(Apologies for the length of this post)
Arava
In May 2005, I rode my bicycle from Jerusalem to Eilat. It’s been 20 years, and my backside has still not forgiven me.
It was a 5-day, 500km bike ride from Jerusalem to Ashkelon to Golda Park (south of Beersheva) to Mitzpeh Ramon to Kibbutz Ketura to Eilat. Along with about 100 others from Canada and the US, we rode to raise money for the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies based in Kibbutz Ketura.
The Arava Institute is a world-class environmental institute that brings together Israeli, Palestinian, American, and Jordanian students to study the environment. Given that the environment is not confined to geopolitical borders, the Institute strives to improve the lives of everyone in the Middle East. Per their website: In the hyper-arid, drought-stricken Middle East, one resource is more precious than water: Trust.
Though the fundraising obligations for the ride were challenging (as were the uphill segments leading out of Jerusalem), the experience was tremendously rewarding. We began in Jerusalem on Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day), arriving in Ashkelon just before dusk and the start of Israel’s 67th Yom Haatzmaut (Independence Day).
The next morning, Yom Haatzmaut, we biked past the partygoers emerging from their tents on the Ashkelon beach after an all-night concert. We were soon parallel to the Gaza Border, and saw orange everywhere. This was, after all, going to be the final Yom Haatzmaut in Gaza for 8,000 Israeli settlers who had made their lives in Gush Katif following the Six Day War. Three months hence, they would be forcibly removed by Israel’s army, part of PM Ariel Sharon’s unilateral Gaza disengagement. Orange was the colour of their Kulanu Gush Katif movement (“we are all Gush Katif”) and thousands descended on Gaza.
We proceeded into the Negev. It was hot. I’d never experienced heat like that before. We stopped frequently for water and almonds (a good boost of energy), and I saw an entirely new side of Israel. A massive ostrich farm. Isolated Bedouin settlements. Kibbutz Sde Boker and David Ben Gurion’s grave. The Ramon Crater. Kibbutzim populated by Israelis who opted to forgo more comfortable lives in cities, instead deciding to farm the land, be one with the wilderness, and do something hard.
Arriving in Eilat five days later, feeling like the victim of an unwanted cavity search, we were treated to massages on the beach. We jumped in the cool waters of the Red Sea. I was tanned, had lost some weight, and never wanted to leave. That night I even attempted some drunken Hebrew karaoke. It was not my proudest moment, but I accomplished something difficult. It felt great.
Companions
Two of my riding companions stand out.
The first was a man whose name I don’t remember, so I’ll call him Bob. Bob was in his mid-90s. An avid American cyclist in better shape than most of us, he biked 50 miles every morning back home in Florida. Well into the 10th decade of his life, he got to the finish line each day well ahead of everyone else.
During the evening we spent at the Ramon Crater, he told us a story. He had never shared it with anyone before. Bob was a World War Two veteran. He was a sailor who fought in Europe and returned to the US in 1945. Several years later, because of his experience at sea, he was approached by Palestine’s Zionist leadership. They needed help smuggling Holocaust survivors out of Europe and into Palestine. The British blockade off the coast needed to be breached, and they needed as many able-bodied sailors as possible.
Bob joined the effort as part of Mossad Le’Aliya Bet. He did not tell his family back home where he was going, only that he would be back soon. He sailed between Southern France and Palestine several times, returning as many Jews as he could to their ancestral homeland, and then returned back to his life in America. This was how he expressed his Zionism. Foundational, critical, risking his life. He never told anyone what he did, and became an avid cyclist. 68 years later, he told his story for the first time in the state the people he rescued helped build. It was incredible.
Another riding companion was Mandy. “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father…prepare to die!” Mandy Patinkin. The Yiddish singer, Saul from Homeland. He was on our bikeride with his son Isaac! It was very exciting.
Mandy also shared a story with the group. One year earlier, he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. It had been aggressive, he had undergone significant surgery, and he was celebrating one year of recovery by participating in the bikeride with his son Isaac. He was thoughtful, hilarious, and sincere.
