Can Zionism Be Progressive?

In this episode of Chai Talk, I ask Peter Beinart, Editor-At-Large of Jewish Currents and The Beinart Notebook, if Zionism can co-exist with progressive values in light of the war in Gaza?

(Stephanie Keith/Reuters)

A majority of Jewish Americans describe themselves, in different ways, as Zionist. At its most basic, this means they support the creation of the nation state of Israel, and that Jews also have a claim to the land. However, according to a majority of Biden voters, the state of Israel under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu is currently engaging in a genocide in Gaza. Israel is also occupying millions of Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

As a result, there’s been a growing fracture and tension within both progressive and Jewish communities on whether people who support Zionism can be in coalition with a global, multicultural movement attempting to fight back against fascism and hate. These fault lines are being exposed everywhere from college campuses to corporate board rooms.

Can we move past the fissures, or will Zionism have to evolve to address the current reality? I discussed this question with Peter Beinart, analyst and host of The Beinart Notebook, who has been wrestling with this issue for over a decade, beginning with his important book, “The Crisis of Zionism,” and most notably in a recent NYT essay, “The Great Rupture in Jewish Life.”

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