43 Comments
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Jana L Stewart's avatar

"Liberal" zionism sounds a lot like "kinder-gentler" nazism. Oxymoronic.

Christopher Frank's avatar

March 2025 poll commissioned by Pennsylvania State University, which found that 82% of Jewish Israelis supported the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. This is an increase from previous years. Killing All Inhabitants: Approximately 47% of Jewish Israelis affirmed that the army should act like the biblical Israelites at Jericho and "kill all inhabitants" of a conquered enemy city. Amalek" Concept: About 65% of respondents believed in the existence of a modern-day "Amalek" (a biblical enemy), with 93% of those believing they should be "erased". So tired of people framing this as “Netanyahu’s war.”

Joe Wrote's avatar

It's so frustrating when people pretend the Israelis want peace. They very much do not.

Christopher Frank's avatar

In the end, we are judged by our actions and Israel’s actions are everywhere evident for the world to see. Up until only very recently Bernie Sanders refused to use the word genocide; he kept calling it “Netanyahu’s war” so as to isolate, deflect and run cover for Israel’s general population. The UN looked at 75 years of Israel’s policies, practices and procedures concluding it is an apartheid state as defined by international law (a finding confirmed by every, as in each and every single one, humanitarian organization in the world) and the intention is elimination of Palestinians. Importantly almost everyone in Israel served in the army, so no distinction between the military and so called general population.

Jim Farmelant's avatar

Many years ago the godfather of far right Zionism Rabbi Meir Kahane in an interview with French journalists logically deconstructed liberal Zionist ideology. I never had any liking for Kahane but the man was right about the contradictions of liberal Zionism.

Joe Wrote's avatar

It’s always interesting to compare the views of American liberal Zionists with Israeli zionists. While the former will make excuses for the latter, Israelis are much more blunt in admitting the nature of their project.

ymg's avatar

Hilarious. As if you Western poseurs didn't use every trick and excuse in the book to disguise the fact that you support the death or displacement of 10 million Israelis to "free Palestine." It's hilarious as you try to square your genocidal fantasy with the desire to believe you are good people. Guess what -- you aren't good people. Embrace it. At least then you will be honest.

Christopher Frank's avatar

Here, apropos, Ezra’s “Nothing, we can do.” Lately, the Democrats have begun openly questioning military aid to Israel, but that isn't enough. Rather, Americans must demand an arms embargo and targeted sanctions to achieve a small measure of justice for all of Zionism’s victims.

https://mondoweiss.net/2026/04/ending-aid-isnt-enough-we-need-sanctions-and-an-arms-embargo-on-israel-now/

Joe Wrote's avatar

Agreed. Arms embargo is crucial.

Shazia Ahmad's avatar

Excellent analysis and I commend you for listening to Klein. The last time I listened to his podcast was in 2023, when he interviewed Tareq Baconi and left me appalled at his lack of knowledge. To be fair, he admitted in the prologue that there were things he learned from Baconi but I was shocked he did not already know them.

Joe Wrote's avatar

That's the thing about big-name pundits. They're often in echo chambers and less informed than the average person on important issues. I think Ezra Klein has been successful because he knows how to appear like an expert on things he doesn't know a lot about. But the Gaza issue reveals the depth of their knowledge. Which is at best, incomplete.

Amanda Ianthe's avatar

Really well written and interesting insight about grieving process. And I learned a lot - I didn't realize public opinion was moving so much and influencing the democrat party.

Lots of good stuff. But this line stood out "It would be “safer” if every person except me were put in prison. But my “safety” is of far lesser importance than the right of everyone else to be free."

Joe Wrote's avatar

Glad you liked it!

That's the hidden issue behind terms like "national security." Everything is a balance between liberty and supposed security. Just because someone says they feel "unsafe" doesn't mean their wish to oppress others should be granted.

Amanda Ianthe's avatar

Oh. Wow, that is the tension isn't it? Or one of the great tensions: Freedom vs. Safety. It's at the heart of so many political debates, but we never talk about it honestly.

"That's the hidden issue behind terms like "national security." Everything is a balance between liberty and supposed security. Just because someone says they feel "unsafe" doesn't mean their wish to oppress others should be granted."

