The endeavor of Jewish national life in the land of Israel has, from its origins, struggled with the fact that it is the homeland of two peoples, that Jewish heritage clashes with the Palestinian daily life of generations. Too often, attempts to resolve this struggle assume a zero-sum game that pits Jews and Palestinians against each other. The occupation is one of the results.
Emor asks: What if a new approach were possible? Through the Threefold Cord Project (see Kohelet 4:12), we unpack longstanding assumptions about how democracy, nationalism (that is, Zionism), and human rights are intertwined in the Jewish State. This project explores questions such as: What does Israel’s democracy signify to different audiences? What is Zionism in the 21st century, and what could it be? What do we even mean by a Jewish state?