8 reasons why Leftists should be pro-Israel
Alan Krinsky makes eight cogent arguments why Leftists ought to be pro-Israel. Each one requires Leftists to look themselves in the mirror and ask why they viscerally oppose Israel. Will the Leftists listen? Based on the comments at HuffPo, I'd say that a third to a half are thinking about it - but they may be the same people who thought about it before.I thought this comment from Krinsky was most interesting.
I thank readers for posting comments. I want to emphasize one point, missed by at least most of the critics of my essay. My central argument is that there is a difference between criticism and demonization, and that much anti-Israel sentiment and expression is of the latter type and disproportionate to the situation in international and historical context--to the extent that many of Israel's attackers wind up promoting values they ought to oppose and opposing values they ought to promote. I argue that even well-intentioned critics of Israeli policy ought to agree with this claim. Therefore, individual accusations against this or that Israeli policy does nothing to refute my argument. Indeed, the burden of proof ought to be with those who insist that Israel is the worst criminal in the world, if not in all of history, and thus more deserving of U.N. sanctioning than any other nation by far. (Others might be interested in exploring the sociological reasons for the singling out and demonization of Israel, but that's another story.)He's describing what Natan Sharansky calls the Three D's.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:47 AM
3 Comments:
Good arguments, but they're addressed to a Left that almost no longer exists--the patriotic, liberal (in the true sense of the word) Left to which most of the founders of the state of Israel adhered, and which now has been almost totally conquered by the unpatriotic, illiberal Marxist branch of the Left which has been at odds with Zionism since 1920 (when the organizers of the 2nd International refused entry to Zionist delegates despite them being socialists, on grounds that Zionism was an "agent of oppression".)
1) Human Rights: The Marxist Left isn't about human rights, only about using "human rights" to bludgeon its opponents. Women stoned in Iran don't get the same human rights as Phakestinians denied coriander.
2) Internationalism: Marxists have an end of internationalism, but various nationalisms can be temporarily supported in order to attain it. Which nationalisms? Why, "enemies of our enemies" of course, like the Phakestinians.
3) Peace: Takes a back seat to [the Marxists' idea of] justice, hence "No peace without justice!"--no peace until the dictatorship of the proletariat rules the whole world.
4) Anti-Authoritarianism: Marxists have a problem with authoritarianism only when they're not the authorities themselves.
5) Human Dignity and Equality: As with "human rights", the Marxist Left acknowledges those only against enemies; Jews and Christians under dhimmitude and all people under Communist jackboots can do without those niceties.
6) Anti-Discrimination: Ditto.
7) Self-Defense: The enemies of Marxism aren't allowed self-defense. If you're a Frenchman trying to defend himself from the "youths" or a Zionist State from a sea of bloodthirsty savages, that doesn't matter, you're the oppressor.
8) Progress: That means toward the worldwide Marxist dystopia, and as a consequence, requires tearing down Marxism's enemies by any means possible.
All those points present a deep incompatibility with Zionism, which is and has always been about having an independent state for the Jews. If it looks like Israeli Jewish society has moved to the Right, this is mainly because the Left's shift of its anti-nationalist, Marxist branch to the mainstream leaves nationalists no alternative but adopt right-wing sentiments.
Good arguments, but they're addressed to a Left that almost no longer exists--the patriotic, liberal (in the true sense of the word) Left to which most of the founders of the state of Israel adhered, and which now has been almost totally conquered by the unpatriotic, illiberal Marxist branch of the Left which has been at odds with Zionism since 1920 (when the organizers of the 2nd International refused entry to Zionist delegates despite them being socialists, on grounds that Zionism was an "agent of oppression".)
1) Human Rights: The Marxist Left isn't about human rights, only about using "human rights" to bludgeon its opponents. Women stoned in Iran don't get the same human rights as Phakestinians denied coriander.
2) Internationalism: Marxists have an end of internationalism, but various nationalisms can be temporarily supported in order to attain it. Which nationalisms? Why, "enemies of our enemies" of course, like the Phakestinians.
3) Peace: Takes a back seat to [the Marxists' idea of] justice, hence "No peace without justice!"--no peace until the dictatorship of the proletariat rules the whole world.
4) Anti-Authoritarianism: Marxists have a problem with authoritarianism only when they're not the authorities themselves.
5) Human Dignity and Equality: As with "human rights", the Marxist Left acknowledges those only against enemies; Jews and Christians under dhimmitude and all people under Communist jackboots can do without those niceties.
6) Anti-Discrimination: Ditto.
7) Self-Defense: The enemies of Marxism aren't allowed self-defense. If you're a Frenchman trying to defend himself from the "youths" or a Zionist State from a sea of bloodthirsty savages, that doesn't matter, you're the oppressor.
8) Progress: That means toward the worldwide Marxist dystopia, and as a consequence, requires tearing down Marxism's enemies by any means possible.
All those points present a deep incompatibility with Zionism, which is and has always been about having an independent state for the Jews. If it looks like Israeli Jewish society has moved to the Right, this is mainly because the Left's shift of its anti-nationalist, Marxist branch to the mainstream leaves nationalists no alternative but adopt right-wing sentiments.
The comments of the leftist anti-Zionists on Krinsky's post seem to be saying, "so what, it's Israel that we choose to vilify." The left does not care about Krinsky's points.
The temptation to lash out at the left is very very strong, even when it goes against liberals that support Israel. If you are liberal and don't disavow anti-Zionists then you may as well support them.
No sympathy for malshinim here.
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