing is always elegant, beautiful, and deeply necessary. Thank you for putting words to thoughts that I haven't been able to so myself, and for, at the same times broadening my perspective.
I agree that it's vital for us to incorporate a compassionate softness in order to avoid the tribalism approaches that, as you say, "make us smaller."
Thank you so much for your kind words, and for reading. It means a lot, truly!!!
I appreciate your ability to hold the complexity and nuance here (something we are deeply missing these days— as you mention here). The internet loves drama / outrage / absolutist thinking, but that’s not how the world works or how real change is made. Glad to know another neighbor. Maybe that’s where it starts!
Thank you for the kind words, and for reading!!
thoughtful + compassionate as always, Gabriel.
Thank you for reading, Steven!!!
As always, I’m grateful for your efforts to hold moral clarity together with compassion.
Thank you, Jason!!!
You seem to touch on this, and I do think our (i.e., American Jews) failure to identify and strengthen progressive coalitions in Israel and instead tacitly cede power to Adelson and AIPAC has caused far more long-term damage than we maybe even realized as it was happening over the past 20–30 years.
Regarding violence and attacks in America, though, I'll say anecdotally, I'm more afraid and cautious in Long Beach, CA, than I've ever been. I've shared details elsewhere and would share again, but I'll put something new on my list here. Last week, in our neighborhood (where we've had anti-Jewish graffiti), a car stalked chassidim as they left temple on Saturday morning, a driver yelling slurs and cruising back and forth outside temple. What I feared at the start may actually be coming to fruition, which is the true (versus the, forgive the bad pun, trumped up) anti-Jewish groups are using this as cover for a lot of increasingly bad activity. That's going to lead to more questioning and harassment of protestors, more aggressively bad policies, and hardened defensiveness.
Arguably worse (in my opinion, since I'm permanently and fixedly anti-gun) is our community is talking more about concealed carry and arming themselves in case of confrontation. We, all of us everywhere, desperately need a deescalation, of war, of violence, of words, of… all of the above?
Hi Lee. Thank you so much for reading and sharing your perspective. Yeah, I think the left has almost entirely ceded the space around antisemitism because it complicates the narrative w/r/t distinguishing anti-Zionism from antisemitism. It's been frustrating to me to see fellow leftists wave away the issue, which perhaps, too, is about proving left-wing bonafides, inasmuch as the left seems reluctant to acknowledge that antisemitism is on the rise.
I'm so sorry to hear about your experience in your own community. That is truly terrifying, and it would be awful if it led, as you suggest, to Jews feeling the need to arm themselves.
It's been frustrating to me, as well, and at minimum, I just want to hear, okay this is violence against a minority, we stand by all minorities.
I feel like a quaint idealist saying it, but may we all find our way to peace.
I appreciate all the time and thoughtfulness that went into this, there's a lot here, and I hope everyone who comes across this essay takes the time to read and reflect on it.
The quote by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò is so helpful and resonant. Thank you for framing this: Choosing movement over going viral through "ambiguity, empathy, the willingness to sit in discomfort as we wait for the bonds of interpersonal trust to emerge and deepen." Thank you for taking space and intention to humbly ground this in your experience and to invite us to the heart work, "one of the few things over which we have control in this mad mad world."
Thank you so much for reading, Troy!!! And yes, Táíwó is incredible. If you haven’t read ‘Elite Capture,’ I strongly recommend.
Kudos Gabe - this is spot on!
"Calling Trump supporters “MAGAts” does nothing but make us smaller."
Is this meant to be a self parody?
You’re gonna have to explain yourself; I’m not sure what you’re implying.