Can a party be leftist and Zionist?

Ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections, Israel’s Young Democrats, the youth wing of the newly formed Democrats party, are seeking foreign allies. They recently announced a joint campaign with the Young Greens of Austria to support “progressive voices on the ground and work with them towards a sustainable peace”.Meanwhile, another youth group described as “leftist”, Hamahanot Haolim (the Ascending Camps), is exploring plans to build a new kibbutz in the occupied West Bank, near Jericho.When questioned about the impact on the Palestinian population, the group’s director, Ilan Gazit, explained that since Israeli settlements are being built regardless, “the left” should make sure it is Israeli “leftists”, not far-right settlers, who populate them. “We aren’t ashamed of this, and we aren’t hiding it,” he said.These two youth movements and their foreign sympathisers appear to treat “leftist Zionism” as a coherent political identity. But can a party, a movement, or an individual be both leftist and Zionist?The short answer, from a Palestinian and anti‑colonial perspective, is no. So why is it touted in Israel and beyond as a legitimate ideological belief? Because it is a political technol...