There is a particular form of Zionism that thrives on college campuses, within academic circles, and among liberal movements and opinion pages, known as Liberal Zionism.
It manages to express two contradictory ideas together: a strong commitment to a state whose laws and symbols are designed to prioritize its Jewish character, and a belief in democratic principles of equality for “all.”
That has always been a comforting story for those who avoid confronting the harsh reality of the state of Israel, an apartheid state built through brutal colonial force by eradicating the native people, the Palestinians, from the land.
At the same time, we are told in the U.S. that Israel is our “friend of the Middle East” and the “only democracy” in the region.
Politicians tell us that we can support a two-state solution as a concept, a quick fix, and diplomatic cover without questioning or acknowledging the struggle of the Palestinian national liberation movement against a colonial force that is displacing them while promoting “diplomacy.” It was a convenient fictional story, a way of understanding the situation that allowed people to ignore the realities of the Palestinians and their cry for sovereignty and justice. It was a way to deceive people in the U.S. into thinking that we just need to vote for the right people who believe in a two-state solution that can help Israelis and Palestinians coexist.