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Last update - 10:52 13/02/2009
Does Zionism legitimize every act of violence?
By Gideon Levy
Tags: Meretz, israel news 

Click here for exclusive Haaretz coverage of the elections in Israel

The Israeli left died in 2000. Since then its corpse has been lying around unburied until finally its death certificate was issued, signed, sealed and delivered on Tuesday. The hangman of 2000 was also the gravedigger of 2009: Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The man who succeeded in spreading the lie about there being no partner has reaped the fruit of his deeds in this election. The funeral was held two days ago.

The Israeli left is dead. For the past nine years it took the name of the peace camp in vain. The Labor Party, Meretz and Kadima had pretensions of speaking in its name, but that was trickery and deceit. Labor and Kadima made two wars and continued to build Jewish settlements in the West Bank; Meretz supported both wars. Peace has been left an orphan. The Israeli voters, who have been misled into thinking that there is no one to talk to and that the only answer to this is force - wars, targeted killings and settlements - have had their say clearly in the election: a closing sale for Labor and Meretz. It was only the force of inertia that gave these parties the few votes they won.
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There was no reason for it to be otherwise. After many long years when hardly any protest came from the left, and the city square, the same square that raged after Sabra and Chatila, was silent, this lack of protest has been reflected at the ballot box as well. Lebanon, Gaza, the killed children, cluster bombs, white phosphorus and all the atrocities of occupation - none of this drove the indifferent, cowardly left onto the street. Though ideas of the left have found a toehold in the center and sometimes even on the right, everyone from former prime minister Ariel Sharon to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has spoken in a language that once was considered radical. But the voice was the voice of the left while the hands were the hands of the right.

On the fringes of this masked ball existed another left, the marginal left - determined and courageous, but minuscule and not legitimate. The gap between it and the left was supposedly Zionism. Hadash, Gush Shalom and others like them are outside the camp. Why? Because they are "not Zionist."

And what is Zionism nowadays? An archaic and outdated concept born in a different reality, a vague and delusive concept marking the difference between the permitted and the proscribed. Does Zionism mean settlement in the territories? Occupation? The legitimization of every act of violence and injustice? The left stammered. Any statement critical of Zionism, even the Zionism of the occupation, was considered a taboo that the left did not dare break. The right grabbed a monopoly on Zionism, leaving the left with its self-righteousness.

A Jewish and democratic state? The Zionist left said yes automatically, fudging the difference between the two and not daring to give either priority. Legitimization for every war? The Zionist left stammered again - yes to the beginning and no to the continuation, or something like that. Solving the refugee problem and the right of return? Acknowledgment of the wrongdoing of 1948? Unmentionable. This left has now, rightly, reached the end of its road.

Anyone who wants a meaningful left must first air out Zionism in the attic. Until a movement that courageously redefines Zionism arises from the mainstream, there will be no broad left here. It is not possible to be both leftist and Zionist only in accordance with the right's definition. Who has decided that the settlements are Zionist and legitimate, and the struggle against them is neither?

This taboo must be broken. It is permissible not to be a Zionist, as commonly defined today. It is permissible to believe in the Jews' right to a state and yet come out against the Zionism that engages in occupation. It is permissible to believe that what happened in 1948 should be put on the agenda, to apologize for the injustice and act to rehabilitate the victims. It is permissible to oppose an unnecessary war from its very first day. It is permissible to think that the Arabs of Israel deserve the same rights - culturally, socially and nationally - as Jews. It is permissible to raise disturbing questions about the image of the Israel Defense Forces as an army of occupation, and it is even permissible to want to talk to Hamas.

If you prefer, this is Zionism, and if you prefer, this is anti-Zionism. In any case, it is legitimate and essential for those who do not want to see Israel fall victim to the insanities of the right for many more years. Anyone who wants an Israeli left must say "enough" to Zionism, the Zionism of which the right has taken complete control.

