After I posted a very positive comment about your essay about Mamdani - which I still stand by - I noticed one short sentence in your post that really "got stuck in my throat." .... You said: "I won’t say Israel fought this war perfectly." You then followed that by saying: “It was long, brutal, and fought under impossible conditions. There’s a lot that deserves close scrutiny and will be debated for years.”
I’m aware that you are extremely critical of how Israel “fought this war,” and perhaps I’m nitpicking here – but given the barbaric nature of Israel’s war against Hamas, to say that "I won’t say Israel fought this war perfectly" is a very unfortunate understatement!
Eli- I was on the Board of Meretz USA about 20 years ago and have active on the American Left for more than 50 years. I've also been fighting - and writing - against BDSers here in Somerville Mass for a very long time. Your "Mayor of Netanyahu, not New York" essay was THE best thing I have seen about Mamdani and related issues....exactly on target! Keep up the great work!
Is Zohran Mamdani the American reincarnation of Karl Lueger? Lueger was elected mayor of Vienna in 1897 by presenting himself as a champion of the “common people” against elites. Despite his wealth and education, he built support through populist messaging, promises of social reform, and attacks on the establishment.
As mayor, he normalized antisemitic rhetoric and promoted discrimination. He also maintained relationships with “court Jews”, Jews who received his protection as long as they served his political or symbolic purposes. One of his infamous statements was, “I decide who is a Jew,” showing how selectively he applied his rhetoric.
Lueger’s approach was highly influential in shaping the thinking of Adolf Hitler, as it demonstrated how bigotry can cloak itself in moral language and appear enlightened or ‘progressive', and how, when public officials adopt and amplify it, they give it an official seal of approval and remove barriers to violence. https://ww1.habsburger.net/en/chapters/i-decide-who-jew
What the Hamas spokesman (Zohan Mamdanzi) won’t tell you: All the money the Palestinians got over the years, From Iran, from Qatar, and even from Israel. Instead of building schools, hospitals, infrastructure. Hamas used it to dig tunnels and build weapons to kill more Jews. 💰🚇💣 For years they built a terror machine, Then attacked and massacred civilians. Who is responsible for the deaths that followed? Hamas — the ones who hide behind women and children in schools and hospitals. 🏫🏥 But hold them accountable? God forbid. Easier to point the finger at The one Jewish state defending itself… So the jihadist project to Islamize the West can keep rolling. 🇵🇸 Read the truth👇 https://behindthenarrative7.substack.com/p/who-was-really-behind-october-7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=bpnge
Even if yair Golan wins there is zero chance that he ever works towards a negotiated two state solution, he is just speaking to a foreign audience, he will never do anything to bring about a two state solution
If he has no authority to DO anything about it, than no. We elect politicians to serve, to DO stuff for us, to get shit done - and “speaking out'“ is not getting shit done, it’s virtue signaling.
You make good points about Mamdani’s elisions, his singular, obsessive focus on Israel and his lack of interest in any resolution of the conflict that does not dissolve the state. However, by soft-pedaling Israel’s military actions at the beginning of the post you weaken the arguments that follow.
If Netanyahu is considered a war criminal, and the US is aiding and abetting in this war crime, then why isn't Mamdani calling for the arrest of Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, etc. Or Putin, or the leadership of China and Sudan. Such hypocrisy!
Because they do not currently have international arrest warrants attached to them. That’s just a fact, although hopefully Donald Trump will have some kind of a arrest wanted attached to him sometime in the future.
Is this bad trolling? Obviously we can't try and sentence criminals from the Trump administration until they're out of power and no longer in control of the courts. After that, I want them punished right next to Netanyahu.
And nobody in China is competing for the “Hitler of our time” label like Netanyahu is. And to anyone trying to bring Putin to justice, I wish them good luck.
“Hitler of our time” is just absolutely ludicrous. Both on character and scale of wrongs there is literally no comparison. But I guess I can understand how you would say this if you read Beinart and Drop Site all day.
After I posted a very positive comment about your essay about Mamdani - which I still stand by - I noticed one short sentence in your post that really "got stuck in my throat." .... You said: "I won’t say Israel fought this war perfectly." You then followed that by saying: “It was long, brutal, and fought under impossible conditions. There’s a lot that deserves close scrutiny and will be debated for years.”
I’m aware that you are extremely critical of how Israel “fought this war,” and perhaps I’m nitpicking here – but given the barbaric nature of Israel’s war against Hamas, to say that "I won’t say Israel fought this war perfectly" is a very unfortunate understatement!