It reminds me of the other tension: "what do we owe each other? How should we protect/treat our most vulnerable?" that's also at the heart of so much. If we talked about the underlying logic behind the debate, we would get further I think.

Parrhizzia's avatar

Been waiting for this.

Joe Wrote's avatar

I aim to please

Joe Wrote's avatar

I aim to please

Evan Stern's avatar

Great work, as always.

Joe Wrote's avatar

Thanks man!

Ken Kovar's avatar

Great article, i think the next phase of the dying is at hand…

Joe Wrote's avatar

It will be interesting to see where these guys go from here. If the Democrats completely abandon Israel, will they adjust? We'll see.

Parrhizzia's avatar

“There is no bargain to be made.”

Correct.

Neither “Israeli Jews” nor America. Zionists have a veto over the human rights and self-determination over the Palestinian people.

An excellent article.

Joe Wrote's avatar

Thank you!

Fellow Traveler's avatar

Good analysis, as usual. Another reason Zionism does not square with the liberal mindset of Yglesias, Klein, et al, is that they are economic neoliberals who believe in the sanctity of private property. This does not fit with the Israel project which is based on property theft.

GeeElleOweAreEyeEh's avatar

The precursor to private property is theft.

Bloviating Ignoramus's avatar

A lot to unpack here. First maybe we should stop having opinions on opinions and just state our own opinions. I have no idea who the fuck this Hasan Piker is but apparently he is the long sought Joe Rogan Of The Left. I really don't give a shit what Hasan Piker thinks. Or Ezra Klein Jonathan Chait or anyone else.

There are no good actors in the Israeli Palestinian conflict. They have been at each others throats since the foundation of Israel and before. No doubt Zionist terrorism was instrumental in the formation of Israel but before the Naqba there was Farhud in 1941 where Arabs driven by Nazi propaganda attempted to drive Jews out of Iraq but the Brits intervened on the side of the Jews and crushed it. The point being that neither side wants to coexist. Both sides want it all. But let's be clear what Hamas is. Hamas is not just Palestinian resistance but Islamic resistance as well. Like all Islamofascists they wouldn't know what to do with peace. Just perpetual war with the non Muslim world. Hamas is orders of magnitude worse than Zionists but Israeli Zionists behaving like Nazis in the West Bank are rapidly closing that gap. But what else Hamas is is the elected government of Gaza and as such fairly or otherwise Gazans bear collective responsibility for what their elected government does in their name. Let's be clear. First Hamas needs to go. Then Bibi and his buttplugs Shmotrich and Ben-Gvir (or maybe the other way around) need to go. If not locked up in jail Bibi should be locked up in a mental institution for enabling Hamas this long as a pretext for not negotiating a 2 state solution.

Jim Adams's avatar

Joe, It’s clear that you have made a conscious choice to use the term “Zionism” in your writings. I understand its dictionary definition while also understand that the term has been closely associated with racism focused on Jewish people in a number of contexts and is often a dog whistle for prejuidice. For me, that association makes reading you increasingly uncomfortable. Would you write some time about the reasons for your choice?

Joe Wrote's avatar

Sure. I use Zionist to describe the believers in the Zionist political project, defined as the creation and protection of a Jewish ethnostate. Zionists can be Christian (Mike Huckabee), Jewish (Ezra Klein), or even an atheist (Bill Maher). Though the term is closely associated with Judaism, there are far more Christian Zionists than Jewish ones.

letterwriter's avatar

Did you revive your dormant account just to attempt this tone policing? Zionism is fundamentalist Judaism. People who knowingly adhere to it are only worthy of contempt, and they are a primitive, tribal group who are collectively a danger to modern civilization.

FionnM's avatar

I would love to see an example of an Arab nation which is democratic.

Jaron's avatar

Israel. The only democracy to commit genocide in the middle east.

GeeElleOweAreEyeEh's avatar

More ziosplaining: Canada's PM Mark Carney, the darling of the liberal class, tells Palestinians that a "zionist Palestine" is their path to peace. . .

ymg's avatar

Hilarious. Well, at least you are honest @ROADHAUS. Ignorant and retarded, but honest. I respect that at least you don't disguise your genocidal goals behind transparent "thnostate" or "it's because I care" posturing like @Joe Wrote. Good for you.

FYI, its OK to be hated by ignorant retards.