We bring your attention to two recent pieces in the online magazine +972. The first is by our frequent contributor, independent scholar Thomas G. Mitchell. The second is by the Israeli pollster and political commentator Dahlia Scheindlin, who discusses (among other things) her background in the Labor Zionist youth group Habonim-Dror and her decision to make aliya:
Call it colonialism, call it occupation – just don’t call it ‘apartheid’
By Thomas Mitchell +972 Blog (Published May 5, 2014)
‘Apartheid’ is rapidly becoming the new political term of condemnation and delegitimization in international politics. But is it truly the best description of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians?
By Dahlia Scheindlin (Published May 6, 2014)
Zionism has come to refer not to the many ways of building Israel, but to a litmus test. Any answer other than ‘I am a Zionist,’ is akin to being un-American in the 1950s.
Zionism has come to refer not to the many ways of building Israel, but to a litmus test. Any answer other than ‘I am a Zionist,’ is akin to being un-American in the 1950s.
Unfortunately Thomas is not familiar with the basic definitions of apartheid, so he went off on the wrong track in his post. Better to do some basic review of the literature before spouting off on apartheid,as noted here:
http://972mag.com/on-the-israel-apartheid-analogy-yet-again/90628/
Ted