But why is that 22 year old obsessed with Israel in the first place? And do you honestly think that the genocidal antisemites rampaging in the streets of New York last night will stop when there is another PM? For that matter, do you honestly think that pogrom really had anything at all to do with Israel?
As an American it is tough to keep the idea that a Prime Minister can keep power with such a low percentage of the vote. We’re not used to thinking about the implications of having so many parties to chose from. And this makes it easier to conflate Netanyahu with Israel.
Would you write about the Israeli Arab parties?
You mentioned that Bennett and Lapid won’t accept them in the coalition. If I recall correctly, they weren’t in the last anti-Netanyahu either. Both of these seem strange to me from the outside and thus I expect there is much I don’t understand and/or details I’m unaware of.
I think that you should run for the Knesset given thoughtful, incisive, and articulate you are. Merely reading your columns over the past week is making me think that Zionism may not be so bad after all.
And I like your cautious optimism about the Israeli election scheduled for later this year and the possibility of resolving the conflict once and for all.
The wonderful folks at J Street have a similar vision as you about a 23-State Solution.
But, there is one specific point I disagree with you on in this piece. I don’t really see Israel or the United States as functioning democracies at this time because of the policies and conduct of the fools and degenerates who are “leading” them.
Hopefully, that will soon change, to some extent, for both countries.
L’Shalom,
David Hurwitz
Chicago, IL
P.S. FWIW, I entered a contest to win a free trip to Israel-Palestine with the pro-peace organization Standing Together.
David, thank you — really appreciate you taking the time to engage with the piece, and your support. It matters.
On the democracy point: fair pushback, and I’d actually agree more than the piece may have suggested.
I’d put both countries as functioning democracies under serious strain rather than not functioning at all — the Israeli protest movement against the judicial overhaul, the courts blocking the worst of it, Netanyahu still having to face voters later this year.
The US equivalent is the courts holding, midterms happening, independent media still doing its job. All of that is democracy doing the work it’s supposed to do, even if barely. But “barely” is carrying a lot in that sentence, and your point that “functioning” can sound complacent is well taken.
The next year or two will tell us a lot in both places.
Hope you win the Standing Together trip — they’re doing important work.
But why is that 22 year old obsessed with Israel in the first place? And do you honestly think that the genocidal antisemites rampaging in the streets of New York last night will stop when there is another PM? For that matter, do you honestly think that pogrom really had anything at all to do with Israel?
As an American it is tough to keep the idea that a Prime Minister can keep power with such a low percentage of the vote. We’re not used to thinking about the implications of having so many parties to chose from. And this makes it easier to conflate Netanyahu with Israel.
Would you write about the Israeli Arab parties?
You mentioned that Bennett and Lapid won’t accept them in the coalition. If I recall correctly, they weren’t in the last anti-Netanyahu either. Both of these seem strange to me from the outside and thus I expect there is much I don’t understand and/or details I’m unaware of.
Eli,
I think that you should run for the Knesset given thoughtful, incisive, and articulate you are. Merely reading your columns over the past week is making me think that Zionism may not be so bad after all.
And I like your cautious optimism about the Israeli election scheduled for later this year and the possibility of resolving the conflict once and for all.
The wonderful folks at J Street have a similar vision as you about a 23-State Solution.
But, there is one specific point I disagree with you on in this piece. I don’t really see Israel or the United States as functioning democracies at this time because of the policies and conduct of the fools and degenerates who are “leading” them.
Hopefully, that will soon change, to some extent, for both countries.
L’Shalom,
David Hurwitz
Chicago, IL
P.S. FWIW, I entered a contest to win a free trip to Israel-Palestine with the pro-peace organization Standing Together.
David, thank you — really appreciate you taking the time to engage with the piece, and your support. It matters.
On the democracy point: fair pushback, and I’d actually agree more than the piece may have suggested.
I’d put both countries as functioning democracies under serious strain rather than not functioning at all — the Israeli protest movement against the judicial overhaul, the courts blocking the worst of it, Netanyahu still having to face voters later this year.
The US equivalent is the courts holding, midterms happening, independent media still doing its job. All of that is democracy doing the work it’s supposed to do, even if barely. But “barely” is carrying a lot in that sentence, and your point that “functioning” can sound complacent is well taken.
The next year or two will tell us a lot in both places.
Hope you win the Standing Together trip — they’re doing important work.
L’Shalom!
Eli
You may not be aware, but there is also an enormous protest movement in the United States against the Trump regime’s fascist onslaught.