Tony Karon, Rootless Cosmopolitan, October 23:
When the Zionist right in America “defends Israel” by going after one of Israel’s most respected newspapers which happens to tell the truth about the occupation and related matters, it’s not hard to see why Pipes & co. have little cause for optimism. The Zionist moment is over, because most Jews around the world (and even many in Israel) are not inclined to a nationalist view of their Jewishness. And remember, Zionism is not much more than 100 years old, arising along with the nationalist currents of late 19th century Europe that accompanied the breakup of the Hapsburg empire. It’s hardly surprising that in a 21st century where we have had a free choice, almost two thirds of us have chosen to live not in a “Jewish State” but wherever in the world we choose to. Many Israelis today are excercising the same choice. And Jews who are not prone to nationalism have no need to rationalize Israel’s abuses against others.
I… think Karon is largely correct – and I’ve spent years writing about the failure of Zionism to acknowledge its crimes and failings – but debate in the West is one thing, and the reality on the ground in Palestine is another. As Noam Chomsky correctly says, we are currently witnessing the death of a nation, Palestine, in view of the world, and condoned by the major powers. Israel’s never-ending ability to further punish the Palestinians continues.
And the world sits on its hands.