Pluralism is the opposite of an Ethnostate

6/26/2025

Image: the stealth art piece at my bus shelter, Columbus btwn 93rd and 94th ("Pluralsism is the opposite of an Ethnostate" added by me)

This post is for any compassionate Zionist friends in NYC (yes, JVP comrades, yes radical left comrades—they do exist), who although they have sometimes bristled at my anti-zionist posts, didn’t rank criminal Cuomo, despise Bibi and the Israeli hate machine as much as they despise dRump and know that Israel is starving an entire people to death, babies and all, permanently displacing any survivors, and destroying a whole culture—just as it was done to us 80 years ago... and who nevertheless think we need an ethnostate to be safe.

We love New York at this very moment in time, right? Whether we voted Mamdani or Lander first, we scrappy New Yorkers fought the big money, self-interested political machine. We kicked to the curb the guy who goosed women. We cheered as the handsome, young, newbie Muslim candidate embraced the earnest, experienced middle-aged Jewish candidate. Personally, I played their co-endorsement announcement over and over, and felt so freakin’ proud of being a lifelong New Yorker. We love the diversity in our city when it creates good will. It’s a lot of why we live here, right?

Compassionate Zionists, I propose that a pluralistic community is the opposite of an ethnostate. That an Israel-Palestine with equal rights for all is fundamentally similar to our vision for the best possible New York, where we diaspora Jews go out in the streets because ICE is kidnapping our neighbors, because Black Lives Matter, because we are all immigrants, too, and our beautiful city provided services for our mishpucha when they arrived on the run, and gave them a pathway to citizenship. It folded them into its midst and here we are.

Mamdani was the only candidate who gave the right answer to the inappropriate question of the candidates’ first trip. Only Mamdani would stay right here in our Big Apple, and do his job as the mayor. Of our Big Apple. Our pluralistic Big Apple. Protect everyone, including us Jews. I mean, Adrienne Adams… the Holy Land?? What a corporate suck-up. (I did rank her fourth, for her experience and for where she’s gotten herself as a Black woman politician, but not because I like her. I mean, I ranked Paperboy Prince fifth because they ran on a platform of love and creativity and they educated young ppl about the political process while entertaining the hell out of anyone who followed them. And bc they ran for office in clown make-up and yeah, the process is a clown show.)

Compassionate Zionist friends in NYC (and LA and Chicago and etc.), please consider that a pluralistic community of the kind you have chosen to live in is the opposite of a religious state. Please consider that epigenetic trauma informs how you hold on to the notion that Israel keeps us safe. Do you really think that a fundamentalist religious state abroad is keeping Jews safe? You do know that many people hate us even more now because Israel is murdering Gazan civilians, wiping out their culture, creating the kind of epigenetic and intergenerational trauma we suffer from (and Cambodians suffer from and etc. etc. fill in your genocide here). And because the dRump thugs are perpetuating the lie that Jewish identity of all different kinds is synonymous with Israel. We are not safer for having a religious state abroad. Anti-semitism is real. Not in the way dRump and company define it and exploit it for their evil agenda. But let’s focus on making us safe at home—in our diaspora homes. Give up the idea of a religious state. It’s good nowhere—not in Gaza, either. Okay, maybe at the Vatican, that tiny little island in the pluralistic waters of Rome. But I’m getting off track. Mamdani understands that all New Yorkers need to be safe right here in our five boroughs. So does Lander, btw—and I would describe him as a compassionate Zionist.

I dunno. The Z-word seems to be used so differently by so many people. There’s so much energy lost on defining it. There’s a genocide happening. Call it by any other name and it would smell as foul. Staunch the blood flow. Defund the warmongers immediately. Then go to work on what to do in that wretched part of the world. And meanwhile, look to NYC for a little dose of hope for what we could be as a nation. With affordability and liberty and equality for all. I know I’m a hopeless idealist.

22 Comments

Eve's Blog

I've been blogging since 2010. When I've got writer's block in every other way (frequent), this low stakes riffing to think has been a constant. Over the digital years, I've had a half dozen or so blogs including a travel blog and a reading blog, both on Blogger, and an all-purpose blog on tumblr where I wrote about education, social equity and anything else that sparked me. I also posted some of my published print work on my website. My shit is all over the internet. I'll be using this space for the occasional blog post, now.

Eve

6/27/2025 09:14:09 am

P.N.
I don’t know where I stand on all of the many things you’ve touched upon, but I do know I agree with lots and lots and lots of what you’ve said.

Eve Becker replied
Thank you for considering!!

L.O.
Love this. And I also ranked Paperboy Prince 5th.

