Israel’s Descent
JVL Introduction
Adam Shatz, the LRB’s US editor discusses half-a-dozen recent books on Zionism and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in an extended review essay.
He ranges widely, from the early cultural Zionism of Brit Shalom genuinely seeking to share the land, to the muscular Zionism that became dominant early on, and the genocidal fundamentalism which has now taken over Israeli society.
Zionism’s original aim was to make Jews like any other nation; instead it feeds off and in turn feeds “the tendency of Israeli Jews to see themselves as eternal victims”.
“What we are witnessing in Gaza is something more than the most murderous chapter in the history of Israel-Palestine: it is the culmination of the 1948 Nakba and the transformation of Israel, a state that once provided a sanctuary for survivors of the death camps, into a nation guilty of genocide.”
Shatz’s conclusion is bleak:
“The violence will not cease unless the US cuts off the delivery of arms and forces Israel’s hand. This isn’t likely to happen anytime soon:”
The long arc of history, for the Palestinians, seems hell-bent on turning away from justice.
RK
This article was originally published by London Review of Books on Thu 20 Jun 2024. Read the original here.
Israel’s Descent
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A couple of points; It could be made clearer that starvation is a form of GENOCIDE. There is a tendency to underplay or even ignore US finance and CHRISTIAN Zionist (eg Joe Biden), political protection of Jewish Zionist Crimes Against Humanity.
Very helpful and interesting article.
I would like to read more about why Muslim (especially Sunni) Arab countries say so little in support of the Palestinians. Surely, it is not just because they want Israeli surveillance weapons. They are frightened of offending Israel?