Abstract
Liberal Zionists blame Israel’s five decade long occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip primarily on Revisionist Zionist ideology and its manifestation in right wing parties such as the Likud. They also argue that the “Two State Solution”, the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, will forever solve this issue. This paper on the other hand argues that while the Israeli left have divergent opinions from the revisionists on many issues, with regards to the “Palestinian question” and particularly on the prospects of allowing the formation of a Palestinian state, liberal Zionists have much closer views to the right wing than would most like to admit. To demonstrate this, the views of Theodore Herzl, the founder of political Zionism, David Ben-Gurion, the most important actor in the founding years of the state, as well as the approach of left wing Israeli political parties are examined. Finally, it is argued that none of the mainstream Zionist political movements will allow the creation of a Palestinian state even on a small part of Palestine.
Highlights
In The Crisis of Zionism, the highly acclaimed book by Peter Beinart, it is argued that Zionism is in deep crisis due to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
The author argues that in line with the movement’s original liberal foundations, the Jewish state must end its domination of Palestinian Arabs and allow them to establish a state based on 1967 borders
In line with many liberal Zionists, blames Israel’s five decade long occupation primarily on Revisionist Zionist ideology and its manifestation in right wing parties such as the Likud and leaders such as Benjamin Netanyahu. He calls on Liberal Zionists both in Israel and the United States to become active in ending the occupation and alleviating the “crisis” that has plagued Zionism and solving the “Palestinian Question.”
Summary
In The Crisis of Zionism, the highly acclaimed book by Peter Beinart, it is argued that Zionism is in deep crisis due to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In line with many liberal Zionists, blames Israel’s five decade long occupation primarily on Revisionist Zionist ideology and its manifestation in right wing parties such as the Likud and leaders such as Benjamin Netanyahu. He calls on Liberal Zionists both in Israel and the United States to become active in ending the occupation and alleviating the “crisis” that has plagued Zionism and solving the “Palestinian Question.”. By the ‘Palestinian Question’ we mean the central challenge of the Zionist movement since the end of the 19th century regarding what to do with the native Palestinian population living in Palestine This issue has been something that has plagued Zionism until today. The essay will conclude with an analysis of the implications of this more critical view of history
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