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Progressive or Zionist — The Jewish Left’s False Binary

JL;DR SUMMARY Joshua Hoffman discusses the complexities of identifying as both a progressive and a Zionist, challenging the perceived binary choice between these identities. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish DiasporaJewish IdentityZionismNational SecurityProgressive JudaismLiberal ValuesPolitical IdentityCultural ComplexityMoral Nuance

Places mentioned

Los Angeles, California, United States
"first in the northern suburbs of Los Angeles, and then at a relatively liberal public university in San Diego."
San Diego, California, United States
"first in the northern suburbs of Los Angeles, and then at a relatively liberal public university in San Diego."
Israel
"So when I arrived in Israel, I found that my ideological toolkit from California didnt fit the reality in front of me."
Japan
"Japan doesnt have rockets aimed at its schools."
Jerusalem, Israel
"A position that seems liberal in New York may be nave in Jerusalem."
Paris, Île-de-France, France
"A policy that seems conservative in Tel Aviv may be progressive in Paris."
Norway
"Norway doesnt have suicide bombers on its buses."
Canada
"Canada doesnt have to worry that international bodies will condemn it more than Iran."
Iran
"Canada doesnt have to worry that international bodies will condemn it more than Iran."
Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv District, Israel
"In reality, Israel is a noisy, pluralistic, maddening, and deeply democratic society that blends conservative security needs with liberal social policies in ways that often surpass Western nations.This is a country with universal healthcare, a thriving public education system, and one of the highest rates of female entrepreneurship in the world."
New York, United States
"A position that seems liberal in New York may be nave in Jerusalem."

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Cairo Item ID 50827
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Retrieved 2025-05-04 05:30:43 UTC
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