“Bannon and the Trumpian right have discovered what Jews have known for a century: That Zionism is built, in part, on the rejection of Diaspora Jewish identity”

Bannon and the Trumpian right have discovered what Jews have known for a century: That Zionism is built, in part, on the rejection of Diaspora Jewish identity. That’s especially true today, as a rising Orthodox population pushes Israel toward greater nationalism and secular millennial Jews push American Jewry further away from nationalism.

The real question isn’t: How can Steve Bannon oppose American Jewish political culture while embracing Israeli political culture? That’s easy. The real question is how long liberal American Jewish Zionists can straddle the divide the between the two.

Peter Beinart, “Why Steve Bannon likes nationalist Israel but dislikes internationalist American Jews”, Haaretz (23 November 2016) [http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.754805]