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6/16/2025, 10:17:25 PM
>>63847014
>However, it’s pure fantasy that Israel is deeply motivated by communist influences in the current day. They have much more in common with Mormons in the 1800s, Sikhs today, or any number of ethno-religious groups with very strong in-group bonds and fear of existential threats that surround them.
I think communism/socialism was really attractive during a certain time when Jews didn't have their own state, and many states were antisemitic, which made a revolutionary ideology derived from Marxism highly attractive. People don't usually like that shit when things are going well, but when things suck. And there was a strong element in this "Labor Zionism" of Jews becoming worker-farmer-soldiers (in contrast to traditional Jewish occupations, like merchants). If you ever see references to the Palmach (now an Israeli teen show!) those were communists, Stalinists even:
https://youtu.be/lVwpFn3yTrg
But I think the only real legacy of that today is Israel having universal healthcare and 40% of Israeli Jews being "hiloni" (completely non-religious). But beyond that, it's dead. And actually Jewish labor-Zionist nationalism really conflicted with Soviet communism and the alliance didn't survive past the first few years, and Israeli politics began noticeably shifting to the right in the 1970s.
BTW, another 30% of Israeli Jews are "masorti" (religious, but not as a lifestyle). Then there are the "dati leumi" (national religious, or religious Zionist) who are far right, and there are much of them in the IDF. Then you have the "haredi" or ultra-Orthodox who wear 1850s coats and hats, wear long beards, and scream at you if they see any part of a woman's leg. And they comprise 15% of Israel and have tons of kids.
>However, it’s pure fantasy that Israel is deeply motivated by communist influences in the current day. They have much more in common with Mormons in the 1800s, Sikhs today, or any number of ethno-religious groups with very strong in-group bonds and fear of existential threats that surround them.
I think communism/socialism was really attractive during a certain time when Jews didn't have their own state, and many states were antisemitic, which made a revolutionary ideology derived from Marxism highly attractive. People don't usually like that shit when things are going well, but when things suck. And there was a strong element in this "Labor Zionism" of Jews becoming worker-farmer-soldiers (in contrast to traditional Jewish occupations, like merchants). If you ever see references to the Palmach (now an Israeli teen show!) those were communists, Stalinists even:
https://youtu.be/lVwpFn3yTrg
But I think the only real legacy of that today is Israel having universal healthcare and 40% of Israeli Jews being "hiloni" (completely non-religious). But beyond that, it's dead. And actually Jewish labor-Zionist nationalism really conflicted with Soviet communism and the alliance didn't survive past the first few years, and Israeli politics began noticeably shifting to the right in the 1970s.
BTW, another 30% of Israeli Jews are "masorti" (religious, but not as a lifestyle). Then there are the "dati leumi" (national religious, or religious Zionist) who are far right, and there are much of them in the IDF. Then you have the "haredi" or ultra-Orthodox who wear 1850s coats and hats, wear long beards, and scream at you if they see any part of a woman's leg. And they comprise 15% of Israel and have tons of kids.
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