Thanks Ken, and thanks for all the kind words. You're right, and it's not nitpicking. "Perfectly" was the wrong word.
Eli- I was on the Board of Meretz USA about 20 years ago and have active on the American Left for more than 50 years. I've also been fighting - and writing - against BDSers here in Somerville Mass for a very long time. Your "Mayor of Netanyahu, not New York" essay was THE best thing I have seen about Mamdani and related issues....exactly on target! Keep up the great work!
Is Zohran Mamdani the American reincarnation of Karl Lueger? Lueger was elected mayor of Vienna in 1897 by presenting himself as a champion of the “common people” against elites. Despite his wealth and education, he built support through populist messaging, promises of social reform, and attacks on the establishment.
As mayor, he normalized antisemitic rhetoric and promoted discrimination. He also maintained relationships with “court Jews”, Jews who received his protection as long as they served his political or symbolic purposes. One of his infamous statements was, “I decide who is a Jew,” showing how selectively he applied his rhetoric.
Lueger’s approach was highly influential in shaping the thinking of Adolf Hitler, as it demonstrated how bigotry can cloak itself in moral language and appear enlightened or ‘progressive', and how, when public officials adopt and amplify it, they give it an official seal of approval and remove barriers to violence. https://ww1.habsburger.net/en/chapters/i-decide-who-jew
What the Hamas spokesman (Zohan Mamdanzi) won’t tell you: All the money the Palestinians got over the years, From Iran, from Qatar, and even from Israel. Instead of building schools, hospitals, infrastructure. Hamas used it to dig tunnels and build weapons to kill more Jews. 💰🚇💣 For years they built a terror machine, Then attacked and massacred civilians. Who is responsible for the deaths that followed? Hamas — the ones who hide behind women and children in schools and hospitals. 🏫🏥 But hold them accountable? God forbid. Easier to point the finger at The one Jewish state defending itself… So the jihadist project to Islamize the West can keep rolling. 🇵🇸 Read the truth👇 https://behindthenarrative7.substack.com/p/who-was-really-behind-october-7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=bpnge
'Both New York City and Israel would be better off without either of them'- couldn't agree more.
Even if yair Golan wins there is zero chance that he ever works towards a negotiated two state solution, he is just speaking to a foreign audience, he will never do anything to bring about a two state solution
There is no such thing as a liberal Zionist, Zionism is an inherently illiberal ideology
Netanyahu and the idf belong in the hague for the crime of genocide
Netanyahu is a war criminal guilty of genocide
Israel is guilty of genocide
Well said,Any ideas on actions to be taken to ensure positive change
Why is Mamdani so obsessed with Israel? He’s the mayor of the world’s most important city, doesn’t he have better things to do?
Maybe if you guys left him alone from the get go instead of accusing him of being some kind of Muslim spy he wouldn’t have to talk about this bullshit
I never accused him of being a Muslim spy, I don’t even live in New York. I just want to be left alone in quite and he seems pretty obsessive.
An actual war criminal is visiting the cities he’s in charge of and you expect him not to speak out?
If he has no authority to DO anything about it, than no. We elect politicians to serve, to DO stuff for us, to get shit done - and “speaking out'“ is not getting shit done, it’s virtue signaling.
Eli
You make good points about Mamdani’s elisions, his singular, obsessive focus on Israel and his lack of interest in any resolution of the conflict that does not dissolve the state. However, by soft-pedaling Israel’s military actions at the beginning of the post you weaken the arguments that follow.
“Israel hasn’t fought this war perfectly”. Aaah what an understatement!
"Mamdani needs Netanyahu."
This is patently, hilariously false.
This totally misses the point of the video.
If Netanyahu is considered a war criminal, and the US is aiding and abetting in this war crime, then why isn't Mamdani calling for the arrest of Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, etc. Or Putin, or the leadership of China and Sudan. Such hypocrisy!
Because they do not currently have international arrest warrants attached to them. That’s just a fact, although hopefully Donald Trump will have some kind of a arrest wanted attached to him sometime in the future.
Is this bad trolling? Obviously we can't try and sentence criminals from the Trump administration until they're out of power and no longer in control of the courts. After that, I want them punished right next to Netanyahu.
And nobody in China is competing for the “Hitler of our time” label like Netanyahu is. And to anyone trying to bring Putin to justice, I wish them good luck.
“Hitler of our time” is just absolutely ludicrous. Both on character and scale of wrongs there is literally no comparison. But I guess I can understand how you would say this if you read Beinart and Drop Site all day.
Sudan’s leadership isn’t responsible for the genocide in Sudan.