American Prestige Bonus - Liberal Zionism After Gaza w/ David Klion (Preview)
Nov 23, 2025
David Klion, a writer and editor known for critiquing liberal Zionism, discusses the recent upheaval in American Jewish identity following the Gaza conflict. He delves into the collapse of the liberal Zionist project and how the events of October 7 forced a reckoning among its supporters. Klion highlights the generational shift within American Judaism, the institutional failures of public figures to hold themselves accountable, and the rise of new voices in media. His insights provide a thought-provoking examination of the deepening fractures within American liberalism.
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Formative Israel Trip Shaped Zionist Belief
- David Klion recounts his liberal Zionist upbringing and a formative month-long trip to Israel as a teen during the last serious hopes for peace.
- He remembers the optimism around Rabin and the Camp David talks as shaping his belief that peace and two states once felt possible.
Liberal Zionism: Intellectually Dead, Civically Alive
- Klion argues liberal Zionism remains a living civic religion even if it's intellectually indefensible to reconcile with liberal ideals.
- He says most American Jews and many liberal Israelis held this view up through October 6th, 2023.
Framing Israel-Palestine As Long-Running Settler Conflict
- Klion frames Israel's posture since the Camp David collapse as prolonged settler-colonial conflict lasting decades.
- He acknowledges debates but states that Israel has been in open settler-colonial war against Palestinians for about 25 years.