The British Left and Zionism

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The book explores the British left's complex response to competing nationalisms in Palestine, particularly the Labour Party's initial support for the Zionist project as a progressive endeavor. Despite the Labour Party's colonial experts overlooking the sectarian nature of Labour Zionism, the British Communist Party offered critiques until it aligned with Soviet policy in 1947. Over decades, the left largely supported Israel as a response to the Holocaust, with Poale Zion acting as a crucial intermediary. The narrative shifts with the emergence of the new left in the late 1960s, which began to amplify Palestinian nationalist voices, while the book also examines claims linking pro-Palestinian sentiments to antisemitism.