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      1.   NO NETANYAHU/ NO BARAK! 04:30  |  AMERICAN JEW 12/02/09
      2.   I love you Gideon Levy 05:44  |  Brett 12/02/09
      3.   Israel needs a clearly defined raison d`etre 05:53  |  W. Brown 12/02/09
      4.   Gideon Levy 06:02  |  Brian Murphy 12/02/09
      5.   They must talk with the really existing Pals 06:13  |  fritz t. 12/02/09
      6.   Gideon, the real Zionist left is out on the street. 08:51  |  Tzfonit 12/02/09
      7.   Failure of the Left 08:58  |  Ron 12/02/09
      8.   Gideon YOU ARE NOT FROM THE LEFT 09:24  |  Baruch Gold 12/02/09
      9.   does zionism legitimize violence? 09:25  |  elliot 12/02/09
      10.   The injustice of 1948. Answer to Gideon Levy 09:29  |  Sceptic 12/02/09
      11.   Does anti-Zionism legitimize terrorism? 09:32  |  Ariel 12/02/09
      12.   square logic 09:33  |  dani 12/02/09
      13.   You need to define Zionism first 10:03  |  sh 12/02/09
      14.   The Left`s challenge ahead 10:38  |  Mustapha Estephan 12/02/09
      15.   Thank You 10:45  |  Derek 12/02/09
      16.   We`re all rooting for you, Gideon 10:46  |  David 12/02/09
      17.   Gideon Levy 10:49  |  Yocheved 12/02/09
      18.   #38 Barach Gold. Please tell us more... 11:06  |  Maureen Ann 12/02/09
      19.   But, that is ZIONISM. 11:41  |  Singer 12/02/09
      20.   Does Israel have a conscience? 11:50  |  Tim Enright 12/02/09
      21.   Left-conflicts 12:12  |  Jan Vlaming 12/02/09
      22.   Zionism IS Violence 12:22  |  Peter 12/02/09
      23.   Great stuff. But the problem is.... 12:30  |  chelemer 12/02/09
      24.   Sceptic 12:37  |  Marilyn 12/02/09
      25.   Embarassed to be Zionist! 13:02  |  Jeremy Sulzbacher 12/02/09
      26.   No it isn`t, Jan Vlaming #21 13:12  |  sh 12/02/09
      27.   That`s why I voted ... 13:16  |  kobi 12/02/09
      28.   Thank you, Gideon 13:22  |  Mitch Katz 12/02/09
      29.   WHY? 13:41  |  indrajaya 12/02/09
      30.   #4 Brian Murphy,"sympathetic to Israel" 13:47  |  Hastaroth 12/02/09
      31.   Gideon sinks even deeper 13:50  |  peter 12/02/09
      32.   To Gideon 13:53  |  MOT 12/02/09
      33.   What is the Zionist left? 14:01  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/02/09
      34.   Does retardation legitimize every moronic article? 14:13  |  Sam 12/02/09
      35.   What is your fight, Tzfonit? 14:41  |  Sceptic 12/02/09
      36.   Thanks Gideon 14:47  |  Bulent 12/02/09
      37.   Why bother 14:49  |  Jim USA 12/02/09
      38.   Its all done 14:49  |  hmjoccim@gmail.com 12/02/09
      39.   Where Gideon Levy is useful 14:54  |  GIL 12/02/09
      40.   To my Australian opponents 14:55  |  Sceptic 12/02/09
      41.   What peace looks like 15:01  |  Jim USA 12/02/09
      42.   Terrorism in Palestine 15:05  |  Bibi 12/02/09
      43.   Does Levy legitimize every act of Arab violence? 15:11  |  Yacov 12/02/09
      44.   LEFTISH and, like it or not, yet zionist 15:13  |  Agustí 12/02/09
      45.   Well written 15:13  |  Jan Pospisil 12/02/09
      46.   what is the Zionist left? 15:27  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/02/09
      47.   Talk peace and make war 15:38  |  Bitin Dawg 12/02/09
      48.   to Ron #7 - 2nd try 15:56  |  zeev 12/02/09
      49.   Zionism Has Joined the Camp 15:56  |  Yaakov Sullivan 12/02/09
      50.   You know what Tim E. Jews also have a religion that teaches them 16:32  |  Jacob Blues 12/02/09
      51.   # 11 Ariel "does anti zionism legitimise terrorism 16:33  |  jeyster 12/02/09
      52.   to MOT #31 & Sam 32 16:42  |  zeev 12/02/09
      53.   This is correct. 17:00  |  Joe 12/02/09
      54.   The left 17:15  |  Johannes Beutler 12/02/09
      55.   YES GIDON 17:20  |  gadi 12/02/09
      56.   Who is an extremist? 18:18  |  Shlomo 12/02/09
      57.   Missing the entire point 18:26  |  Rachel Carter 12/02/09
      58.   What the elections have shown is that people 18:38  |  Simha 12/02/09
      59.   #6 Tzfonit 18:38  |  BDS 12/02/09
      60.   Gideon Levy 18:38  |  Daniel Serota 12/02/09
      61.   Thank you for speaking truth to power 18:39  |  Deborah Bright 12/02/09
