The most comprehensive Zionist collection ever published, The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland—Then, Now, Tomorrow sheds light on the surprisingly diverse and shared visions for realizing Israel as a democratic Jewish state. Building on Arthur Hertzberg’s classic, The Zionist Idea, Gil Troy explores the backstories, dreams, and legacies of more than 170 passionate Jewish visionaries—quadruple Hertzberg’s original …
Thanks to Bibi-the-corruptor and his party of patsies, this election is essentially about Israel’s soul
Although no one can predict who will win this election, we should still pronounce Benny Gantz’s inaugural speech last week a winner. After enduring mockery as a sphinx, keeping too quiet, Gantz found his voice, flapped his wings and soared. The speech didn’t offer any new policies. It lacked innovative solutions to Israel’s challenges. That’s …
Election campaigns are like spotlights focusing intense light on a limited number of issues, while rendering others invisible. Clearly, this election campaign will pivot around the Netanyahu corruption scandals, the Hamas and Hezbollah threats, the Palestinian stalemate, Israel’s economic future. Spotlighting those issues will leave other compelling issues in the shadows. As proof, most politicians, …
This may be the first thank-you letter you’ve ever received in The Jerusalem Post, but you’ve performed an important public service. You’ve given a gift to the often-quarreling Jewish people. You’ve outed Progressive hypocrites and Jewish apologists. You’ve imposed moral clarity on an issue that was confusing some people. Your Jew-hatred is so pure, your …
Coincidentally, Rabbi Wilfred Shuchat, the spiritual leader of Montreal’s Congregation Shaar Hashomayim from 1946 to 1993, and Amos Oz, Israel’s great novelist, died within hours of each other in late December. Looking at both their lives illuminates the Jewish people’s two great responses to the destruction of European Jewry. Rabbi Shuchat represented the more religious …
Israel’s election campaign just began and we’re already exhausted. The issues are thorny; the candidates, prickly and silly. But while grumbling, nitpicking, arguing, handicapping and, ultimately voting – it’s worth dreaming too. What do we as Zionists want from the Zionist parties? Yes, democracy is frustrating, even embarrassing. Sometimes, Prime-Minister-Defense-Minister-Foreign-Minister-Health-Minister-Religious-Affairs Benjamin Netanyahu mimics one of …
While our politicians’ Bibi-Bennett-Ayelet, Goodbye Gabbay and Tzipi, Hello Gantz and Glick childish antics are demoralizing, the settler youths’ unpatriotic, anti-Zionist violence is evil. We cannot denounce terrorism committed against us but not by some of us. It doesn’t matter where you stand regarding the territories – it’s about where you stand as a person, …
Last week, the Alice Walker antisemitism controversy shifted from the New York Times to the History News Network (HNN). This time, legendary novelist Walker and a historian stooge proved downright Trumpian in doubling-down on offensive insults and displaying a stunning inability to see how others see them. Walker’s Jew-hatred offended most historians responding at www.hnn.us. …
Last week, at my latest Zionist Salon, trying to launch a new conversation about Zionist Ideas to celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary – this time in Hebrew at Jerusalem’s Menachem Begin Center – someone asked: “the four of you are talking about Zionism – but where do you see Zionism day-to-day in Israel?” Indeed, the prose …
Beware, woe-is-me worriers mourning an Israel-Diaspora rupture – good news! Last week 1,100 people gathered in Palo Alto – yes, in California – to talk Zionism. The idea – spearheaded by the Oshman Family JCC’s Zach Bodner and Tel Aviv’s Reut Institute – was to launch a “Z3” movement reaffirming Jewish peoplehood and redefining Zionism …