Another excellent article from the Guardian. Best guide to the Israeli political “left” I’ve seen written in English.
“The left in Israel always was the preserve of the European elite. Socialism did not grow out of the socio-economic problems of a local working class, but was transferred, along with Bauhaus, Chopin and Brahms, as part of Zionist idealism. Ideology was not the product of circumstances; it preceded them.”
There are several quibble points with the article. I strongly disagree with the analysis of Barak’s behavior at and post Camp David. The second point is that the author does not stress enough the militarism of the labor party and its satelite “left” parties. By equating Zionism with militarism as most Israelis do, this political group precludes the possibility of any true resoluion of the conflict no less than their right-wing bretheren.
I have also raised the point several times, that the “social” issues can’t be separated from the “political.” Militarism is a tool of a distinct social class to maintain it contol and power. One can’t resolve the social problems without dismantling the military - and vice versa. The parallels to the US are striking.
