The New Left and the Arab-Israeli Conflict in the United States

The youthful activists who made up the New Left during the 1960s were largely in accord in their opposition to the Vietnam War and their support for the black freedom movement. By contrast, they were deeply divided about how to approach the Arab-Israeli conflict. Some left-wing youth championed the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Palestine studies 2020-04, Vol.49 (3(195)), p.7-21
Main Author: FISCHBACH, MICHAEL R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alliances
Anti-imperialism
Arab Israeli relations
Conflict
Developing countries
Imperialism
Jewish people
LDCs
Left wing politics
Liberalism
New Left
Radicalism
Vietnam War
Youth
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Summary:The youthful activists who made up the New Left during the 1960s were largely in accord in their opposition to the Vietnam War and their support for the black freedom movement. By contrast, they were deeply divided about how to approach the Arab-Israeli conflict. Some left-wing youth championed the Palestinian cause as another example of support for anti-imperialist struggles in the Third World. Malcolm X, the Black Panther Party (BPP), and famous Youth International Party (Yippie) figures Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin felt this way, as did certain members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Other members of the New Left balked at calling Israel an imperialist oppressor and pushed back, including some in SDS, but also groups like the Radical Zionist Alliance. The result was bitter conflict and invective that was worsened by the fact that left-wing Jews, who were present in disproportionately large numbers in the New Left, were represented on both sides of this issue.
ISSN:0377-919X
1533-8614
DOI:10.1525/jps.2020.49.3.7