Issue: Liberal ZionismRSS feed

This top photo of a 1950s-era MAPAM socialist-Zionist celebration of May Day (distributed by Creative Commons.org CC by 2.5) accompanied my History News Network review article, “The Decline and Fall of Socialist Zionism.”  Tal Elmaliach, a young Israeli historian, has written a book (cover below) with a double focus: 1) the leftwing MAPAM political party and […]

The following is the May 14th statement of Ameinu (The Third Narrative’s sponsor) on the new Netanyahu-Gantz coalition government, and the statement of J-Link, the International Progressive Jewish Network to which Ameinu is a constituent member: Ameinu Says No to Annexation, Calls on Labor Ministers to Oppose With the formation of a new government of […]

This post borrows from a longer feature in Fathom, the British online journal: “Democratic Socialism, Israel and the Jews: An Interview with Michael Harrington (1975), with new preface by Mitchell Cohen (2020).”  Most of what follows is from the newly-written preface: Michael Harrington [1928-1989] was America’s most eloquent voice for democratic socialism for decades.  . […]

On Feb. 11, Yossi Beilin spoke at New York University’s Taub Center for Israel Studies where he has an appointment for this semester.  A member of both the Rabin and Barak governments, he was a leading actor in the Oslo Peace Process and later headed the Meretz party.  He relates a compelling story of how […]

Over 25 years ago, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin complained about the anemic support of AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) for his government’s efforts at peace, prompting the launch of a more dovish organization within the pro-Israel American-Jewish community, the Israel Policy Forum.  But AIPAC’s rightward trajectory has continued.  One of our colleagues, David […]

Most Jews engaged with their heritage are aware that Theodor Herzl was the founder of Zionism as an organized international movement.  Sadly, most are unaware that the World Zionist Congress that Herzl convened in Basel, Switzerland in 1897, still functions and holds elections approximately every five years.  The Congress determines the policy directions and funding […]

A number of Third Narrative colleagues were eager to discuss Sen. Bernie Sanders’ article in Jewish Currents magazine, “How to Fight Antisemitism.”  Steven Lubet has blogged twice on Sanders’ essay, beginning with praise for Sanders lauding (in the Senator’s words) “the enormous achievement of establishing a democratic homeland for the Jewish people after centuries of […]