It Could Happen Here

Episode: What’s Happened to the Israeli Left
Air Date: March 2, 2026
Host: Dana Al Kurd
Guest: Danielle Kantor – Founder of Culture of Solidarity

Episode Overview

This episode explores the evolution, struggles, and current state of leftist activism in Israel in the aftermath of major recent events, particularly since October 7th. Host Dana Al Kurd interviews Danielle Kantor, a key figure in Israeli mutual aid and leftist organizing, about the trajectory and challenges of building solidarity across Israeli and Palestinian communities. Through a wide-ranging, candid conversation, they examine the role of grassroots mutual aid, the journey of political unlearning for Israeli leftists, and the emotional and societal toll of activism within a “genocidal society.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Culture of Solidarity & Mutual Aid Work

[02:18] – [07:30]

• Danielle Kantor introduces Culture of Solidarity, a grassroots mutual aid collective focused on food security, especially in Area C of the West Bank (Masafar Yatta).
• Originated during the COVID-19 pandemic amid mass food waste and a realization of systemic failure to support vulnerable communities.
• Kantor emphasizes the political awakening that comes with aid work:

  “It was kind of the beginning of our deep, deep political awakening... Not understanding how politically charged it is to serve your community when they're actively being oppressed by the systems that are supposed to care for them.” (Danielle, [04:35])

• The group remains wholly community-funded and resists institutionalization to avoid perpetuating systemic need and to focus on genuine solidarity.

2. Journey of Political Unlearning and Engagement with the Occupation

[08:10] – [13:34]

• Kantor discusses how volunteering catalyzes self-questioning among Israelis regarding systems of oppression and occupation.
• The events of October 7th marked a “huge divide” and intensified the need to confront ethnic cleansing and genocide in the West Bank and Gaza:

  “Post-October 7th, you just see everything... Like, everything has become so much more pornographic... the genocide, the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.” (Danielle, [08:34])

• Acknowledges the difficult balance of empathy between personal Israeli pain (relating to attacks) and Palestinian suffering, and the cognitive dissonance within liberal Zionism:

  “Liberal Zionists would be like, ‘Yeah, it's terrible what's happening in the West Bank, the settlers, blah blah,’ but they'll still send their boys to be pilots in the army and bomb children... You can't be against that and then be for the previous part.” (Danielle, [12:12])

3. Collaborations and Solidarity Across Borders

[17:03] – [20:31]

• Culture of Solidarity works closely with both Israeli and Palestinian organizations:
  • Gisha (focus on access in Gaza), Breaking the Silence, Zechot, and Physicians for Human Rights
  • Annual Ramadan campaigns in partnership with groups including Rabbis for Human Rights and previously Dignity for Palestine in Gaza.
• The approach is to avoid “reinventing the wheel” and instead uplift and collaborate with other left/radical organizations.

  “Uplifting each other and collaborating with each other is so important to not feel alone as Israelis against the occupation.” (Danielle, [19:17])

4. Role of Israelis in Palestinian Liberation & Responsibilities of the Left

[20:31] – [27:20]

• Kantor asserts the necessity for accountability and reparations for Palestinians and equal rights under a government that serves all.
• Protective Presence: Israelis acting as an international protective presence for Palestinians threatened by settler and army violence:

  “Protective presence is one of the most important things Israeli leftists can do, because... it's just getting worse and worse.” (Danielle, [21:05])

• Stresses the unique responsibility of Israeli leftists, given their privilege and proximity to state power, and the need for continuous educational work inside Israeli society.
• The journey of unlearning for left activists is daunting and personally isolating:

  “I know what it's like to have to leave everything you've been raised on. I know what it's like to have family not want to talk to you...friends not want to be friends with you anymore...but you know that this is the right thing to do.” (Danielle, [24:50])

5. Structural and Societal Challenges: Fascism, Apathy, and the Shrinking Left

[32:06] – [37:24]

• Kantor identifies the fascist government and “fascist society” as the immediate obstacle, but argues that apathy is a greater long-term threat.