J.F.
While no longer a NYer because I reside in CA, the NYer in me is so proud of this vote, scared for Mamdani’s life and a bit agape at the vitriol this win has engendered in the filthy rich. It - this person winning this position - is exactly what the rich fear most. I say, keep the revolution going!

Eve Becker
D.D. I thought of you, among other friends, as I let loose this little rant, this morning. I know you love the diversity of our city as much as I do, and fight tooth and nail for all New Yorkers.

D.D. I read this earlier today and, as you expected, I certainly look forward to sharing my thoughts.

Eve Becker
D.D. I’m going to meditate before I read them to prepare myself for our dialogue. Looking forward to hearing your views and ideas.

Eve Becker
D.D. Also... heads up. I tend to spit out quick first drafts on my blog and then edit. Reread before you light into me, bc I may have doodled around with the language a little, here and there.

A.D.C.
I need to read this again, and wow.
I am part of the most amazing thread of hugely diverse (Muslims from many countries to “anti-slaughter” “Zionists”), thoughtful, Bay Area “Friends of Standing Together” where I learn SO much.
Two SEPARATE items I learned of this morning that I’m just dropping here: ODSI One Democratic State Initiative (!!!!) https://mobadara.ps/en/
And THIS documentary below

Eve Becker replied
Thank you for the resources, A. I look forward to reading them carefully. I follow Standing Together

A.D.C.
Oh DEAR … The next post after the ODSI post was this … from an Israeli-American leader of the Bay Area FOST thread where I got it …
“ I wish I could support them! I tried talking to the organizers and it was very clear they aren’t seriously interested in “all stakeholders”, only Palestinians”
Sigh, no easy solutions. I will look more into the group.

Eve Becker
A.D. C. Why is building bridges while retaining cultural identity so freakin' hard for most people? Maybe they need to spend some time teaching middle school or high school. I know that my career saved me in so many ways...

A.S.
Thank you for writing this as a first generation American I am forever reminded of this wonderful city that tries to embrace all cultures.
Btw- Mamdani is a Bank street graduate, I’d like to hope they had something to do with his humanity.

Eve Becker
A.S. Hi! Yeah, he went to Bank Street with the brother of one of my son's besties. Six degrees of separation. The mishpucha (family) I mentioned in this post? My grandfather was undocumented... and still our city provided for him and embraced him. Let's make this our city again.

6/27/2025 09:15:13 am

L.Z.
This is terrific and echoes all of my sentiments pretty completely. Now is the time for Jews, in particular, to raise our voices in solidarity with this campaign.
I would also like to hear the voices of those of us who by effort or fate or some of both live lives of relative financial ease to proclaim how proud we are to pay our fair share to help
our neighbors , protect those who need protection , control the damn rats and keep the subway moving, and more. For those afraid of the democratic socialist label, I would point out that FDR would be considered a DSA adherent at this juncture.
Go Zohran- no to Islamophobia and Anti- semitism and all forms of racist garbage.
See you on the barricades .

Eve Becker
L.Z. Yup, it would be great to bump into you out there on the streets! Enjoying the solidarity we've been having here on the dread FB.

P.A.
This man carelessly, and tellingly, uses the term “Global Intifada”.
He celebrates it. When that kind of language is used, with context, but without care, it stops being about liberation and sounds more like ‘threat’. And not just a threat that encompasses Southern Sudan, or Eastern Europe, or China v Taiwan, just one that targets Jews - feeding into global hatred.
You aren’t so young that you can’t recall the reality of your parents and their friends and family. “Judenrein” was the language of the Nazis. It meant “cleansed of Jews.” It represented genocide, not justice. It’s one of the filthiest terms in human history.
So when we throw around phrases like “Global Intifada,” we need to ask: Is this really about freedom—or is it just a modern echo of an ancient hate? This kind of rhetoric has no place in any movement that claims to care about human rights, dignity, or a truly pluralistic world. Globalism isn’t about erasing people—it’s about including them. If we truly fight for justice then it has to be inclusive and without leaning on tropes, threats, or coded hatred. If this man claims that he wants to build something better for everyone - he has some work ahead of him and a lot of soul-searching.
He’s not ready to be trusted by Jews, Zionist or not.

Eve Becker
P.A. Agree that the language of the woke left often alienates people--and we're in no position to do that. I know I'm guilty of it, too. I know we need to call people in. Please google and view Zohran recently discussing his use of the term "global intifada." He's learning, he's a quick study, he's absolutely someone we can trust with our great city. Thank you for commenting and being part of the discussion.

