What The Lever Reported This Week:
• Billionaire Gifts To Thomas: Generosity Or Taxable Income? — If billionaires’ largesse was designed to keep the justice on the high court, experts say the money could be considered a taxable payment.
• Build Back B.S. — Labor activists say a scandal-plagued construction company is taking advantage of Biden’s climate plan.
• Larry Fink’s Big Climate Lie — Coverage of the BlackRock CEO offers an object lesson in how not to report on greenwashing.
• LEFT WONDERING: How Can You Invest In An Ethical Fashion? — Plus, the best books for an introduction to politics.
• YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: Southwest To Pay Up For Holiday Meltdown — Plus, the EPA introduces limits on the toxic gas in the East Palestine disaster, Starbucks has to reopen union-busted locations, and old trees get new safeguards.
Stuff To Watch Or Listen To:
• LEVER TIME: We Need To Talk About Zionism — David sits down with Vox journalist Zack Beauchamp for a candid conversation about the complicated history of Israel’s foundational ideology.
• MOVIES VS. CAPITALISM: The Muppet Christmas Carol (w/ Wren Mack) — The MVC team analyzes a zany adaptation of Charles Dickens’ iconic holiday story.
• LEVER TIME PREMIUM: Big Tech Is “Attention Fracking” Our Brains — David speaks with Princeton professor D. Graham Burnett about our weakened attention spans and the profit driven motive causing it.
This comment is for the podcast "We need to talk about Zionism".
Zack Beauchamp says that the only way that Israel can be both democratic and Jewish is by adopting Aharon Barak's plan which is "Jewish identity of the state to mean that. Not a religious one, but, and I quote, the sense that Jews have a right to immigrate here and that their national experience is that of the state. By which he means you use Hebrew as the official language, you make Jewish holidays official holidays, uh, and, and Jews can have preferential immigration rights in part to reflect the history of Jewish persecution abroad."
However he says that this may take a 100 years drawing an analogy with America which when founded had slavery legally but over time has changed to what it is now.
I don't believe that it will take a 100 years. For the following reasons.
1. Colonialism was not recognized as such when America was formed but it is an extensively studied concept and widely accepted now. America was a settler colony and now Israel is the last settler colony.
2. The idea that Israel as being only for the Jews is a throwback to times in 1800s, but we live now in the 21st century and all people, including Israeli citizens know this.
3. Information could not be shared across the world at that time but now information is shared across the world at lightening speed. What America did to the Native Americans was not widely known but what Israel is doing to the Palestinians is widely known. This has isolated the US in the United Nations because it gives unconditional support to Israel.
4. If Israel continues along its current path, it will be a pariah in the world. Jews all over will have to twist words to justify this crime against humanity that Israel is committing in Palestine.
5. American Jews are strong and mostly liberal. They should give wide publicity to judge Aharon Barak's plan. American Jews will be the savior of Israel if they do this.