What's Left?

I’m a very lucky person. Being Israeli ensures life is never dull. It also gives me a home, a community and a sense of identity wherever I go in the world. Being born in England and having spent about half of my life outside of Israel also means I am horribly aware of how Israel often comes out in the global media. Many pro-Israel activists insist there is a double-standard employed against Israel, while many anti-Israel activists will tell you that on the contrary, Israeli actions are often under-reported and ignored. The truth, as ever, lies somewhere in the middle, and it’s in that middle ground that I wish to place my blog.

There is occasionally a sense that being left-wing is part of a package that includes opposing Israel, and that the two are mutually inclusive. Combating this ridiculous notion is another reason why I decided to start this blog. While I don’t know whether to define myself as liberal, social democrat, liberal democrat or any of the myriad of labels that are out there, or even whether it is right to search for that definition, I know that I land within the moderate left of the political spectrum on most issues. I believe that Israel can and should be a fully democratic and Jewish state guaranteeing full equality to all its citizens. I also unfortunately feel that we’re not yet there.

As you may have gathered by now, I am not only left-wing, but also a proud Zionist. That term is so often abused to meet varying political ends that very few people (in Israel or abroad) use it in its proper context. In my next post I will expand on this; but in short it means that I believe in the right of the Jewish people to a homeland in Israel, otherwise known as self-determination. That in itself is a concept that historically belongs to the left more than to the right. Any other political views I hold about Israel should be held apart and examined separately.

So now you know a bit about me; who I am and what motivates me to write. One last thing; I hope my blog upsets and provokes you. The stories and issues I hope to address are well worth getting upset over. Feedback is always appreciated, and if you like what you read, feel free to subscribe to the blog, and/or follow me on twitter @saharzivan.

 

Sahar