Struggling for meaning

Famed British film-maker Mike Leigh has strong opinions about his Judaism:

I’m more comfortable with people having a sex change than converting to Judaism because at least people who have a sex change are motivated from within.

The interview provides a fascinating insight into a man not known for his “Jewish” sensibility.

“That Israelis, for better or worse, bring it [anti-Semitism] on themselves, is all I’ll say”, Leigh says.

Leigh clearly believes that the original idealism of Zionism has shifted from something positive to something problematic. His current play, Two Thousand Years, is a close examination of the search for a Jewish homeland. Journalist Linda Grant explains:

In the play, the daughter, with her Israeli boyfriend, reflects how Zionism has changed from being “something positive and hopeful” to a dirty word. For the family, Zionism has been a disappointment because it has not lived up to its own founding values.

Text and images ©2024 Antony Loewenstein. All rights reserved.

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