“Hard”
Someone recently sent me a clip from the comedian Yohay Sponder, in which he joked:
Let’s clarify something very important. Zionism is only if you came from a better place than Israel. Zionism is not when you upgrade your life. Zionism is if you downgraded your life to help [Israel] get to the status of your country.
Very simple, you come from South Africa [to Israel]? Not Zionism.
If you came from America, depends where! South America, not Zionism. If you came from Miami, Zionism! Hawaii, Zionist. Manhattan, Zionist. California - before the fire - Zionist.
French people, come on guys! We know the Muslims are hunting you there. Stop telling us that you’re Zionists! We know what’s up, we have internet too. You’re not a ZIonist, it’s a shelter, you’re welcome!
That’s hilarious! Obviously this was said in jest, and making aliya from anywhere in the world is “Zionist,” but it brings to mind that being a Zionist is hard.
By “hard” I certainly don’t mean that it is challenging to believe in the Zionist idea. Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people are entitled to self-determination like everyone else, living in peace and security in their ancestral homeland. Period. That’s not hard to believe. In fact, I think it’s harder to not believe that, but that’s for another post.
What I mean is that, like anything in life, being a Zionist throws its fair share of challenges at you. Its “easy” to be a Zionist when the world is quiet, when there’s no war, when Israel is doing everything you want it to do, when the Prime Minister is someone you like, when there’s no blatant antisemitism on the streets, when no Jews are held against their will in Gaza, when there’s a broad centrist-governing coalition with something for everyone, when the cherry tomatoes are blooming, the borders are quiet, and the start-up industry is booming.
To some, however, it is harder being a Zionist when things are not going your way, and right now there are plenty of Zionist Jews who are struggling with their Zionism. They are not wrong, nor are they flirting with becoming anti-Zionist, but they are genuinely trying to reconcile their intense love for Israel with a government they despise, with a war and tactics they personally disagree with, and with a worry for the future of Israeli society. I don’t judge them for feeling this way, nor do I automatically label such criticism as anti-Zionism. It’s not. They want what is best for Israel and worry about what’s happening there because of their ahavat Yisrael. Period.
Patinkin
But there’s a nuance, and it really gets to me. It’s the space that straddles anxious-pro-Zionism and anti-Zionism.
On the weekend, Mandy Patinkin - with whom I once shared a bag of almonds in the Negev - went onto the New York Times’ The Daily podcast, and said the following:
I ask Jews all over the world to consider what this man, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his right-wing government is doing to the Jewish people all over the world. They are endangering not only the state of Israel, which I care deeply about and want to exist, but they are endangering the Jewish population all over the world. He is the most dangerous thing, not just since October 7th. It has been a deeply troubled situation. And to watch what is happening for the Jewish people, and to allow this to happen to children and civilians of all ages in Gaza, is unconscionable and unthinkable. And I ask you Jews, everywhere all over the world to spend some time alone and think, is this acceptable and sustainable? How could it be done to you and your ancestors? And you turn around and you do it to someone else?
This is such seriously misplaced navel gazing that I frankly don’t know where to begin.
I actually believe that deep down, Mandy is a Zionist. But he appears to be so utterly blinded by his hatred of Bibi Netanyahu, that he is (rightfully) getting a lot of flak for basically blaming Netanyahu for the rise of antisemitism in the world. This is bananas.
But blaming Netanyahu, or any Israeli or Jewish leader, for antisemitism is not just incorrect. It lets the actual perpetrators off the hook…
You can oppose Netanyahu and stand with Jews. In fact, you must [stand with Jews]. Because antisemitism is not a reaction to Israeli politics. That is a justification used by people who already hate us…
There is a difference between criticizing a government and holding an entire people collectively responsible. The former is political speech. The latter is bigotry…
What strikes me most about Patinkin’s comment is how it reflects a kind of luxury, an assumption that antisemitism is just a recent political inconvenience, something that would go away if only Israel “behaved better.” That’s a comforting belief, but it’s not how antisemitism works.
So I want to kindly ask Mandy Patinkin, with sincerity: why is it that your voice is the loudest in an interview when you’re denouncing Netanyahu? Why not also use your platform speak up for Israeli civilians? For the 50 hostages still in Gaza? For your fellow Jews being targeted, harassed, and excluded from progressive spaces? Where was this voice on October 7?
