Lamentations of Youth: The Diaries of Gershom Scholem, 1913-1919, p. 324
And this conclusion from a new book:
The narrative pleads with the reader to resist the temptation of escapism and normalization, and rather than ignore the decline of spiritual Zionism, to look again at exilic life as an alternative to Zionism and national redemption...and
...For Scholem, responsibility for the collapse of the spiritual dream lay mostly on the shoulders of the followers of Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the “climbers on the iron wall” – an allusion to Jabotinsky’s article from 1923 calling on his right-wing followers to erect a figurative iron wall that would separate Jews and Arabs. Zadoff ties this critique back to a letter to his friend Werner Kraft, in which Scholem wrote: “Metaphysically, we lost in the Land of Israel the battle that Zionism won in the world.”
This last quote demonstrates Scholem’s more general understanding of Zionism. In another letter he admitted: “It does not matter anymore, how we interpret Zionism, after its face has been revealed (and now is the time of decision, we cannot disillusion ourselves any longer), even when it is turned against itself, like the face of the Gorgon.”
Of course, the 'Iron Wall' was not a matter of simple separation but of self-defense. No one more than Jabotinsky sought coexistence, cooperation and civility with the Arab minority.
The stupidity of intellectuals.
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3 comments:
Well, I think the ramblings of Peter Beinart are akin to a used prophylactic. This drivel is too silly for words. His description of 'Zionist despair,' whatever that might mean, is so overwrought as to be gut-bustingly hilarious. You can just see him slavishly bent over his keyboard, working with such tender concern-trolling to pull the exactly correct literary reference from the Giant Closet of High-Falutin' Tropes. Thus, we are gifted with Gorgons, no less. "Temptations of escapism," sums it up, alright.
From the clever little tag--"the stupidity of intellectual"--to the anonymous comment about "used prophylactic" I was immediately disappointed to see on a blog where the subject matter of is interest the prevailing tone and mentality make it just another part of the great opinion glut. It's a shame, but that's obviously what the people that engage in this kind of thing enjoy. I hope you all enjoy playing with each other.
Dear Anon 10:45 -
thank you for expressing support on behalf of the right to free speech (just kidding. you seem too aloof to permit such a freedom). as far as i know, to be critical, you should at last attempt to disprove by using facts and logic opinions with which you disagree or think unsatisfactory. do you want to try again?
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