. . . but I find myself often in conflict with people from both of the other groups. For example, I have a number of Jewish friends (I live in NYC, so it would be rather odd if I didn't), who have a variety of opinions about the war in Gaza. Among them, there is one in particular -- a close, long-time friend who is a 47--year-old, gay, culturally Jewish but religiously secular Jew (I am a 65-year-old, gay WASP). But for him, this issue triggers him like nothing I've seen. I've shown him credible reporting from reputable sources (some of it even from Israeli sources. He dismisses all of it as anti-Semitic propaganda; yet he seems to be willing to believe any and every defense anyone offers of Israel and its conduct. He insists that anyone who believes any of the reporting on Israel's objectionable conduct is merely a dupe of a vast, pro-Palestinian conspiracy to defame Israel. It's really remarkable, because on any other topic, he thinks critically and has a healthy degree of skepticism. But not on this topic.
At the same time, I see, particularly from younger progressives (and I consider myself to be a progressive) an increasing unwillingness to even defend Israel's right to exist. While I concede there were problems surrounding the formation of Israel, I also acknowledge what gave rise to its formation -- not just the Holocaust, but the centuries of persecution that had forced Jews to leave one country after another. But some of the hardcore, younger supporters, including on the left, are unwilling to acknowledge the validity of any of those considerations, and some come dangerously close to outright holocaust denialism.
The extremes of both groups seem to want to deny the full complexity of the problem, and try their level best to make it seem like there is no middle ground at all.
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