In fact, Mandy’s voice has been, strangely, missing from the pro-Zionist/pro-Israel discourse since 10/7. According to Elissa Wald,
On October 7, 2023, Patinkin posted about a concert he was playing that night. He posted a laughing video of himself pouring water out of a ceramic fish-shaped bottle. The video was captioned: “Heaven.” He posted a defense of refugees and another of asylum seekers.
He posted nothing at all on October 8th.
He posted nothing at all on October 9th.
He posted nothing at all on October 10th.
On October 11th, he posted a very vague statement in which he managed not to once write the word “Jew”, “Israeli” or “Hamas”…Very much an “All Lives Matter” statement…He was calling for a ceasefire by October 27th. After that, he never had another word of concern for Israel, whereas he posted on behalf of Gaza again and again and again…
Nothing bothers me more than the implication that Israel’s conduct in Gaza is responsible for the worldwide tsunami of anti-Semitism.
He does not appear (from what I have seen) to publicly grapple with the intricacies of the War in Gaza, or have called for the hostages to be released. It’s…troubling.
And yes, the suffering in Gaza is terrible. Which is why first and foremost, Hamas needs to do the right thing: go away.
So, like Mazzig and Wald, I take serious issue with Patinkin’s outrage. The Jews are not to blame for antisemitism, neither is Netanyahu. Those espousing it are. This war was brought on us, there is ample misinformation and misunderstanding about the current situation in Gaza, and Hamas can easily end this war by giving up their weapons and returning the hostages, which they refuse to do. Patinkin and his wife somehow refuse to acknowledge that. It somehow doesn’t play into their Zionism which they appear only content to celebrate during a sunny bikeride through the desert.
So what?
Zionism, at its heart, represents an unbreakable bond with the land and people of Israel, a connection that goes deeper than just appreciating its remarkable achievements, vibrant culture, and stunning natural beauty. While it's effortless to revel in Israel's triumphs and enjoy its prosperity during times of peace, the measure of Zionist conviction comes to the fore when the nation faces its most profound trials. It is in these moments of intense struggle, when the path is fraught with difficulty and the challenges appear overwhelming, that the true depth of one's commitment is unequivocally demonstrated.
To genuinely embody Zionism in 2025 means embracing the full spectrum of the Israeli experience, which includes the exhilarating victories and the heartbreaking setbacks, the moments of profound joy and the periods of deep sorrow. Biking through the Arava Desert, smuggling Holocaust survivors out of France across the Mediterranean, settling in the desert to grow tomatoes, engaging with your Jordanian neighbours for the benefit of the environment, among other examples. Zionism necessitates an understanding that supporting Israel is not a conditional act, dependent on favourable circumstances. It is an unwavering dedication demanding immense courage and steadfast resilience. When the nation is under threat, when its citizens are grieving, or when critical, often agonizing, decisions must be made for its security and continued existence, I believe that a true Zionist does not waver, retreat, or betray. Instead, they stand resolute, offering solidarity, actively advocating for its well-being, with Israel’s best interests in mind, and tirelessly working towards a future where Israel can flourish in peace and security.
This profound commitment inherently demands making difficult and often unpopular decisions, and engaging directly with complex, multifaceted realities rather than seeking simplistic answers or narratives. The Zionist tent is not just looking for yes-men, who automatically align and agree with every single action that Israel’s government and society takes. We are not a cult. It involves confronting criticism, both from within and outside, with integrity, clarity, and an unshakeable belief in Israel's fundamental right to exist and defend itself. This is the hallmark of an enduring bond, a recognition that the realization of a secure Jewish homeland carries with it an immense and sacred responsibility: to stand firmly by Israel, not only when circumstances are easy, but especially when they are arduous, never turning away when it most needs support and loyalty.
Patinkin is suffering from an acute episode of Hollywoodism complicated by terminal DEI and a nagging case of Self-Hating Jew.
The comedian Yohay Sponder is hilarious, a much needed balm during these difficult times. Check him out on YouTube.
Patinkin wasn’t thinkin’ and now he’s stinkin’.