P.N.G.
Eve, though your writing is impeccable and always a pleasure to read, I don’t agree with it’s substance. Very dark days are a head for us all if we go down this path with this person. Certainly we need to find a balance in everything but all his policies will kill our greatest city beyond repair or return. Time is now to stop this out of control train dead in its tracks. Think of all our futures the efforts many made to build the greatest city in the world. Let’s not waste it with this devil in sheep’s clothes.

Eve Becker
P.N.G. I love you, cousin, and am so grateful for your voice on my feed. Every single time I make a post like this, I think of my beloved family members whom I am probably upsetting, angering, frightening, triggering. And it makes me sorry and sad. I spent a long time silencing myself in public forums because family is family--and some of my friends I'm writing to in this post are also kinda family. But I'm out now, and will continue to work toward what I think is moral and ethical. Zohran is a friend to Jews--personally and politically, and he loves New York and will make the quality of living in our great city better. Don't believe the rhetoric against him; it's funded by the same ppl who fund dRump. Did you know that in some of the negative ads, his skin was made darker and his beard was made longer? Don't fall for the fear-mongering, please. (And deep disagreements aside, you know that I will always have your back. And that I have the backs of your brothers and their families--and I disagree with them even more profoundly.) Glad you commented, here. XOX

6/28/2025 06:18:53 pm

JB says:
Eve Becker, I know better than to get into this conversation…but I’m genuinely curious how your political community is fighting antisemitism. I understand that one way to feel protected from it right now is to distance one’s self from Israel and condemn the Israeli government. But how exactly does the anti-Zionist Jewish movement raise awareness about the culture of antisemitism? We are all agreed that people marching with tiki torches chanting “Jews will not replace us” are dangerous antisemites, I think? What about the marches and chants of the other end of the political spectrum?

6/28/2025 06:20:48 pm

Eve Becker replied:
JB, The actions of the current government of Israel are fueling massive antisemitism on the left and in the middle through the false equation of Jews with the murderous and inequitable policies of the Jewish state.(We’ve always been used to it on the right, from the tiki torch gang.) By standing up as Jews for justice, we help counter that perception, and share our Tikkun Olam values and our culture— or rather cultures bc we’re not a monolith. This is a highly reductionist answer for the sake of a FB comment. Thank you for asking respectfully.

6/28/2025 06:22:14 pm

JM says: Wonderful piece ❤️✌️

6/29/2025 12:27:38 pm

R.F. said:
so do the kurds deserve a state? the basques? the tibetans? i assume no, according to this logic.

P.A. replied:
R.A.
Or any of these movements:
Somaliland (Somali people) – Declared independence from Somalia in 1991, still seeking international recognition.
Cabinda (Cabindan people) Seeking independence from Angola.
Biafra (Igbo people)
Tuareg people
Western Sahara
Tigray
Barotseland
Kurds
Tibetans
Uyghurs
Kachin, Karen, Shan, and other ethnic minorities (Myanmar)
Baloch
Khalistan
Nagaland
Assamese
Aceh
South Moluccas
Pattani Malays
Papuans
Chechens
Tatars
Catalans
Basques
Corsicans
South Tyroleans
Szeklers
Serbs in Republika Srpska
Albanians
Russians in Eastern Ukraine and Transnistria (Moldova)
Indigenous nations (Canada, USA, Mexico)
Mapuche
Aymara and Quechua
Guarani
Kanak
And does this global intifada include:
400,000 dead so far in Darfur?
Up to 600,000 dead in Tigray?
80,000 in the Chechen wars?
Will it extend to your own occupation of Mannahatta?
Are you for giving back your land to the Lenape people, killed and/or forced to move to Oklahoma through forced displacement? You can’t believe that myth of $24 in beads to a nation that did not share in the same European concept of ownership, can you?

6/29/2025 12:28:28 pm

Eve replied: I'm sure there is plenty of insightful discussion to be had about the kind of Whataboutism raised in the last two comments. On this stream, I’m trying to keep it focused on pluralism vs religious states and the connections with our mayoral race. I’m not qualified to weigh in on solutions that have eluded experts for generations, or to compare them to solutions for different crises in other parts of the world.

6/29/2025 12:29:33 pm

Though I will say that there’s a lot we can learn from the Basques about maintaining cultural integrity while being integrated into a larger society.

6/30/2025 04:58:17 am

P.NG. I see your brothers, their wives, and a couple of cousins of ours have unfriended me. I guess speaking up for what I consider moral and right is going to get me run out of the family. Really hurts. Fuck it. I don’t expect y’all to agree… but I do expect civil discourse and love despite critical political rifts. Grateful you were polite in your very strong disagreement, and that you’re still here. Ouch.

