Left - In

Maya Kornberg, writing in Ynet, is upset.

She informs us that the

Israeli left has been plagued by dire branding issues for years; to regain people's support, it must find a way into nation's hearts.

and she opens so

March 17th 2015. One day before the election. An Israeli living in Tel Aviv drives to work through the major Ayalon highway. She stops at the intersection. On either side of the intersection she sees two posters, looming over and exhorting her like the angel and devil on either side.

and then describes her emotional response and, she supposes, of all the "left":

“It’s Us or the Left” declares the Likud poster. Netanyahu looks down with a gaze that conveys the gravity of the threat. “The left,” are bad and dangerous. “We” are the answer. On the other side of the street, Livni and Herzog stare down at the driver, in a poster that asserts, “It’s Us or Him.” “He”, Netanyahu, is bad and dangerous. “We” are the answer.

But who are “we”? Herzog? Livni? The Labor party? The left? The signs typify the central problem of the Israeli left. While Netanyahu’s sign defines left as the enemy, the Labor sign shies away, fearful of branding itself as left. Because what is the modern Israeli left?

Of course, that poster could have been messaging that there are bad policies which are mistakenly adopted by people who are either naive, incredulous, messianically-devoted to peace as an ultimate value (rather than security, for example) or people who have been educated wrongly.

That's what I think.  I try not to personalize my criticism unless, after personal experience, my conclusion is that the person consistently ignores facts, corrections and/or really expresses bias and hate based on ideological motivation or irrational prejudice.

Maybe those who consider themselves "left" should reconsider the way they are seen to be able to be viewed differently and even better.

Then, instead of being left out, they'll be left in.

^