  “Our biggest threat is apathy...people not caring, not getting up and leaving their houses and doing things and organizing and mobilizing.” (Danielle, [32:20])

• Draws parallels between the current indifference of Israeli society and historical atrocities, referencing “Zone of Interest”:

  “Life just existed in Israel...You saw warplanes flying above you and you know what's going to happen...We're living in zone of interest.” (Danielle, [35:00])

• On emotional toll: Acknowledges the tension between bitterness and compassion, and the temptation to emigrate, but frames the choice to stay and resist as a “moral responsibility.”

6. The Splintering and Tightening of the Israeli Left Post-October 7

[37:20] – [40:27]

• Post-October 7th, the radical left in Israel has become tighter and more insular. The broader “liberal Zionist” left is seen as unwilling to address the root issue of occupation:

  “You can’t fight for democracy in an apartheid state...Every injustice happening on this land...the root of it is the occupation. We’ve planted roots on rotten soil.” (Danielle, [38:56])

• Danielle makes a point about the illusion of “democracy” in Israel: movements for democracy or liberal values are meaningless without confronting and ending occupation and systemic ethnic cleansing.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “It was kind of the beginning of our deep, deep political awakening... Not understanding how politically charged it is to serve your community when they're actively being oppressed by the systems that are supposed to care for them.”
  — Danielle Kantor, [04:35]

• “Post-October 7th, you just see everything... Like, everything has become so much more pornographic... the genocide, the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.”
  — Danielle Kantor, [08:34]

• “Liberal Zionists would be like, ‘Yeah, it's terrible what's happening in the West Bank, the settlers, blah blah,’ but they'll still send their boys to be pilots in the army and bomb children... You can't be against that and then be for the previous part.”
  — Danielle Kantor, [12:12]

• “Uplifting each other and collaborating with each other is so important to not feel alone as Israelis against the occupation.”
  — Danielle Kantor, [19:17]

• “Protective presence is one of the most important things Israeli leftists can do, because... it's just getting worse and worse.”
  — Danielle Kantor, [21:05]

• “I know what it's like to have to leave everything you've been raised on. I know what it's like to have family not want to talk to you...friends not want to be friends with you anymore...but you know that this is the right thing to do.”
  — Danielle Kantor, [24:50]

• “Our biggest threat is apathy...people not caring, not getting up and leaving their houses and doing things and organizing and mobilizing.”
  — Danielle Kantor, [32:20]

• “We're living in zone of interest.”
  — Danielle Kantor, [35:00]

• “You can’t fight for democracy in an apartheid state...Every injustice happening on this land...the root of it is the occupation. We’ve planted roots on rotten soil.”
  — Danielle Kantor, [38:56]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• 02:18 – 07:30: Danielle’s introduction and background on Culture of Solidarity, defining “mutual aid” in the Israeli/Palestinian context.
• 08:10 – 13:34: On political unlearning; dealing with the fallout of October 7th; the divide in Israeli identity; how to talk to fellow Israelis about ethnic cleansing.
• 17:03 – 20:31: Collaboration and learning with other NGOs and Palestinian groups; types of joint activities.
• 20:31 – 27:20: Protective presence, education, and the emotional/structural hurdles for the Israeli left.
• 32:06 – 36:26: Apathy versus activism; life under fascist rule; the emotional choice to stay and resist.
• 37:20 – 40:27: Post-October 7th; the left’s isolation, the limitations of liberal Zionism, and the need for reckoning with the foundational violence of the Israeli state.

Conclusion

Danielle Kantor offers a deeply personal yet sharply analytical look at the state of Israel’s left, the obstacles of societal apathy and state repression, and the profound responsibilities Israelis bear in solidarity work. Despite isolation and burnout, she underlines the necessity of sustained resistance, mutual learning, and an unwavering focus on ending the root system of occupation if any future justice or democracy is possible in the region.

For more on the organizations mentioned and recommended readings, see the episode show notes.