Ex-Leftist Lawmaker Eli Goldschmidt Admits Decades of Political Error After Oct. 7
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Former Knesset Member Eli Goldschmidt has publicly confessed that his decades-long left-wing political worldview was a grave error, especially after the October 7th Hamas attacks. He expressed shock and naivete regarding his past beliefs about peace with the Arabs and the Gaza Strip. Goldschmidt is now facing ostracism from former friends and colleagues in the left-wing movement who consider him a traitor.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former MK Eli Goldschmidt admits his lifelong left-wing views were a fatal mistake after Oct. 7.
- Goldschmidt questioned his past belief that giving territory to Arabs would lead to peace.
- He described his realization as an internal shock, calling himself and others naive and foolish.
- Goldschmidt is now ostracized by former friends and colleagues who view him as a traitor.
- Yossi Vardi, a friend, confirmed the widespread refusal to associate with Goldschmidt.
Former Knesset Member Eli Goldschmidt has undergone a profound ideological shift, admitting that his lifelong left-wing political and מדיני views were a fatal mistake, particularly in light of the October 7th Hamas attacks. In an interview with i24NEWS, Goldschmidt described the shock and disillusionment he experienced as the full extent of the atrocities in the Gaza border communities became clear.
"We only began to understand the magnitude of the horrors in the days that followed, when we started hearing from the community of Kfar Aza, from the community of Be'eri, from the community of Nir Oz," Goldschmidt stated. He questioned his past beliefs, asking himself, "Wait, am I Oslo? I believed the Arabs, I believed that if I gave them territories they would be nice to me, I believed there would be a disengagement and they would turn the Gaza Strip into Singapore."
Goldschmidt articulated the emotional toll of this realization, saying, "When you come to the conclusion that you were wrong your entire adult life, it's first and foremost an internal shock. I understand that we were naive, that we were foolish."
Beyond his ideological crisis, Goldschmidt is facing ostracism and hostility from former colleagues in the left-wing camp and kibbutzim, who are unforgiving of his current views and criticisms. Yossi Vardi, former head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council and a friend of Goldschmidt, shared in the interview that many in their close circle refuse to associate with him. Vardi recounted, "Many people, including Eli's friends in Degania, tell me: 'Tell me, how can you talk to him?' Eli is treated as a traitor. I heard some of our mutual friends tell me 'We are not willing to talk to him, we don't want to see him.'"
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