Sun Feb 02 15:30:00 UTC 2025: **Former Israel Defender Calls for Jewish Reckoning on Gaza in New Book**
NEW YORK, NY—Peter Beinart, a prominent journalist and former staunch defender of Israel, has published a new book, “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning,” urging fellow Jews to confront the moral implications of supporting Israel’s actions in Gaza. Beinart, a professor at City University of New York and contributing columnist for the New York Times, details his own evolution from ardent Zionist to critic, outlining his rejection of core tenets of Zionism and advocating for Palestinian refugee return.
In an interview, Beinart described the book as a message to his community, acknowledging a “pathology” within Jewish spaces where empathy for Palestinians is often lacking. He argues that the American Jewish establishment’s unconditional support for Israel, manifested in various forms from political lobbying to symbolic gestures, constitutes complicity in Palestinian oppression. He believes this support obscures Judaism’s core moral message of human equality, pointing to the Israeli actions in Gaza as a “profound desecration” of this principle.
Beinart emphasizes the need to disentangle Zionism from Judaism, acknowledging the complexities of this relationship. While recognizing the right of Jews to support Israel, he stresses that such support is not inherent to Jewish identity. He also addresses the challenge of engaging with Zionist students, advocating for dialogue and education rather than exclusion.
The recent ceasefire in Gaza, according to Beinart, demonstrates the effectiveness of US pressure, but he expresses pessimism regarding a lasting solution, fearing a return to violence. Despite the grim reality, he concludes with a hopeful vision of collective liberation for both Israelis and Palestinians, a future he describes as a possibility despite lacking concrete evidence of its realization.
First Piper 