Interesting and well-written; I'm anti-Zionist, but I understand and appreciate the honest and careful perspectives here. At least by the commonality of values (taken as a whole) this is someone I'd be happy to have as a friend rather than someone whose views I find loathsome (but then, many of my friends have been Zionist to one degree or another; it's no surprise).
so i take it you are anti-every former SSR as they now exist as independent nations?
are you anti-the independence of timor leste and south sudan? are you anti-the Dayton accord which brought an end to the balkan wars producing ethnic states including ethnic states within states?
are you anti-palestinian nationalism which has declared itself an iteration of arab and islamic nationalism?
I think you've gotten details wrong in characterising some of the above as ethnonationalist, but whenever a nation declares that it's the homeland for a certain ethnicity and takes strong steps to advantage that ethnicity over other citizens, it's a racist mistake that sets the stage for tragedy.
Many of the places you mention are shitholes. Not necessarily the former SSRs, but many of the rest. Whether they classify as ethnonationalist properly or not, they're terrible places to live and have a long civilising road ahead of them. Israel may be backsliding with terrible high-level leaders (Bibi, Smotrich, and earlier Ze'evi) and racist laws (2018 nationality law) and policies (general deference to the settler movements) but it could be a lot worse. It could be a lot better too.
If Israel were to scrap that law, make sure it never again accepts into the Knesset (much less the cabinet) anyone pushing for ethnic cleansing, reign in the settlers, and end the Law of Return, it'd go a long ways towards making a just society. The Palestinian people likewise have a long way to go, ideally fully towards integrating into Israeli society once they see a society that will treat them as equally welcome.
Even the places that are shitholes have a right to escape genocide. Additionally, plenty of non-ethnic countries are crap, so I don’t know why you bring up that point of contention.
Israel elects whom they choose. Your desires are irrelevant. Your claim that an ethnic country necessarily takes steps to advantage one group over another is not a necessary trait of such states. Additionally you completely ignored the formation of ethnic states as what specifically ended genocides, because it clearly goes against your worldview.
As for Israel, how about you delve on ways in which Palestinians could do better, given that the very best political leadership they have ever put forwarded can only be categorized as slightly better, if at all, than the very worst Israel has.
"They elect whom they choose" doesn't excuse electing people advocating ethnic cleansing. It's unacceptable; they need to stop making that choice, and other nations need to show a willingness to swiftly cut aid and ties to Israel whenever an ethnic cleanser ends up in the cabinet. Smotrich should be someone they're both unwilling to and afraid of having in cabinet. Ze'evi should've been enough of a lesson.
Ethnonationalism is a scourge across the world - nations must not try to be "about" a particular ethnicity.
I've done so at length, elsewhere. Indiscriminate violence goes beyond the justifiability - if they were to focus on settlements with abuse, it'd at least be focused. Anti-semitism in Palestinian schoolbooks needs to end. Having a coherent set of demands that are not excessive and that don't imagine their own ethnic cleansing of jewish people in Israel is important.
Interesting and well-written; I'm anti-Zionist, but I understand and appreciate the honest and careful perspectives here. At least by the commonality of values (taken as a whole) this is someone I'd be happy to have as a friend rather than someone whose views I find loathsome (but then, many of my friends have been Zionist to one degree or another; it's no surprise).
Why are you "anti-Zionist"??
Opposition to all ethnonationalism; I think civic nationalism is the only viable and moral way to build nations.
so i take it you are anti-every former SSR as they now exist as independent nations?
are you anti-the independence of timor leste and south sudan? are you anti-the Dayton accord which brought an end to the balkan wars producing ethnic states including ethnic states within states?
are you anti-palestinian nationalism which has declared itself an iteration of arab and islamic nationalism?
I think you've gotten details wrong in characterising some of the above as ethnonationalist, but whenever a nation declares that it's the homeland for a certain ethnicity and takes strong steps to advantage that ethnicity over other citizens, it's a racist mistake that sets the stage for tragedy.
Many of the places you mention are shitholes. Not necessarily the former SSRs, but many of the rest. Whether they classify as ethnonationalist properly or not, they're terrible places to live and have a long civilising road ahead of them. Israel may be backsliding with terrible high-level leaders (Bibi, Smotrich, and earlier Ze'evi) and racist laws (2018 nationality law) and policies (general deference to the settler movements) but it could be a lot worse. It could be a lot better too.
If Israel were to scrap that law, make sure it never again accepts into the Knesset (much less the cabinet) anyone pushing for ethnic cleansing, reign in the settlers, and end the Law of Return, it'd go a long ways towards making a just society. The Palestinian people likewise have a long way to go, ideally fully towards integrating into Israeli society once they see a society that will treat them as equally welcome.
Even the places that are shitholes have a right to escape genocide. Additionally, plenty of non-ethnic countries are crap, so I don’t know why you bring up that point of contention.
Israel elects whom they choose. Your desires are irrelevant. Your claim that an ethnic country necessarily takes steps to advantage one group over another is not a necessary trait of such states. Additionally you completely ignored the formation of ethnic states as what specifically ended genocides, because it clearly goes against your worldview.
As for Israel, how about you delve on ways in which Palestinians could do better, given that the very best political leadership they have ever put forwarded can only be categorized as slightly better, if at all, than the very worst Israel has.
"They elect whom they choose" doesn't excuse electing people advocating ethnic cleansing. It's unacceptable; they need to stop making that choice, and other nations need to show a willingness to swiftly cut aid and ties to Israel whenever an ethnic cleanser ends up in the cabinet. Smotrich should be someone they're both unwilling to and afraid of having in cabinet. Ze'evi should've been enough of a lesson.
Ethnonationalism is a scourge across the world - nations must not try to be "about" a particular ethnicity.
I've done so at length, elsewhere. Indiscriminate violence goes beyond the justifiability - if they were to focus on settlements with abuse, it'd at least be focused. Anti-semitism in Palestinian schoolbooks needs to end. Having a coherent set of demands that are not excessive and that don't imagine their own ethnic cleansing of jewish people in Israel is important.