“The Jews in America abandoned Israel when they voted for Obama.”
I worked for an Israeli company. They are liberals to the left of the average liberal here. Their country started off communist. (Kibbutz’s are communal...communist...associations.) Although most Kibbutz’s have failed and morphed into something different, I think the Israelis are close to their political roots. The ones I know who went back have dual citizenship and were registered Democrats here. Every party I attended turned into a bash Bush fest.
Didn’t Stalin fall out with Israel because they (as Socialists at the time) choose the US as an ally? That may answer a lot to how the leftist Jews are. The conservative ones live in real-ville.
I will not argue with anything g you’ve experienced. However just to point out one extremely critical difference between the kibbutzes and communism — the participants of the kibbutzes joined them voluntarily. Also they may leave anytime they wish. Since everyone naturally associates “ communism” with tyrannical dictatorships, forced “membership” or enslavement, and the loss of individual liberty, I never use that term when discussing the kibbutzim. It conveys a terribly inaccurate image. (The term “ voluntary communes” is quite workable, IMHO) Just a small thing in a way, but also it has some importance. Interestingly also, while the small kibbutz segment of Israeli society contributed a disproportionately large number of leadership people, the greatest economic growth and success in that country has taken place since it took several steps back towards more free markets and capitalistic investments. Thus, even the voluntary form of socialized living has pretty much failed to outdo a more competitive model But yes, there are still some people who choose to remain in kibbutzim and from the interviews I’ve seen it appears that mode of life is quite agreeable for some folks. I say, fine and dandy — it’s their choice as free citizens — and all the very best to them! Best regards.
Ex-pats tend to be liberal and anti-nationalist. KLibbutzniks were never a majority and were only so prevalent because they collaborated with the British to keep Revisionist Zionists out. Israel did not become communist, much to the chagrin of the Soviet, leading to their repeated attempts to destroy Israel. Israel is less socialists today than pre-Thatcherite Britain.