Will a Liberal Government in Israel Wind Down the Gaza Mess?

One of the narratives floating around the op-ed media about the Israeli destruction of Gaza holds that the viciousness and violence of the IDF assault would not be happening if Israel’s current governing coalition weren’t in the hands of a bellicose, right-wing cabal led by a guy who has been fervently supported by Donald Trump.

In order to maintain a Parliamentary coalition which can withstand competition from the liberals and the Left, Netanyahu’s Likud party has joined forces with several ultra-right parties, the most active being the Otzma Yehudit party which advocates a complete eradication of all Arabs from both Gaza and the West Bank, and the permanent settlement of Jews in both sites.

Meanwhile, here in the United States, many of the anti-genocide demonstrations occurring on a daily basis not only enlist Jews in the ranks of demonstrators, but anti-Zionist Jewish organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace have become militantly noticeable in the current debate.

For the first time since Israel was founded in 1948, there appears to be a distinct cleavage in the American Jewish community regarding support for the Zionist state, largely reflecting the degree to which American Jews remain overwhelmingly liberal in their political orientation, whereas Israel has been governed off and on by…