We Need To Talk About Zionism

25 snips

Dec 21, 2023

In this episode, David Sirota and Zack Beauchamp discuss the potential backlash to right-wing Zionism after Israel's violence in Gaza. They explore the concept of liberal Zionism, its historical context, and its tension with creating a democratic Jewish state. The podcast delves into the decline of liberal Zionism in Israel and the potential for its revival. The hosts also discuss the history of peace negotiations, the attack on the Israeli left, and the challenges of achieving a Jewish and democratic state.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Exploring the Emotional Impact of 'Zionism' in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

02:09 • 2min

The Evolution of Zionism

04:31 • 18min

The History of Peace Negotiations and the Rise of Right-Wing Parties

22:41 • 4min

The Attack on the Israeli Left and the Potential Revival of Liberal Zionism

26:41 • 22min

The Tension Between Liberal Zionism and Democracy

48:22 • 11min

The Resurrection of a Political Tradition

59:03 • 2min

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp, who recently authored a provocative article about how Israel’s mass violence against Palestinians in Gaza could prompt a backlash to right-wing Zionism and a resurgence of the “Liberal Zionist” political tradition.

The modern debate surrounding Zionism tends to be fraught, accompanied by decades of historical baggage and confusion over the term’s many meanings. In a literal sense, Zionism is defined as, “the belief that there should be an independent Jewish state.” Today, the dominant concept of Zionism is embodied by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is using the term to justify the mass murder and displacement of Palestinians.

But historically, Zionism also encapsulated the concept of liberal Zionism, which imagines an independent, democratic Jewish state that could offer equal rights to all of its citizens, including Palestinians.

In today’s discussion, David and Zack explore whether the war in Gaza will ultimately result in the return of the liberal Zionist tradition. They also break down the definition of liberal Zionism and how it’s differentiated from other forms of Zionism. And they discuss the collapse of the liberal Zionist movement within Israel, and the inherent tension between liberal Zionists’ desire for a Jewish homeland and their stated support for creating a real democracy.

A transcript of this episode is available here.

Links:

The Return Of Liberal Zionism? (Vox, 2023)

BONUS: This past Monday’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, features David Sirota’s interview with Princeton history professor D. Graham Burnett, who recently co-authored an op-ed in The New York Times about the detrimental effects of our ever-diminishing attention spans. This is due to what Graham and his co-authors have dubbed “attention fracking” — Big Tech’s profit-driven strategy to keep your eyes glued to the screen for as long as possible.