The Progressive Zionist

 

 

Politically, I am, a Progressive (specifically, a lifelong Democratic Socialist). That’s considered to be a little farther on the Left-Wing than being Liberal.  I would venture to say that I am in agreement with practically all of the “wish lists” that  “The SquadAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New YorkIlhan Omar of MinnesotaAyanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of MichiganJamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri) has put forth.  In fact the only change to what they have proposed is that I think the Federal Minimum Wage needs to be $20/hour to start (mostly because they’ve been fighting about $15/hr for almost ten years, and inflation has really eaten that $15 up).  Also, increases in the Federal Minimum Wage would apply to all workers (including “tipped” workers) and it would be tied to the inflation rate and raised automatically when inflation increases. Other than that one thing, I believe that across the board “The Squads” proposals have a lot of merit.

I differ on one subject though and it’s a big one. So big in fact that many Progressives, no matter how much you may agree with them on other subjects, will brand you a “right-wing, red-neck, Trump supporting moron” if you disagree with it.

You see, I am also a Zionist.  You can read elsewhere in my blog for the whys and the hows and the supporting history of this, but I wholeheartedly and unabashedly believe that Israel not only has the right to exist, but that Israel’s treatment of the so-called “Palestinians” is right and just.  I believe that the land Israel liberated from Jordan during the 1967 “Six-Day-War” is Israel’s to do with as they see fit. I also believe, because history states the truth of this, that the country of Jordan, which was created out of the majority of the land of “Mandate Palestine” by the British, is the Palestine that Palestinians should live in, if they don’t don’t wish to live peacefully among the Jews.

Because I believe this one thing; and even though I agree with all the other things in the Progressive agenda, I am “anathema.”  “I am slandered, libeled, I’ve heard words I’ve never heard in the Bible.” (Paul Simon)

They criticize Republicans for being lock-step behind Trumps lies.  How is this really different?  The Quakers, and I’ve been a Quaker (an adherent of the Religious Society of Friends) in my past, are the worst. Apparently every single Quaker organization on the planet believes that Israel is “occupying Palestine,” practicing Apartheid, genocide, and colonialism. All demandable lies of the sort that insane conspiracy theory believers adhere to.  But believe them they do.  The PLO and Hamas propaganda arms have been very, very successful in promoting their lies, and Quakers have drunk the kool-aid.

They don’t read, or don’t care to read, history. That is very, very sad.   The Quakers used to stand for the truth. And usually they do. But they’ve got it so very very wrong this time.