      62.   Apparently there is equal despotism on the left side of the aisle 19:59  |  Jacob Blues 12/02/09
      63.   Zionism Has Never Solved Its Dilemma 20:37  |  Yaakov Sullivan 12/02/09
      64.   to Ron #7 - 3rd try 20:44  |  zeev 12/02/09
      65.   Jacob Blues 20:47  |  Janice 12/02/09
      66.   to MOT #31 & Sam 32 - 2nd try 20:48  |  zeev 12/02/09
      67.   #33 Joe , What do you think is the reason ? 20:50  |  TOMY 12/02/09
      68.   gideon levy 21:22  |  GIL 12/02/09
      69.   Gideon Levy 21:45  |  American 12/02/09
      70.   Post-Zionists with No Where To Go 21:52  |  UsedToPostHere 12/02/09
      71.   Dear Gideon, if it were not for you ... 22:33  |  Edith 12/02/09
      72.   American On Confronting the Rightists #46 22:45  |  Yaakov Sullivan 12/02/09
      73.   Gideon, you`re Pastor Niemoller outside your cage 22:48  |  Colin Wright 12/02/09
      74.   A voice of sanity 22:55  |  david 12/02/09
      75.   Gideon Levy 23:15  |  Josh 12/02/09
      76.   #26, sh 23:18  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/02/09
      77.   gideon levy is not loyal 23:45  |  chalom 12/02/09
      78.   gideon, i see you did not put out my first post 23:58  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/02/09
      79.   Visionary Gideon 00:20  |  Westwell 13/02/09
      80.   Obama needs to give an economic stimulus package to Caterpiller 00:21  |  Pablo B 13/02/09
      81.   there were no winners in last election 00:26  |  amazed 13/02/09
      82.   Actually Janice, what I`ve found is the bulk of the censorship is 00:27  |  Jacob Blues 13/02/09
      83.   CJK on being out of touch 00:55  |  sh 13/02/09
      84.   Re-reading Gideon`s lament makes clear that he is not 01:04  |  Jacob Blues 13/02/09
      85.   The feet speak; or why Gideon`s cloth renting is so shallow 01:11  |  Jacob Blues 13/02/09
      86.   After Gideon blows his nose he needs to face the mirror 01:18  |  Jacob Blues 13/02/09
      87.   Not Right to Abandon Zionism to the Right! 01:55  |  JP 13/02/09
      88.   One more reminder, while wishing for the days of wine and roses 01:57  |  Jacob Blues 13/02/09
      89.   Gideon Levy 03:38  |  Cyasher 13/02/09
      90.   I like Abbas` idea to reject Likud like Hamas... 04:56  |  Dutch 13/02/09
      91.   Utopian burps by Gideon Levy 05:30  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 13/02/09
      92.   Every act of violence? 05:58  |  jim the mechanic 13/02/09
      93.   What are you? 06:23  |  Harry 13/02/09
      94.   PETER Zionists settled for partition,they also accepted the Peel 06:43  |  PETER SM 13/02/09
      95.   #83, sh 06:59  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/02/09
      96.   Gideon Levy, You bring up a very important question 07:36  |  Dutch 13/02/09
      97.   94, No Cipora, you are side stepping the issue 08:27  |  Dutch 13/02/09
      98.   to chalom #77 - 2nd try 08:45  |  zeev 13/02/09
      99.   Israel needs normalisation 09:20  |  Honi 13/02/09
      100.   to peter #31, from Montreal 09:43  |  zeev 13/02/09
      101.   to PETER SM #93 10:26  |  zeev 13/02/09
      102.   Mr G. Levy, thanks for your good analysis. 21:20  |  Amnon 14/02/09
      103.   I agree with Gideon Levy, who is normal, humane, and reasonable 22:38  |  Ivar 14/02/09
      104.   Fully agree with Brett 23:24  |  Mike 14/02/09
      105.   All I know is 23:47  |  Nathan 14/02/09
      106.   israel 00:31  |  peter shapiro 15/02/09
      107.   American Jews Stop Supporting Israel 00:47  |  Will 15/02/09
      108.   Idiotic leftists, shall you all die from hands of terrorists 12:20  |  Benyamin 15/02/09
      109.   You are a courageous man 19:01  |  Adam 15/02/09
      110.   Levy`s new movie: "How the Left was lost" 08:35  |  Joe Sittizen 16/02/09
      111.   How come 13:18  |  Kat 16/02/09
      112.   #26 Sh 14:13  |  Jan Vlaming 16/02/09
      113.   to Joe Sittizen #110 20:48  |  zeev 16/02/09
      114.   self defense 17:42  |  Alex 18/02/09
      115.   For crying out loud, it`s "A land without A people" 18:51  |  Robert 20/07/09
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