Again I ask, Why is the ideological and emotional ferment in the Israeli press not reflected in American media? (I’m not even talking about the Palestinian and anti-Zionist press). But Haaretz understands the existential struggle of all Israelis and Palestinians and is trying to do something. Here, Ze’ev Sternhell in Haaretz opposes “the neoliberalism of the rich on behalf of the rich” (wonderful phrase) and though he tries to redeem Zionism and with it the idea of a Jewish nation and a Palestinian nation, you can see that he cares more about justice. And justice, human rights, these principles will eclipse the old nationalist ideas, are doing so now. Sternhell:
Already today, Zionism, in the simple and initial significance of the term, has vacated its place to radical and ruthless nationalism that is partially racist and seeped in professed antidemocratic tendencies of the kind that already led to huge disasters in Europe in the previous century.
Traditional Zionism was based on two mainstays. It was a movement to save an entire nation from destruction and expressed the natural right of that nation to self-rule. Both of these goals were achieved with the establishment of the state – that was a special hour of benevolence and it was supposed to put an end to the period of conquering the land. That was also the hour in which Zionism was supposed to absorb the liberal principles of human rights and civic equality. The terrible disaster of the Six-Day War destroyed this possibility when it turned Israelis into lords over another nation whose rights were denied. …
Social and political life is not one dimensional; there is no society without politics, there is no economy without political decisions, and there is no worthy life without morals. The correct demand for a revolution, in the way of thinking that will lead to a different social policy, is not cut off from the larger question of freedom and democracy, human rights and the future of the territories; freedom, justice and equality cannot be divided….
Justice is not merely the right to decent housing for Jews, it is also the right to freedom of a nation under occupation. An enormous opportunity for changing the face of Israel’s political culture and charting the face of the future will be lost if the flag-bearers of the protest decide to ignore this truth.
