Can the Zionist Left and Palestinian-Israeli Parties Unite?

Published April 14, 2009 @ 07:37PM PT

Daniel Gavron, a veteran leftist in Israel, has made a brave proposal. Calmly analyzing the current (miserable) political situation in Israel, he arrives at a simple conclusion: the Jewish left should unite with the Arab parties in the Knesset.

...the Jewish left must not be afraid to join up with the Arab citizens of Israel. There are currently 11 members of the Arab parties in the Knesset, but there could be as many as 17 if the Arabs bothered to vote in general elections at the same rate that they vote in local elections. The Jewish left should invite the Arabs into an equal partnership, forming an inclusive social democratic party that could be an alternative to the Netanyahu regime. If the approach is made in the right way, the response would surely be positive.

The Zionist left had definitely seen better days. It's voters saw Labor and Meretz adopt the positions of Kadima, and decided to vote for the real thing instead of weak imitators. Israeli Arabs used to award a few Knesset seats to Labor and Meretz. A vibrant coalition of Arabs and Jews might not only expand the size of the left in the Knesset by increasing Arab voter turnout, it could also serve as the needed spark of hope to alter the mindset of Israelis AND Palestinians.

Of course, there already is a political party made up of both Jews and Arabs - Hadash. But it is tainted by too much history, as the parliamentary faction led by the Israeli Communist Party. A grand Israeli left would require massive compromise: Zionists and Arabs would need to accept working together in a party that is only a coalition of short and medium term interests, with no real ideology binding them together. The Jews can still be Zionists, and hope that this will preserve a Jewish-majority state of Israel. Arab leaders will need to adjust to seeing liberal Jews as constituents, and tone down nationalist rhetoric in favor of policy changes that gradually turn Israel into a 'state of all its citizens'.

Many Israeli-Palestinians would probably go along with that, at least for awhile.

I'm not optimistic that this will happen anytime soon. But it's bold. Let's hope Gavron generates some debate around this idea.

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Comments (2)

I was thinking the same thing myself a few weeks ago. As far fetched as the idea may seem, it may be the only hope Israel's left has. Clearly, it will require massive compromise from both Arabs and Jews. But the rise of Avigdor Lieberman and the collapse of Labor and Meretz may force both sides to compromise.

Posted by Gregory Friedman on 04/14/2009 @ 08:16PM PT
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Traditionally, the Zionist "left" favored expulsion of Palestinians from what's now Israel just as much as the right. David Ben Gurion, who orchestrated the mass terror of 1948, started out in the "leftist" labor party, for example. Settlements in the occupied territories were supported by the labor and likud parties. The main Zionist left is and always has been quintissentially zionist, favoring racism, as much as the right.

There's nothing I can see to stop Israeli Jews from joining Arab parties, but I think they really would have to give up being zionists. Offering them an "equal partnership?" Since zionist ideology doesn't accord equal citizenship or rights to Palestinians, this is good, a step up. However well-meaning this Daniel Gavoron is (and I don't mean to disparage his proposal), zionists have too long a record of lies, whitewashes and coverups of mass murder and fake peace offers (with respect to Palestinians) for any believable offer of genuine partnership from them.

Posted by Lyn McKuen on 04/17/2009 @ 05:29PM PT
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Charles is a nonprofit professional with 20 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations in Israel, Palestine and the U.S. For the past few years, he's been specializing in online organizing.