I am a “Progressive Zionist.” What does that even mean?
Let’s start with “Progressive”:
The progressive agenda encompasses a range of political philosophies and policy goals that advocate for social reform and a more active, expanded government to address societal ills. While the historical Progressive Era (late 19th and early 20th centuries) focused on issues like trust-busting and women’s suffrage, the modern progressive agenda has evolved to include specific priorities in economic, social, and environmental justice.
Core Principles of Modern Progressivism
Modern progressive thought is generally rooted in the concept of social justice and the idea that unregulated capitalist markets create inherent inequalities that must be managed through government regulation and social protections. Key principles include
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- Economic Justice: Advocating for policies that reduce income and wealth inequality.
- Environmental Protection: Emphasizing strong climate action and measures to eliminate pollution, noting the link between environmental harm and marginalized communities.
- Strong Democracy: Working to get money out of politics, eliminate corruption, and protect and expand access to voting rights.
- Global Peace and Diplomacy: Prioritizing diplomacy over military intervention, cutting the defense budget, and promoting a rights-based international order
Key Policy Proposals:
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) has outlined a specific legislative agenda, often referred to as the “Progressive Promise” or the “Progressive Proposition Agenda,” that includes proposals such as
- Healthcare: Realizing a universal, high-quality healthcare system (often “Medicare for All” or expanding Medicare) and lowering healthcare costs.
- Wages and Labor: Securing a living wage (e.g., a federal minimum wage of $15/hour or more), protecting the right to organize unions and bargain collectively, and ensuring paid family leave.
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- Tax Reform: Reforming the tax code to ensure the wealthy and large corporations pay their “fair share,” including measures like a billionaire minimum tax and increased taxes on corporations with large CEO-to-worker pay gaps.
- Climate Change: Taking urgent and transformative action on climate change, building on legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and ending subsidies for the fossil fuel industry.
- Social Safety Net: Expanding Social Security benefits, investing in care for seniors and people with disabilities, and providing affordable childcare and debt-free college options.
- Criminal Justice and Immigration: Ending mass incarceration, advancing equal justice under the law, and establishing humane and fair immigration laws with a path to citizenship
These policies aim to deliver structural change that empowers working people and addresses systemic inequalities
What is a “Zionist?”
A Zionist is a person who supports the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. generally in the form of the State of Israel. What makes someone a Zionist is the belief that the Jewish people form a distinct nation and, like all other peoples, have a moral and historical right to a sovereign state and a safe haven in the Land of Israel.
Key Aspects of Zionism and Being a Zionist:
A Political and Nationalist Movement: Modern Zionism emerged in the late 19th century in Europe as a secular political movement, largely in response to widespread antisemitism and the rise of ethnic nationalism, which argued that Jews would only be safe in their own sovereign state.
Support for Israel’s Existence: Today, the term primarily refers to support for the continued existence and security of the State of Israel as a Jewish homeland.
Diverse Perspectives: Zionism is a broad, “big tent” movement that includes people with a wide range of political and religious views, including progressives, conservatives, secular individuals, and the religiously observant Zionists often disagree on specific Israeli government policies, such as the specifics of borders or the settlement movement.
In summary, a person becomes a Zionist by subscribing to the core belief in Jewish self-determination in the Land of Israel and supporting the existence and protection of the modern State of Israel as the embodiment of that right.
Some say that being a Progressive and being a Zionist are oxymoronic, but the fact of the matter is that there is nothing contradictory in the two positions and in fact they are complimentary.
The State of Israel as it exists today embodies and demonstrates everything within the Progressive agenda:
1) All citizens of Israel, Jew, Moslem, Arab, Druze, Christian, atheist or agnostic enjoy all of the rights outlined in the
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2) All citizens (and resident non-citizens)of Israel enjoy free universal, healthcare (something Progressives in the United States have fought for for decades).
3) FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION: Education from age 3 through age 18 is not only free but compulsory.
4) All citizens of Israel have the right to enter any profession they wish.
5) All citizens of Israel have the right to vote in all elections for representatives in the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament), as well as all elected offices such as local mayors.
6) All citizens of Israel have the right to marry or form domestic partnerships with whomever they may choose, and with anyone that chooses them.
Contrast that, with “Progressives” who today support the Palestinian cause:
From September 2005, Palestinians living in Gaza have for all intents and purposes enjoyed the rights and privileges of having their own country, and electing their own government. Since withdrawing all Jews from Gaza, Israel has, with a few exceptions, allowed Gaza to be free. Gazans elected the terrorist group, Hamas, to be their government on January 25, 2006. Since then womens rights within Gaza have been practically eliminated and women are coerced into wearing Hijab. In other countries under Islamic Sharia Law, women wear the head-to-toe Burqa. Educational opportunities for women have been severely restricted, and women my not leave their homes without a male chaperone.
One thing I noticed from watching news stories coming from hospitals in Gaza: no women work in hospitals, or at least I have not seen any.
In Gaza, LGBTQ rights have been eliminated, and the death penalty has been implemented against Gazans who are found out to be Gay or Lesbian.
Gazans have no right to vote. The last election held was the one on January 25, 2006.
In conclusion: it is obvious to me, as it should be to you, that support for the State of Israel is the only logical stand that true Progressive can take.