6/30/2025 11:23:50 am

P. N. G. said: Eve, please let’s talk by phone. These kind of important subjects should have verbal overlay. Written communication is not enough, especially on such significant deep personal touching topics. You can’t be run out of the family but clearly many people are offended. This is a very serious topic and religious aspects is only one part. We’ve seen how such a person bringing “free gifts” in difficult moments to many of us in despair plays out, and it always ends terribly.
So, I’m +6 hours best to speak after 1:30pm your time. 😘
Tonight till 4:00pm your time as well as through Thursday. Of course anytime this coming weekend.

6/30/2025 11:24:55 am

P. N. G., you are a mensch. I will call you when I feel strong enough for this phone convo. Sending much love

6/30/2025 11:26:19 am

B. L. said: Eve, you are deeply involved and your understanding and views are valuable. That there are so many comments here shows how important this is to all of us. Your post should receive comments from all sides. Our city and Palestine matter to us. That your post can generate so much intense talk shows how important it is. Imagine what it must be like on the front lines--talk, talk, argue, talk, talk, argue--bomb-kill-talk-argue-bomb. I only hope that your post can help us reach our final goal--peace in the world. My hope is with our 33 year old spitfire who is real, intelligent, and most importantly, cares about us all, regardless of skin color, religious belief, bank account. Eve, keep on thinking and keep on writing.

6/30/2025 11:27:04 am

B.L. Thank you for always showing up for me.

6/30/2025 11:28:05 am

R. D-F. said:
There is much here to digest. And I agree with you. Pluralism is the ideal- absolutely. And I am also concerned about how this will all play out. For example- you cited Black Lives Matter, and believing in justice for the poor Gazans, (terrified of their own terroristic govt, Hamas,) for whom I and many many other Jews have stood up to with support. And not that it is ever tit for tat- but I’ve not seen people of color or Muslim people stand up when Jews are in the crossfire. And why is this? Tikkun Olam is in my DNA, as is being an educator and justice warrior. And we try and do the just thing. And in nyc, it would be nice if there were reciprocity, in equal numbers. Have I missed seeing something? Are Jews assumed to be in power, and therefore not needing of even verbal support, and seen as perpetrators? As a fellow educator, o know you know the misinformation about Jews that is throughout. How many times have I had to teach public school kids how small our population is? How fragile and vulnerable I sometimes feel?

6/30/2025 11:29:22 am

R. D-L., for sure, we are seen by too many as powerful, rich white ppl who need no uplifting and need to be put in our place. But shooting down those myths is the work of a different blog post. TY for engaging!

7/1/2025 10:13:12 am

R. L. said: I could not have articulated any of these ideas better. The world is so painful and you’ve held up a tiny bit of hope and a lot of wisdom. Makes me wish I never left NYC, though sure grateful I found my way to O. Back to my little streets up here!!

7/1/2025 10:14:47 am

E. S. said: Beautifully and ferociously put! Very proud to have had you as my English teacher!

7/1/2025 10:15:43 am

E.S. ❤️❤️❤️ You don’t how happy it makes me when my students show up on my feed

7/1/2025 10:24:46 am

N.L.M. said: This “unfriending” is simply childish. My preschoolers who, angry with a classmate, will say, “You can’t come to my birthday party,” “You can’t play with me” and “You’re not my friend anymore.” I expect this from a four-year-old, not an adult who you’d think would know better. I did not agree with everything you wrote — magnificently, by the way — but, as others have posted here, I applaud and embrace your right to say all of it. 💖

7/1/2025 10:25:57 am

R.C. said: So painful--all the backlash. Even as a goy (particularly as a lifetime New Yorker who has often "passed," if I can say it that way), I have been shocked by some of the Mamdani-as-enemy-of-the-Jews pot-stirring I have seen since the primary. Your comments were sane and thoughtful and considerate--we can only hope that's what brings light, eventually!

7/1/2025 10:26:45 am

C.H. said: I divorced a few close relatives during the last reign of terror (trump admin) because of their blind vehement support of separating families and keeping folks in cages. I saw it as a morality issue. And while I feel sad that our many previous years of civil discourse was no longer possible, it was a divorce I required for my own mental health.

7/1/2025 10:27:34 am

M.N. said: C. H. you made the best choice given the possible options. If people can’t see the evil we are entrenched in now, I say good riddance. Committing these horrific acts of evil, destroying people’s lives and families, even for what they claim is the greater social good, is evil no matter what.