Fault Lines Episode 11: IfNotNow and Zionism Today
Image by Gili Getz
The Israeli occupation in the West Bank has polarized the American Jewish community. One demonstration of this fact is in IfNotNow, who has emerged as one of the most influential movements on the Jewish left. Members of IfNotNow are expressing their disdain for Israeli policy by actively pushing American Jews to stop supporting the occupation.
In the 11th episode of Fault Lines’ first season, Daniel Gordis and Peter Beinart discuss IfNotNow, its protest at AIPAC, and its implication for the future of the American Jewish community. Peter Beinart has written about IfNotNow in the past, from a complimentary and critical perspective, and espouses a generally favorable opinion towards the young group. At the beginning of this podcast, Daniel Gordis calls them naive, and stated that he “was infuriated” by IfNotNow’s actions at the AIPAC Policy Conference.
Listen to “Fault Lines Season 1, Episode 11” on Spreaker.
While listening along to the podcast, you may be confused about certain points that Gordis and Beinart bring up. IfNotNow’s website shows their platform, their blog, and their future actions.
Inside of the building that IfNotNow was protesting, AIPAC held their annual policy conference to bring people together to demonstrate “the full scale of pro-Israel activism in three powerful days,” according to their website.
Ahad Ha’am and Theodore Herzl’s battle for Zionism is widely discussed among Zionists. To understand their battle, Mosaic wrote extensively on the approaches to Zionism that each took, and how it affected the current state.
Do you believe the two-state solution is still viable? Let us know in the comments section.
Let the world know what you think about Fault Lines – rate our episodes, and share your thoughts in a review on iTunes.
Download episodes here. Subscribe to Fault Lines and listen anytime.
Check out our Fault Lines episode guide here.
Support for Fault Lines comes from Edward Blank, whose generosity makes this program possible, and from readers like you.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
